New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-31
THE PASSION FOR GAMBLING.
A VICTIM TO " POLICY"

has been found true IN every essential particular ana
the horrible described is that Of thousands in
this city alone.
To the EdftOr OF The Tribune.
SIR: Having read several articles in reference to Lot
teries and Policy in your valuable paper deem it
my duty to mankind. give Narrative Of my per
sonal experience.
The pOcy-Oices are, most of them, open early as
m. aud close about 730 p. IN. The books which con-
tnthe plays for the morning lotteries close about 1913
and those for the evening lotteries close about
5:15 D. m. The unsOld combination tickets
leave the yenders offices about 1880 NJ and 43O p.
M so to be in the hands OF the managers before the
drawing announced Should any OF the vendors be de-
layed five ten minutes beyond the specified time,
their books and tickets VIII not be received by the man.
ayers but they will have TO the risks themselves
The drawings for the morning and evening lotteries
reach tho yenders offices about p m ana p n' re-
spectIvely.
All the books from the downtown offices are de-
liverod to a Mr.. Gallery in Benjamin Nathan's
office, on Broadway, at tho time specified The books
from the uptown offices delivered 10 Joseph Burr at
the Gotham Mr. shipsey, both in the Bowery be-
ore p. m. You will see that the managers have fully
.wo hours in which TO look over the tickets,
and about an hour to look the books, be-
'ore they send out the numbers drawings.
You may be that they do not waste this tme but
use IL for their own special benefit You will also
that every arrangement as 20 time is made TO entice
even the poor workman VINO tolls ten hours dy Ior
ivng and who has TO be at HIS workshop at7 a. M, 10
spend his few hard-earned cents.
This nefaIious traffic Is carrisd in broad daylight
and not secretly. III anybody will take the trouble, by
keeping watch for single day. upon any office he
can constant stream Of deluded men, and even
women pass and out until the Office is closed. Each Of
them leaves from hundreds OF dollars have
seen men spend over 5000 drawing for weeks in sue
cession This game has been tho ruin Of hundreds, yes
Of thousands young and just about many old
And It VIII still be the ruin OF many unless 1t Is
completely broken up.
When you begin to play policy, matter how
smart you may be- it will take you at least three months
to understand it thoroughly After having played for
year. or even six months, you suspect that
there must be something wrong. as you always
put down more money than you take up,
notwithstanding the fabulous prices paid for hits"
You begin 90 compute and see the overwhelming
chances that against you and you now ma out that
have been complete dupe ana 1901 ana pfObaDy
conclude play more, and consider the money
yon have thus far lost as about equal 10 the amount O
experience you have gained You may SUCK 10 your res
olutiOn for about three four months until you nave
probably forgotten aea about by t e'y yender Wbo
will then be the lookout for you. Be
n 0rf @ kindly Rs after your Welfare You tell him You
have concluded not to play any more, lie then offers
Won cigar asks to have drink. and you TOO pO
lite TO refuse. go with him. He now tells you all about
dream had last night ana which he, by some Inys
FERROUS @ t & a. niece of them that
is TO buy them for little something, and before you
know IT, he has talked yO into buying piece" and
you 20 of minus couple OF dollars but Plus an eAclted
ina ginaton.
OF course you visit his Office to the drawings, but
you look in vain for your " sure thing" In the
office you meet a half a dozen or more players
each Of whom tells You about his sure thing,
and how he came by IT, one tells you he saw row OF
bockaded on his way down town. from when he got
MS numbers another pilot boat, while crossing the
river, which bad bg figure on its spread out sai an
other got bis numbers from coal cart or charcoal wag
another relates dream, the interpretation Oh "hcn
such and such numbers: Ihus You get SO many
things, that you do not know what 20 pay, ana
probably have not money eouin 10 pay MI %. trej 50
10 facilitate your ideas YOU seize the vendors RAINING
bottle box, which contains seyenty-eight numbers
from which you draw as many huihDcIs as
Won wish TO play possibly you Hyaw SOME
Of the numbers which we're mentioned ,1i,, 10y
OF tho other players, and then you tnnk you
have "A dead certainty, which yOu Immediately play.
Ana mus ngau you co ",e i5 Yon keen on pav
ing and playing although you know that an me cnanees
are IN favor Of the managers always with the hope tha
some day you may get big hit and thus retrieve all
yOur losses at once.
You have spent all the money which you had in the bank
upon which you used to pride yourself and which
your athero probably rs started TO encourage
YOU IN saving After tl Is gone You D,gh 20 get IeeA-
less: you pawn your jewelry, watch rings, etc..
upon "A number or combination which yOG have been
playing twice day for tne past eight or ten monhs
t1is money Il gone you begin 10 per from your en-
pOyer aud after this is once begun YOU become thor
6ughy reckless AMI appropriate everything for your
own use which comes m your way aud spend IL upon
policy You do not carry this long, however, before
your empaser finds you out, and you are discharged
The first place YOU visit il policy office, where you
seek consolation In bus your avorte Ticket Whenyou
y,
your snpcr1uous clothing would here say that know
players no have the coolest days in Winter pawned
their oyercoats so rs be able money To play
number which they do not like to drop because Just as
surely as they do Il Will out. have myself played
zig" FOR four aud 1--WE months on the stretch aud be-
tr come ont: ms found 10 be another evidence VI
the fraudulent way In which the game Is carried on for
only The unsold numbers are ever named except 10 en-
When this money IL used up, you look around at home
for all the odds and ends, such as old gold silver
brass newspapers, or In fact, anything which you
ara likely few cents at tine Junk shop,
all OF which goes for policy. You now hnd your,
1t you that you have not yet borrowed from
your friends. That which You would not nave Thought
u doing before no matter how great your needs now
thai Won have fayorite gig" TO buy You do hest
tate 10 do You begin TO borrow OF everybody whom you
cnn possibly think o. even the poor appeyender from
whom you used to purchase when you were more pros
bonrR broke nevertheless YOU walk every day. rain
or shne five six miles TO your fayorte policy office
(eaon player has his fayOrte office, In whlch ne
mas been the most lucky) where there are about a
dozen Others who ike yourself are dead broke" and
pass the time In telling stories OF how at such ana
sucn time last year luck attended them through play
ing numbers which they managed to pick up In Hll sorts
OF mysterious ways. But somehow You never hear
player mention what he has You got so
low that you hail with delight any green-horn" who
comes IN. Him you begin to lawn on until you get
him TO play your ideas or "sure things" and he
gives YOU n few shillings TO make play for
yourself This makes you feel happy once more until
the drawing arrives, for which You wait patiently;
Again disappointed, you leave for home disguised and
day always with the hope that something VIII tnIn up.
and you chance 10 retrieve ali your losses WIN one
big "hit" until you are brought TO the verge oi SELF
destruction.
know married men who have been aud are playing
secretly (who nave families nome tOiins 70 MAKE an
honest living who, instead Of looking for employ
ment spend most heir time In policy office, waiting
opportunity 20 get or borrow little money 70
crafty passion which has CARRIED them beyond ther
self-contrOl. -. - .....,.- -
The above facts can be verified by about nneeuths OF
the policy players could I'LL volume with all sorts OF
ex perences leading to misery snicde ana even MURDER
nave myself almost been the verge OF Sefdestfuc-
ton Bur 1 thank God, who has revealed my sell unto
myself and as t were performed miracle Ill saving me
and have been enabled 10 break on every no Oe-
tween INC and this neiariOus frame -,
Neg-I York, July Is, 1873. ALMOST VICTIM
RElTIN[sCENCES or STEPHEN n. DOUGLAS.