The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-05-24
7 H Z DISP ATCH
MONDAY MoRSINa.............. =. MAY "a lsss.
The "swan d Co" Lostery-Arrsst
of the C0nd uct tors

-.
The telegraph has noticed the arrest of the eou.
ductors. OF the Swan Coz iotteries--the largest
establishment Of the kind 10 the country. The n.
\. Herald of Saturday gives some particulars OF
the arrest and former operations of the maasgers
| Itsays:
The Sparta Academy, Of Georgia. ,ottsr,
scheme, owned by @. swan Co.. has probable
been broken up by the Georgia authorities throuph
the Intervention Of Mayor 1iemann. Inteiit0enee
was received yesterday by the Mayor thar the
Grand Jury of Augusta, Georgia, had indicted ali
the managers Of the concern on a charge that n
was not authorized by law; all the Georgia mana
gers were arrested, and it was CONTEMPLATED In
send on requisitioEs for Bebjam Wood aud George
p. Eddy OF this city, who are likewise part own.
eTs
The Swan Co. lottery was one of the most
extensive in the country. It is said that their
receipts were a hundred and fifty thousand
dollars per week. 1t protested TO award two
million dollars week ia prizes Its Offices
were scattered throughout the country. and
its extensive advertising Of the past year has
drawn particular attention to it, BY columns in
the newspapers, on stages, in caraand travelling
vans, and udeed In every imagiRsl way, has shis
concern attracted the notice Of sE&Abiic, with iss
prineely promises, rendered more Elusive to the
public by the assurance that the laws OF Georgia
sanctioned the drawing.
Especially in this city some Seditors have been
directed to the sale OF tickets. Offices have
been established In various prominent localities
under the name of - Exchanges" every avenue of
advertising has been exercised, aud with the gene
rally believed assurance of its legality the institu
tion has douhtiess done more injury here than in
any other portion Of the Union. Tue assertion
that the concern was legal has been SO constantly
aud confidently made, going SO lar as 10 eongratu-
late the Mayor that the oIler illegal schemes hsc
been broken Ma bal even the cigzens sla authpsi
ties of uecf GU in the iegaatrys $50 were
oniy undeceived by tho vigorous action Of Mayor
TIemsnn. The Mayor discovered that though many
years ago there Was an authorized lottery estab-
shed for the benefit Of tue Sparta Academy, based
upon law of 1876, that al the commissioners are
since deceased the charter has expired by its own
Limitation, and of Course that the swan 4 Co. es-
tablishment bad not the sabctou of law.
Alter satisfying himself of this fact eouclusy ely,
aud securing by letter the cooperation of the
Georgia authorities, Mayor Tiemann dispatched of
fceT Birney To Georgia with dOcuments addressed
to the proper officials SPECIAL grand jury Was
empaDneled, aud in lev hours the business wac
done and the parties indicted. Gov. Brown has ex-
pressed his determination to break up any more
bogus concerns of his State that come to his know
ledge, aud the citizens of Georgis-Hho have
garded this institution and others as Guisancee--
have expressed their hearty approval of the
slanght.
shortly after Mayer Tiemann had broken us the
lottery conCsra of Dickinson Co, who were the
agents for Swan Co, in this city, MessIs. Ssal!
L Co. cane CUT with flaming cards, in varioua
newspapers, thanking the Mayor for putting down
all illegal lotteries, and representing themselves
the proprietors of the only legal lottery concern in
the country. Mayor Iiemann, from reliable ill.,
formation, however, doubted AZ 10 their right to
carry on she Sparta Academy Lottery III their own
State (CeorSia,) and therefore made arrangements
10 give the matter thorough investigation. Ac-
cordingly he dispatched Sergeant Alfred biruey
with inrr oduciery letters aud certificates TO Gov
Brown, Of Georgia, abouttwo weeks ago. Sergeant
Birney proceeded Immediately TO Wasbington,
where hs procured letter from Howell Cobb, Sec
retary of the Treasury, and then proceeded to
Ni,ledgeyille, Georgia, and presented his creden-
tials to Governor Brown.
Governor Brown expressed much surprise on
learning the facts, and wrote directly TO Ool. VIM
X. McLGur, Attorney General Of Georgia.
Sergeant Birney then went to Augusta, where
he arrived last saturday. aud present Let the letters
| 10 the Attorney Gepefai Several Of the judges 0
ihe supreme Court we're consulted upon the mat
ter by the Attorney General, when it was saisiac
torily shown that Mayor Tiemspn WAS correct, and
| thak the Sparta Academy Lottery Was all Illegal
Institution. Governor Brown had, in Abe mean
| tlme employed Francis Fl. Cole, Esq 10 act ~
counsel III the case, who wrote letter to ihe Az
toruey General at Augusta, enclosing ths original
act authorizing the trustees OF ths Sparta Academy
Lottery, aud tEer right TO raise the sum OF f5U0U
| for the benefit of said Acade.iy. The parties
| named in the act all dead-Joel Crawford was
| the last, who died about six weeks ago; 1t being
| founded in 1876.
The Grand Jury had just been discharged when
! the matter was placed In the hands of the Attor-
| ney General, but he Immediately summoned an
| other special jury, who met on Monday last
| They convened at IL O'Clock, and were IN session
| until O'Clock in the afternoon. Sergeant Birney
| soon after the Jury met received subpeAa to ap-
pear before them. James A. Eddy aud Chss A.
| Lathrop clerks in swan Co.'S establishment
| were also summoned before the jury. Ihey all
gave testimony, so far they knew. regarding the
legality of the Sparta Academy Lottery, when The
jury, a. the above hour brought in the following
Indictment against each Of the parties connected
| with the concern:
| Jury sworn chosen and selected FOR the county OF
| Richmond to Wit: The uudersiEned by present
ment in the name aud behalf II the citizens ol
| Georgia, charge and accuse Samuel swap, benJa-
| min Wood George 7. Eddy, James 4 Eddy, Leon
4. Dn.as, Frederick c. Bar Der, and Charles A La
.hrop OF the county aud State aforesaid, with the
! offence Of misdemeauor; tor that the said Samuel
| Swan Benjamin Wood George Z. Eddy, James b.
| gddy Leon z. Dpgas, Frederick &. Barber and
tharles A. Lathrop, III sad county, On the fifteenth
day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred aud hfty-eight, in the city of Au'
| gusta in said county, were concerned Ia tue man
| aging. conducting and carrying on a certain io''
| tery called the Sparta Academy Lottery, III the
city OF Augusta, in said county and state, said lot
| tery not being then and thsIe authorized by tse
General Assembly Of the State OF ofGesrBla. and said
lottery not being then and there the sparss Acsi'
| emy Lottery authorized by the said 0enefai AS
serbly prior to the passage of the act VI said As
sembly passed the 23d of December, 1883, contrary
10 the laws OF the State the good order, peace and
| dignity thereof
| MAY FERN, 1855.
| Samnel swan Bepi. Wood, and George 2. Eddy
ale owners Of the lottery; Frederick +. Baker aud
| Leon z. Dugas commissioners protesting authofl'!
| to draw; James A. Eddy and Charles A LathIop
clerks All the above parties, with the exceptiut
of BENZ Wood reside in Augusta Dir. ood is q
| resident of this city. All the parties, with th'
| exception Of Benz Wood and Geo Z. Eddy aer;
arrested and each held 10 bail Ia the SUN of r. oOi
on each indictment-fise indictments being ionnC
1
Geo. Z. Eddy is said to be III this city, ana II II
supposed an officer will be cent ON with reqnisi
zion for his arrest and that of Bepj. Wood.
The Sparta Academy Lottery managers repre-
sent that they distribute between two and thu
mi lions per week in pTzes. IL WAS sworh befoI'
the Grand Jury, At Augusta, that they were 10 re
ceipt Of over $l50,0o0 per week. The penalty y
| said TO be fne of from $500 to 81 900, or mpri
| sonmept for one year Benjsmin Wood, by the re
corde. as shown by the books OF the Sparta Acsde
my Lottery, cleared over 100000 last year as hi
share Of the pronts.
Sergeant HirDey went to savannah aid tried Il
| break MP the Fort Gaines lottery. The matte
WAS p,sced in the bands of several OF the city on
ci.ls of that CITY, and the proprieiors, hessrs An
derson y Co, arrested, but no,hiug, however, wa
done with them, they being soon discharged.
| Sergeant Birney on his way home stopped da.
| at Washington aud got a letter from the Pos.ma'
ter General TO Postmaster Fowler To send 10 IN
dead letter Office all letters known TO be sent TO as
6nmPH
Ye,,er,av morning abeut seven hundred letter
vero detained at The postoffice, addressed to DR.;
Wallace, Morton, James, (the "saods OF life man,
Monet lie Brur, rufton, Tracy, lie Ia Rome an
Pr, fessor James I. iforn-aii said to oe assume
| Names If this order is carried out, the swan !
Co. lottery has doubtless seen its last days
Mr.. Benz Wood, one Of the New York directors
is ont in a card alleging that the lottery /" legal
and sanctioned by the Georgia Legislature, ant
that the trustees are ali honorable men. lie FUR
ther contends that the attack 10 purely poh'ica
one" slightly mixed With enmity from opposition
4 lotteries.
| TALL PREAcHERs.-Tbere are at present In tn
/ N. L. Conference, in session at Nashville, Tenn
some pretty lengthy specimens Of reverend hnm
nifty the Rev. Mr.. Young of Missouri, feet
4 inches; Rev Mr.. Kelly of South Caroins,6 feet
| inches; Rev. Mr.. Alexander Of Texas feet
inches; aud the Rev. DR.. Mitchell of Alabama,
feet Al inches