Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-03-22
rFrom the Montpelier Watchman.1
LOTTERY SWINDLE IN VERMONT.


O." The attention of the Executive Of the
State was sometime late in the month OF
January and the early part OF February
called, by several circulars received from
those to whom they had been addressed IN
other distant States, to an extensive lottery
swindle, whose point OF action concentrates
nj North Thetford No time was lost by
Gov. Fairbanks in causing an investlga-
tion into this violation Of our statutes, by
Immediately communicating with the State 2
Attorney of Orange County, when the fol-
lowing facts appeared
About the first Of December, Thomas r.
Howe, Postmaster at North IhettOrd, recely-
ed q box of letters, with an anonymous re-
ouest by mail that he would mail them. The
letters we're sealed and stamped, and MI.
Howe saws that he did not then know what
was in them. Later in the month, Mi.
Reed who is distant relative OF Howe, came
10 North Thetford, and brought with him
two more boxes containing letters, stamped,
sealed and directed, TO be mailed at That
Office. There being in all i or 5000 OF
these letters. and to facilitate their despatch,
Reed proposed himself as a candidate Tor as
sistant Postmaster. TO which Howe assented,
and he was accordingly duly sworn, and thus
acted until the whole number were SENT
when he (Reed) left, directing all communl-
cations for S. B. Hale Co.. of which firm
he professed to be q member, to q certain 10
cality IN Pennsylvania. Reed represented
the letters sent 10 be circulars Tor The Onlon
newspaper in Philadelphia, though Howe
confesses to a ''slrmiSe' that they were Iot-
ter7 schemes.
Previous to the reception Of any letters ae-
auainting the governor with this sTlndle,
nearly or quite two hundred letters, many OF
them covering the required sum ''t0 secure a
fortune" 500 had been received at the
North Tbetford Office, and forwarded by
Howe To s. b. Hale & 60. Under direction
however. the States Attorney arrested any
further transmission of letters TO their ad-
dress. and up to this time more than three
hundred other letters have been detained
from them. and will be returned to their
rirbtful owners. as viii be seen by the tol'
lowing Ietto- from the Post Oihce Depart
ment
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMESr,
.,-,i1+-,ert Oaiee. Feb IS, 1861.
81 7b,vs the honor TO acknowledge the re-
cait Of I'm two letters Of the llth inst and 10
| inform vou that they have been referred % tne
r-o1e- oeicsr to iavestigats the supposed viola
lion If the postaI laws, with view to the con-
viction Of the offender. MI, -. t.,-
Tbs Postmaster at North Thettord has Teen
c,IIad on bv the Department for his explanation OF
tho transaction. for the purpose Of presenting 70
the pest Master General the question OF Ms re-
rnovaI He has also been instructed TO return &C
The Dead Letter Once all letters addressed 20 :
| B Hale I Co., Tor The purpose OF having tHem
examined by the legally constituted auuAoIl'1' :,
that those containing money MAJ DC 4e'-i-i0N -
their lawful owners.
am, very respectfully
Your obedient Servant,
ST. JOHN B. 1. SKINNER,
First Assistant Post Master 'eneraI'
H9g. ERAs1rs FAnBAyKs,
=. Johnsbury, y g.
Thus, by the prompt action OF our hxecu
tive and the Postoffce Department, many M
noeent individuals will again receive theh
money. and what is Of more importance th'
/ lesson to eschew future promises, which arr
ONLY to defraud and our P5smasteTs WI
/ also learn, though their commissions may lo'
/ q season increase, to let lottery schemes aIoi4
when they "sslr17iss' their character.
How anybody Of ordinary common sens
can be weak enough to throw away ten dol
lars on such palpable swindles as the lotter,
pro99sals which are scattered by thousand
over the country. passes our comprehension
altogether. Biting at bare hook is wisdom
/ itself in comparison