, 1873-06-29

The City Of Omaha has been distinguished fol
year OF more as the centre OF system of lot
teries, which have been largely and lbera1ly
| patronized BY the credu1ous in all parts Of the
country. The manager Of theae lotteries some
months ago sent his family to Europe. Recently,
| as VIC learn from the Omaha Zee, he gare out
| his purpose to so to Learenworth to manage a
| lottery there, aud left the former place. Later
statements by telegraph intimate that he has
| sailed for Europe also. Now comes one Mr..
Donnelly, who has boen the lottery managers
clerk, who, at tho solicitation Of several substan-
| tial citizens who bought tickets and got no
prizes, makes tho statement On oath that the
lottery business, as conducted by Mr. James II.
Pattee, has been frnud- Ono branch Of the
fraud, known to the clerk, waa the sale Of dupli-
cate packages of tickets bearing the same num-
bers. It was also stated, in the complaint, that
the last "official " drawing WAS fraud and q
put-up job.
In tho absence OF any detailed information, 1t
no wosse than any other lottery case; and that
the complaint Of the losers, however VOL
founded, ia entitled to but Ittle more sympathy
than that Of tho losers in any other
confidence operation Every man who buys
3 lottary-ticket docs 80 expecting to draw
q PRICE,, which is to be paid to him from
the money contributed by others. II, instead Of
drawing prixo, ho finds tllat his money is taken
to be paid to somebody else, or appropriated d.
rectly by the manager, he is entitled to no SYM
pathy. He stakes his money on tho chances Of
gaining m enormous perceEtage Of profit at the
cost OF others, and, II he loses, the beat thing
for him to do is to- keep quiet and malc no fur
thor venture of that kind.
Chicago has, ne regret to eay, been q: liberal
patron of these lotteries. The California, tho
Louisville, and the Omaha lotteries have had
plenty of customers in this city. The desire to
gamble, e,ortomakemoaey by chance is very strong,
and is not confined to any class Thousands OF
men vino hold gambling in horror are habitual
purchasers OF lottery-tickets. Rich men, poor
men, laborers, men and women Of all professions
and walks Of life, who would aend another to |
jail for playing gamo Of cards for money in
rest largely, and frequently, IN lottery-tickets.
They seem to recognize 3 difference between lot
tories and gambling. In these Omaha lotteries,
which are nov said to hare been frauds, We are |
BY . letter from Omaha, Chicago "was
most forward to enrich the echemes" That is to
say, the swind1o found more dupcs hero than
it did elsewhere; and the writer suggests
That Chicago ought to furniah abundant
evidence Of the fraud, and help to convict the
guilty party. ANY person 80 disposed eau write
% spaun i pritchott, the prosecutors in the
Ease, at Omaha. i
A correspondent Of this paper informs us that
here ire at this time in full and successful op-
,ration in the alleys and back buildings around
he Chamber Of Commerce several places where
his lottery business is carried On under the
orm Of selling policies. Thase places ara main
aimed by the Investments OF merchants. clerks
eau1sters, sa1oon-keepers, and, largely, by citi-
ems Of African descent. It is estimated that one
lalf the wages or earnings Of the latter popu1a-
ion are ventured and lost in the purchase Of
olicies. That these are essentially swindles
,ught to be evident to every one, and yet, day
Ifter day, men, claiming to be intelligent, visit