The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-23
THE GEORGIA STATE LOTTERY.

The New York Tribune Of last Thursday
contained o full expose OF the workings
OF the Georgia State Lottery, which has
been swlndling and defrauding the people
Of Georgia and New York for number of
years past In charitys name. When the char
ter OF the Georgia State Lottery, so-called,
was first obtained, it was intended to erect
Masonic orphan home out Of the proceeds;
but man named Broadbent, of Baltimore,
soon obtained control of the sale of tickets,
and his management caused the Masonic COM
munity to repudiate him and his scheme in o
very short time. The character of the charity
then suddenly changed, and the lottery was
carried on for the benefit Of q school for white
orphan children. The lottery soon realized
enough to enable the managers Of the concern
to buy few acres of land and erect a
school thereon. This was all that was ever
done for the school. The enterprise soon be-
gan to take most Objectionable form. The
directors Of this charity" became extraya-
giant and reckless, drove the finest kinds Of
equipages, lived most luxurantly and scat
tered money right and left.
This aroused the Indignation Of the people
OF Georgia, and resulted In crusade against
the lottery very similar to the war waged
against the Louisiana State Lottery in this
State. A bill was introduced in the Legisla-
ture to repeal the lottery grant, and received
q majority vote In the House. In the mean
time the managers Of the concern sold out to
Northern men, at the head Of whom was Ben
Wood, Of New York. Wood came to Atlanta
and began at once fight In defense of this
institution.
A bill was at that time introduced In the
House forbidding lotteries of all kinds, and
making the drawing of any lottery in the
State Of Georgia q crime. This bill went tri-
umphantly through the House and was read
once In the Senate, when 1t mysteriously dis
appeared from the clerks possession and
could not be found. A new copy was framed
and passed to a second reading In the Senate,
when 1t also disappeared. Nothing could be
done until the next meeting of the Legisla-
ture. Popular opinion, however, had by this
time become thoroughly aroused on this SUBJ
ject and any theft or defeat of the anti-lottery
bill was impossible. 1t went triumphantly
through the Senate, was signed by the Cover
nor and Is now the law In Georgia. The thief
who stole the original copy Of the bill was
found and arrested, and although the offense
could not be proved against him, the original
bill was finally discovered secreted In his
yard.
Thus was the Georgia State Lottery Com
pany routed In that State after long popu.
lar campaign against 1t. It has not, however
been thoroughly crushed, and still carries on
its nefarious business in defiance of the law.
1t Is penal offense in Georgia to draw lot
terry scheme. This Is nevertheless daily done,
and the numbers drawn are telegraphed to
New York and published In the leading papers
OF that city. OF course, no tickets Of this
lottery can be sold in Georgia under risk Of
fine and Imprisonment, buta very heavy busi-
ness Is carried on in New York. That city is
despoiled of thousands of dollars annually by
lottery which Is outlawed and forbidden In
the very State in which 1t is conducted 1t is
impossible for the Georgia authorities to pre-
vent this, as the place where the lottery is |
drawn Is kept secret. It Is popularity sup
posed that the drawing takes place in the
schoolhogse erected In Atlanta by the lottery |
company. This building has been several
Tf2afA5 raided by the police to see whether this |
prohibited game is carried on therein, but |
these raids have always been In vain; the po- |
lice have failed to discover anything.
The Georgia State Lottery like the Louisi- |
ana Lottery, was instituted for purposes of
tcharity and education" An investigation |
into It's transactions shows that it subscribed |
to educational purposes $18,42O in 1870, $262 50
in 1871, and not cent since. Such Is its
charity.