New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-04-05
4 GIFT SPINDLE BROKEN UP.

| THE MERCHANTS AND MANUFACTURERS CO.
| OPERATIVE DISTRIBUTION" IN THE HANDS
| OF THE POLICE-wH0 ARE THE sWINDLERs
| ALL BLANKS AND NO PRIZES.
great crowd assembled on Monday at Nos
bo6 and b9s Broadway to witness an advertised ura"n
OF prizes The scheme entitled the Merchants ahu
Manufacturers, Cooperative Distribution" OF s25O0o
worth OF property OF various kinds including cap'a
prize OF s25 in greenbacks. Soon after the da"nS
beran IL became evident that swndling was In progress
This wa reported 10 superintendent Keso, VINO soon
satisfied himself that what he heard was true, ana ue
pned Capt Walsh the Fourteenth Precinct to see hat
the swinders checked Yesterday afternoon Cp''
Walsh visited the place in civilians ATTIRE he pur-
chased for 81 ticket marked No. $685. and passed down
stairs 10 the place where the prizes were drawn re
scnng his ticket, he was told by the man at the "hee
10 draw The Captain requested the man to draw Tor
him. He thereupon put his hand In the wheel Do@
about IA feet long and feet in circumference Containing
many thousands OF pieces Of cardboard ABOUT an hcn
square. The man drew blank The Captain was theh
told to pass on, which, however, he ala not do' put
stepped aside, and soon counted lOJ unhappy dupes'
every one Of whom drew blank!
Whie standing there, stepped up TO the Captain
tapped him the shoulder, and said Have you
drawn sirl" The Captain told him that he had He
then requested TO move on But ne refused 10 90
So saying MY Dame IL Edward Walsh; am Captain
OF the Fourteenth Precinct and have been sent here
by superintendent Keso TO that the people who have
boueht tickets are not swinded." Capt. Walsh then
told those present that the affair most outrageous
swnde and requested them to leave as he intended to
close the place.
This he proceeded to do. and, leaving four policemen
in charge he went the Tombs and stated the case 10
Justice Hogan who issued warrant for the arrest OF
those known to be connected with the place. Armed
with this warrant Capt Walsh returned 10 the store and
arrested six men employed as clerks, ana MI Marsh
under whose superintendent the business carried
on. One OF the clerks, l.. II. Pratt residing
at No. LII Futon-ave, Brooklyn, confessed 10
the Captain that the whole affair was swindle,
and that It was owned by Geo. t. Ellis d
Brothers propretors of the Winter Garden dollar store
the Milton Gold Jewelry establishment, on Broadway,
near Eghths and the ewelry store at HoustOnst ana
Broadway He also stated that those who drew prizes
were in some manner connected with the place. Geo T.
Ellis has lately figured in the police courts asa sawdst
dealer" and Is now out on bail awaiting trial.
1t estimated that there less that 10000 tickets
sold mp 81 o'clock yesterday afternoon, when the place
was seized.
THE TRIBUNE reporter in company with Sergeant Cass
Of the Fourteenth Precinct visited the place. in front OF
which were about 200 persons Knocking on the door,
they were admitted by policeman, who was stationed
to prevent the crowd from coming in The store Is
large ROOM about feet wide by 125 feet deep Upon
each side railing the whole length Of the place,
leaving a 25 feet passage-way in the center, through
which the multitude passed and down. inspecting ana
commenting upon every thing they Near the center
OF the four glass which contain the leash
prizes" ranging from 500 up TO $1,000 The reporter
noticed upon one Of these leash prizes printed ticket
marked as follows:
This prize dollars drawn by Mccarthy No
l04 Tlompson.st"
This card printed in large type with the sole ex
eeption OF the name, which written with pen.
Half way down the store is pair Of stairs leading to
the basement. over these stairs was posted q large
pacarl Prizes are drawn down stairs" From
the bottom OF the flight rallied passage led to the
wheel from which the numbers were drawn The
reporter plunged his hand into the opening and drew
ont check-a blank, Of counsel This repeated by
the reporter and two others for about half an hour and
not single number was drawnl Distributed around
the room were 30 OF furniture OF all descrp
ton and worth from $50 up to $500 per set 1t is author
tatvey stated OF the furniture pictures
tanned In the building belong TO the Ellis Brothers, but
that they only hired for the purposes OF this
swndle. The is to como UP this morning, at the
TOmbs for "a hearing.