The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-05-06
Four, 'Leven, Forty-four I'm Deep
Water.

Four, 'Levon, Forty-four I'm Deep
Water.
Mr.. Scott of New Jersey, comes into court
and alleges that he has been swindled out of
forty thousand dollars by dealers in "lottery
tickets and policy slips" He gives their names.
The most widely known of the number is Mr..
Ben Wood, formerly a member OF the United
States Congress, now member of that august
and honorable body the New York State Sem
ate. Mr.. Scott goes into particulars He gives
the very manner of the swindle, showing IA
miliarity with the processes that is astonishing
in green one, which, of course, he must be
by his losses. Scott tells us how he purchased
and continued to purchase tickets and slips OF
various vendors in the city-gambling on draw
ings to be made in another State. He then
tells us how the numbers were drawn In that
other State, and then how the drawn numbers
were manipulated and changed to suit the
tickets and slips sold in this or other cities by
the agents of the said Ben Wood and the rest.
That is, if the sales in tickets or slips had run
largely on any certain number and that num-
Der should happen to be drawn, SO that the
State Senator above named and his friends
should be in danger of losing largely, then, as
Mr.. Scott alleges, this honorable Senator and
his friends would change that number, substi-
tuting for it in the published lists some other
number on which they would lose less or not
at all. And having lost forty thousand dollars
on this game, Mr.. Scott prays that it may be
restored.
We are very happy to know that the light is
to be let in on the lottery and policy business;
that it is finally to be made the duty of the
courts 10 inquire into piece of gigantic
knavery that we have become weary of de-
nouncing. We are glad of this, but not be-
cause we sympathize with Mr.. Scott. We may,
perhaps, be permitted to have our doubts as
to the dealty of this innocent man from New
Jersey-this badly swindled countryman who
knows the lottery game 80 well who spends
forty thousand dollars for tickets and slips in
three years, and yet can tell how the cheating
is done, to the least particular. Is he man
recently escaped from any of the New Jersey
insane asylums? Is he the Mr.. Scott to whom
the coon came down? Is he some hitherto I'M
heard-of Jersey millionaire who can afford TO
do this for fun, as some magnificent fellow used
to make kites of thousand pound notes, and
raise them only to cut them loose! Or, ia he
Jersey philanthropist who has played only to
accumulate evidence against the gamblers in
order that he might prevent them from longer
plundering the infatuated wretches that are
kept in the gutter by this robbery? Who is
he? What is he? Or, not being lunatic, a
millionaire or philanthropst is it possible
that he is himself one of these gamblers ousted
by the rest for wanting even the honor that
ought to be among thieves, or that be is per
son who wants to be one of these gamblers and
cannot get in, and takes this method for his
revengef
No matter. FIR nj whatever motive he acts,
the result will be the same as to that part of
this matter in which the public interest lies
this most tremendous and most villanous
the gambling systems that disgrace our city
will be laid bare; its authors and upholders
viii be exposed TO that full measure Of public
infamy that they have managed hitherto to
escape, and may possibly be consigned to that
prison discipline they have so richly earned;
and if this mythical Mr.. Scott assails one set of
policy gamblers only in the interest of another
set, let us hope that he will 80 damage the
business by his exposures that it will be worth
but little when he gels it. If the rogues have
fallen out, the honest men may come by their
rights so far that this great system for the de-
moralization Of our poorer population will be
quite broken up.