The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-23

better lot Tor the founding OF plantation than
the ships crew brought over by "the aiore-
said Mr.. JONES'" We hope this will be remem-
bered in vote of thanks to Mr.. Jones at the
next celebration of the first exploration of He'll
Gate by the Dutch.
Tho Lottery Policy War and the Lottery
Business in This City-A Fearful Nuisance.
Between the Hon. Ben Wood and the Hoa
John Morrissey, each as the champion of his
clan, conflict in our Supreme Court, very
much like a fight in the puglistic ring, has
been in progress for some time for the
monopoly of the lottery policy business, which
is carried on in this city in defiance Of our
State laws, in the sale Of tickets issued in the
names of various lottery shops in other States.
First, from Judge Cardozo, Of the Supreme
Court, an order is obtained appointing the
Hon. Ben Wood receiver of all this lottery
BUSINESS next from Judge Barnard, Of the
same court, an order is issued appointing tho
Hon. John Morrissey receiver, by whom tho
business is sold out to one William L. Sim
mons; next an order is issued from Judge
Cardozo appointing Hon. Ben Wood receiver,
general and absolute, to settle up the whole
business, and 80 the matter at present stands
Wood having all the advantages of the latest
order from tho court. 1t is rumored how
ever, that the next proceeding in the premises
will probably be an order from Judge Barnard
designating some new receiver to settle up and
abolish this whole business, as in violation Of
the laws of the State.
If we understand the scope Of these anti
lottery laws, on order providing for the imme-
date abolition of all these policy shops was
the only proper course for any Judge of any
New York court to take upon the subject when
brought before him. For weeks past, how
ever, and incidentally for years, our dis
pcnsers Of the law have been acting upon
this lottery business as if legally established
among u.s. Thus every judge concerned, and
we know not how many are implicated, is
clearly open to impeachment and its pains and
penalties, in having dealt from time to time
with these lottery gambling shops as entitled
to the recognition, regulation and protection
of our courts in the prosecution of their unlaw-
full business.
There should be an end OF all this, and
Judge Barnard can do no better service to
the public than to sweep these demoralizing
policy shops from the island. The tickets in
which they deal come from the authorized lot
teries in the States of Missouri, Kentucky,
Delaware Georgia and louisiana but they
arc no more lawful in New York than is an
Indiana divorce or Mormon polygamy. The
United States government recognizes these
lotteries in the States in which they are
established and in the States in which their
tickets are sold by tax on them but even
upon this head it appears that the govern
ment has not been paid by many thousands
of dollars the taxes due from the shops In
this city. From the last affidavit of this
Wood party it appears that the lottery
agencies OF this city, involved in these Supreme
Court litigations, are embodied in one hun
bred and twenty shares; that John Nor
rissey and Zachariah E. Simmons sold out
recently to Wood their interest Qess we infer
than one-fourth of the whole conccrn) for tho
sum of two hundred thousand dollars; that
another individual of the Morrissey clan sold
out ten shares for the sum of sixty thousand
dollars, retaining lien thereon for upwards Of
fifty thousand dollars; that this business in
the aggregate amounts TO several millions Of
dollars in this city. Outside Of this affidavit
we are informed that the sales of these lottery
tickets in this city average about twenty thou
sand dollars day, say for three hundred days
in the year, which amounts annually to six
millions Of dollars that deducting the costs OF
the numerous dens and employees of the mana
gers engaged, and incidental expenses, tho
sales may be set down as pretty much all clear
proht--the priz occasionally allowed being
only part of the business to stimulate sales
where they may be falling otf--that thousands
of young men are ruined by this species of
gambling, and hundreds of poor families are
reduced to want from the infatuation of fathers
and mothers in these purchases of lottery
tickets; that even respectable merchants and
professional men, supposed to have more sense
than the foolish negroes Of Laurens street, are
sometimes wrecked in these policy shops
Surely there is fearful margin for tho
Increase Of poverty and crime in the sales Of
these lottery gambling checks to the extent