New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-22
THE POLICY-SHOP SEIZURES.
THE EXTENT AND MANNER OF POLICY PLAYING
GREAT FRAUDS ON THE GOVERNMENT.

THE EXTENT AND MANNER OF POLICY PLAYING
GREAT FRAUDS ON THE GOVERNMENT.
OF all the curses with which this city abOunds
there baneful in its influence the poorer
classes than policy playing. which s carried with
moro less IN over COO different places this
city The patrons of the game to be found lOungng
around the lowest ginshops, loang about the docks,
lettering In alleys In fact in any place where there Is
crime and misery you will gee number Of habtual
players, any Of whom would deny himself food to in
duge in the pleasures of hope of making h" in POko-
moke or Delaware. The business conducted In such
candestine manner that the public would have known
but little of its many ramhcaOns had it not been for
Supervisor butchers jealous efforts the full
revenues which the laws demand. Heretofore the
lottery managers have paid the five per cent on their
alleged profits, instead of their sales, but astute
revenue detective who, by the direction OF
Supervisor butcher. has been engaged playing policy"
large scale aud various shops discovered that the
profits hundreds OF thousands instead OF a few
thousand dollars per month. The selling Of lottery
tickets IL the ghtest part Of the business and yields
but little profit to the managers The principal lottery
firms In the city are G ii. Murray Co, Mcintyre Co..
Simmons Co.. and Sturges Co., and the drawings OF
their various lotteries are thus announced every day In
several OF our contemporaries The drawings take place
at st. Louis COvingtOn, or some Southern city, every
morning and noon, ana the figures are teegraphed In
cypher 10 tho companies IN TINS ety. Inc pOcy ueaer
like British convict, Is known only by his number He
has responsibility, and takes no risk He says TO MS
patrons you pays your money, you takes your choice
HIS dngy shop almost always located IN the Sums OF tie
city screened and shaded that You can hardly see
the chalkmaIks the blackboard, announcing
the lucky numbers. There Is no furniture TO be
not even desk, or pen or ink small show-wln
lined with faded cotton velvet, contains nandfui
Of bogus coins and one or two worthless mining bonds
At an early hour in the morning the poor deudedylc
Tins old aud young OF both sexes may he seen sneaAng
into the shops with their gigs, saddles or horses
all made out having interpreted their dream Of the night
before by the aid OF the wheel OF fortune or the PLAY
ers Guide In many instances their first visit u 70 the
Golden BALL Bal when hey PAIN s ao d sait
is dishonest servant with silver spoon, sheet or
SOME single article OF wearing apparel which hs Deen
stolen from their masters and which Is rarely ever
redeemed Chloe, who enters with her pail ana scrub
bingbrgsh. mas got days work az home clesnig pn.
SiXtbave., near FOurteenth-st, paysa gig wien Is
three numbers CHA Chloe plays ten
aud will enjoy the pleasures OF hope tl noon Otele
lobe plays H. A, aud declares II they come from Tue
wheel he will whewash no more. Inc bioated bnfer'
from the low groggery on the corner mas just been oer
ated from cell H. aud he plays that number TO come out
hrst or last Tue young novice, VINO does hQI eltIey
understand the COMPUTATIONS, plays some number TO
out anywhere, but but small premium In the
event OF he number turning up In fact all players Will
take chance on any remarkable event or dream The
dealer Is furnished with blank sheet bearing the nae
Of The firm that backs him. Oh this he enters oil the
sales, and aust close the list In time to reach headquar
aud the : hts ~ are paid mmedstei The DEALER "a
ceiYes l2i per cent Oh the sales, and Is allowed
per for aud incidental expenses The lottery
firm keep ledger. In which the dealer Is en-,
is entered aud settled Sometimes dealer is suspected
OF doing less business on his own account at
which time he will only enter half twothrds OF his
sales II he Ia suspected the firm, who have received the
drawings before IL Is time to close the books will send
one theiI runners to the shop who will play combina-
ton OF lucky numbers that Will be sure to break him.
The the policy shop when the drawings come in
nervous aud anxious crowd OF wretches who press
around the blackboard. awaiting the appearance or the
drawings. Tug IiS are few and Tar between, ana tue
blasphy and naledlcons to be heard from the dsap,
pointed players frgnfu They curse their luck ana
suare tbeiI dsappontment in benzine whisky. Few
OF any idea OF the odds against their making
"a Init" but when IL known that out OF 80 or more
placed In the wheel there are DuC 10
drawn, and that the three numbers OF gig must DE
among the 49, the reader readily understand what
chances the poor player has VI getting any vi MS money
back. There is something about policy playing more Sc
ducng than fighting the tiger" Many poor man or
woman Will waste fully half OF their yeurly earnings. aud
confess IL f. much thrown away AS an Instance
OF the heavy odds against the player young man over
ten wears ago saw three reengDes going 10 Large fire,
the bells having rang general alarm Inc companies
90 and 49, lie and friend made purse OF one
dollar and played the numbers In gg 10 ther sur
prise the numbers drawn that afternoon ana they
time; bur one of them has the habit OF looking the
drawings every day while reading the morning PAPERS
and hc says that he has never seen the same gig olt
once during the entire time On Saturday last and %
were In the Kentucky lottery at noon ana III the
same lottery and 80 were drawn ID the afternoon AS
usual there only one number needed 10 complete
the gIg." ,---.,.,- -, A.. p,
ternal Revenue officers show that the lottery managers
have been swndlinG the Government TO an enormous
amount and OF the COO policy dealers IN this
city IA had paid the SOO license required py ac OF
Congress As last as the dealers htS prOuSns ~, ty
say that they would willingly pay the Incense Out tIat
they unable Ia get managers BOND, whlch Is also
required. The managers say that they VIII not sign tue
bond for the reason that they have security against
the dealers negotiating with other nrls lhe eA1hlna
t f Murray a Co.'S books shows that their sales during
the months OF August September S375OO0, while
thcy paid tax on only $4,000 The nrn OF Murray Co.
include II is SAID Benjamin Wood and Marcus Cicero
Stanley In many places the ledger appears the fol-
loving Endorsement the accounts or the dealers WHO
ARE designated by numbers: Settled b. W. supervisor
butcher is determined that every policy dealer IN the
city shall pay the 500 license aud bAall nave a Oohu
signed y the rm that deals with BY this means the
Government Will derive revenue OF over 100000 year
from this source.