The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-08-04
A BLOW AT THE LOTTERIES,
Congress Prevents them from Using
d. r.- the Mails.

For long period the managers of lotter-
les in the States and their agents in this
city have used the New York Post Office as
a medium Of communication with the pub
lie. 1t affords security to swindlers and
saves Office rent and personal contact with
people who buy tickets and lose their
money. In consequence of requests, Post
master James decided to stop the business,
after that date boxes would not be rented
to lottery agents, and that all moneys re-
ceived on account of lotteries would be re-
turned to the senders.
The immediate cause of this action was
the many complaints in regard to the "Wy-
oming Lottery" which has been extensive
ly advertised. People who have purchased
tickets claim that there has never been any
drawing, and if there has been the prizes
have never been made apparent. The man.
ager of the Wyoming Lottery is Mr.. ]. III.
Pattee. He was formerly the manager of
the Omaha Temple Lottery, which was
known few years ago as gigantic fraud.
Mr.. Pattee sent out ten thousand circulars
through the mails. When stopped in New
| York he shifted to Riverside, N. j. From
here, through his brother-in-law, N. S.
Reed, he flooded tie country with circulars
recommending purchasers of tickets to send
money by express. ri6
| The action of the New York Postmaster
stirred up the lottery men to action and
they proceeded to Washington and made
complaint to the Postmaster General. In
stead of sending open circulars they sent
letters through the mails, which in a great
measure enabled them to continue the bu-
siness. The Postmaster communicated
with the Washington authorities, and Con-
gress took the matter in hand The result
is seen in the following order from the Post
master General, stopping the lottery bust
ness SO far as the United States mails are
| concerned: Es tzsi -z,.z4
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
Washington, D. c., July 10, 1876. !
SIR-The following has been enacted by
Congress and approved by the President -
SECTION 2. That section 1904 of the Re-
vised Statutes be and is hereby amended
by striking out "illegal " in the first line of
said section. ..g. 49,
The section. as amended, will be read as
follows: .-. sz5 .fa.g .=.4- go ..
Sec. 1884. That it shall not be lawful to
convey by mail, nor to deposit in the Post
Office to be sent by mail, any letters Or cir
culars concerning lotteries, so-called gift
concerts, Or other similar enterprises offer
ing prizes or concerning schemes devised
and intended to deceive and defraud the
public for the purpose of obtaining money
under false pretenses, and penalty of not
more than $500 nor less than 500 with
costs of prosecution, is hereby imposed,
upon conviction in any federal court of the
violation of this section. F5
It will be observed that by this amend
ment letters and circulars relating to all
lotteries, without regard to the character
of such lotteries, are declared unmailable,
and that the depositing of such letters or
circulars in the Post Office to be sent by
mail is an offence, to be punished upon
conviction by fine Of not less than 800
nor more than $500 and the costs of the
prosecution. j. N. TYNER, III
Postmaster General.
The lotteries affected by this most ma
terially are the Wyoming and Kentucky
State Lottery, the Louisiana State Lottery,
the Havana Lottery of the Island of Cuba,
and the Kentucky Cash Distribution Com
pany. All of these have done vast bust
ness through the New York Post Office.
Since July 1st the Postmaster has stop
the above Wyoming Lottery, containing
sums varying from 81 to $50, and is receiy-
ing many large sums daily. This of course
has been severe check to the business of
what are considered "sqnare " lotteries
N. 7. Herald. July 18th. R#s
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