American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-01-25
The Ruin Wrought by Two Lot
terry Tickets.

The recent arrest of John s. Miley at
the instance of his employers, Robert
son & Perry, for embezzlement, says the
Indianapolis NeWs, created little ex-
element among the merchants on the
street. Miley had been brought up in
the grocery business; beginning with
r. S. Foster he had at one time or
another been employed in nearly every
grocery house in the city. His pecula-
lions of late were matter of gossip, and
it was an open secret that his accounts
needed careful watching, but he was
man of such fine address and his success
as a salesman was SO marked that gro
GERS preferred to watch him rather than
dispense with his services altogether.
A remark made by his disgraced father
to Mr.. Robertson the day of his arrest
furnishes strange key to his present
troubles. Said Mr.. Miley, "That $4,000
lottery prize is what ruined my son."
Inone of the Louisville public lotteries,
Miley, then travelling for Conduit, Cook
& Co.. invested in several chances. He
was a winning holder, and drew nearly
$500 in prizes. This money was
wasted in riotous living among fast men
and women. 1t went as easily as it
came, and left its late possessor with
several ugly habits quite firmly con-
tracted. Gambling and drinking became
passions with him, and to satiate these
he stole from his employers. From
Conduit, Cook & Co. he went to Syphers,
Mcbride & Co., leaving with balance
of 5000 on the wrong side of his account.
This money was paid by his father
Syphers, Mcbride & Co. were his
creditors to the same amount be-
fore he left their employ. His father
Maid that also. He next went to Ar
kansas with his father, and remained
there several years engaged in the lum-
Der trade. 1t Is said that his father suf-
fered heavily from his excuses while
they were in business together. Upon
his return, he found no difficulty in OBJ
tanning a situation with Robertson &
Perry, the ending of which is well
known to the readers of the NeUs. he
is now lying in the county jail at Paris'
Ill.,, in default of $500 bail.
In the same lottery, and at the insti-
CATION of John Miley, Charles G. Craw-
ford, a young travelling man employed
by Conduit, Cook & Co., invested in
one-tenth of a ticket with nine other
Young men living near Columbus, Ind.
He was also successful, and his share of
the price was $1,000. OF this amount
he invested $1,000 in the house of Con-
duitt & Cook and was made a partner.
In little over year his habits had
changed so rapidly for the worse that
Messrs. Conduit & Cook were glad to
pay him back his original money with
interest, and he left the store. He took
the money and invested it in the retail
dry goods business. Where it went IS
not known. A. any rate it went, and
few days ago Mr.. Cook gave him enough
money to send him to his home in Ohio.
At last accounts he was a common, wan
dering tramp, without home or friends,
character or money.
Ten years ago the future of these two
Young men was considered as brigh.
and promising as any one in the city
They were intelligent and competent,
and had the confidence of their employ
ers and associates. Now one is a tramp
and the other felon, and all through
what at the time was called ga fortu
nate thing" drawing q prize in lot
terry.