Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-05

The Recent Criminal Indictments
Against the Commonwealth Distribu-
tiOn Company.
10 the Editor OF the Courier-Journal:
While the material and commercial in
terests of Louisville are so evidently adj
Yancing, all good citizens find gratifca-
ton in certain decided tendencies toward
improvement of our city's moral cOndi-
ton. One of the best things that could
have been done for sound morals and for
the good name of the city abroad. is the
blow struck by the grand jury last Tues
day at the Commonwealth Distribution
Company, IN bringing indictments against
the four or five persons whose names ap-
pear on the surface in its alleged monthly
drawings. These indictments are against
r. NJ. Boardman, the nominal manager OF
the company, and d. G. McNairy, W. d.
Cowling, j. NJ. WOmack, and TheO. B.
Boyd. who each month assist in going
through the motions Of a drawing, and
were brought under a section of General
Statutes, article twenty-three. chapter
twenty-nine, chapter of crimes and pun
ishments, article of lotteries, which reads
as follows:
"Whoever shall set up, draw; manage,
or otherwise promote any lottery for
mote the disp0sing of any money or thing
of value by way of lottery, or aid in COM
hitting either of said OffenSes, shall be
fined from $500 to $4,000.
If now, these indictments shall be Wig
ously pushed under the State laws, and if
the laws shall be fairly enforced up to
the point of driving this illegal and fraud
ulent concern out Of existence, a real SER
vice will be done to the repute and WELL
being of the city.
The wonder as to this concern is, that,
while all who know anything about such
matters know that each day of it's exist
ence is a violation of law, and while the
universal impression is that it is not hon
estly conducted as to its ticket holders, il
has grown and thriYen without serious op-
position. What is eyerybOdy's business
is nobOdy's business, and so no effective
hand has been raised against an insti-
tuition that is universally condemned,
and is destitute of confidence in the CITY
where il has done business for several
wears. where. if it should have friends at
all, it should most readily find them. But
its fields outside of Louisville and Ken
lucky, and it has been successful enough
in deceiying the distant public to exc out
a reasonable profitable existence. Now
that the grand Jury has found present
ments against the company, let us see
whether the laws administrators will do
their plain duty, and whether public
sentiment will support this righteous and
desirable move against it.
People who are informed as to the
workings of lotteries hereabOut know
that this Commonwealth Distribution
Company did secure and at first operate
under legal charter or grant, and that
its first nineteen drawings were con-
Quoted under form of law, whatever may
be said of their honesty. But after those
drawings were concluded, and for several
years past, the company has had no legal
standing whatever. 1t has claimed to
work first under one and then under an
other class or grant of other concerns
which were assumed to have legal foot
hold: but all such claims, when put TO
the test, have been found utterly baseless.
1t has not dared TO advertise its schemes
in Kentucky newspapers. Its tickets
cannot be bought in Kentucky. 1t cannot
get a money order cashed nor receive reg
istered letter at its own post office. 1t has
no legal rights whatever. There is not
reputable business man in Louisville who
will say one word in its favor, but, on the
contrary, there is not one who has any
knowledge of its workings but will de-
clare that he has no confidence in its in
tegrity. Not to mince matters, it is uni
versally regarded as an organized fraud
and swindle.-Fr0m the Louisville hy.)
COltrigr-TOuy9lal. .Hdg 81, 1888.