Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-02-25
Kitchen Lottery Swindles.

We are glad to learn that the authori-
ties in New York have commenced Grim
inal proceedings against the most nsid-
uous and dangerous form of the lottery
business yet devised for the purpose of
swindling honest country people. We
refer to the scheme adopted by several
manufacturers of cheap and inferior
goods by which prizes or tickets are Civ
EN- emitting purchasers to "a gift if they
chance to get il lucky number with the
package bought. 1t is somewhat refresh
ing, however, to learn that recently the
manufacturer Of a laundry soap, and also
Il spice dealer, who in this way offered
gifts to purchasers of their packages,
have been arrested upon indictments of
the United States grand jury for lottery
SWindling, and are now awaiting trial in
this city. The latest candidate for Grim
nal prosecution in this direction is the
manufactures of a baking powder, who is
endeavoring, by a similar lottery trick,
to palm off upon servant girls and unSus-
pecting housekeepers an article called
baking powder, but which really is an
alum compound Of a corrosive nature and
detrimental to health. 1t is, therefore,
really a source of congratulation that the
authorities have taken the matter in
hand; for while all forms of lotteries are
iniquitous, they are infinitely more so
when made the aids to swindling, which
profits at the expense of the health of the
poor and unwary. We are Informed that
this form Of lottery is being not only ped
died from house to house, but that. under
the promise OF larger percentages or prof
its than can be realized from the standard
goods, the swindIers are entrenching
81 ha 81,
grocers, by getting them to offer the. OBJ
iectionable goods with the prize tickets
inclosed, thereby shifting the liability to
prosecution, in a large measure, upon
other and perhaps innocent parties. Ey-
cry grocer or dealer, for instance, who
sells or offers for sale any Of this gift
baking powder is Il criminal in the eve OF
the law, and upon conviction is liable TO
| fine and Imprisonment. This is II predic-
| ament in which we do not believe our
| grocers will care to place themselves
| when aware of the fact, more especially
now that the attention OF the criminal at
thoritieS has been drawn to the matter.
Aside, however, from the criminal LA
| bility thus incurred, the immoral tendeil-
cy of such business is So great that it
! should be most severely denounced and
discouraged by every one having the
best welfare of the community at heart
The purchase of an article of food with q
gift ticket inclosed in this way is made
to appear as trifiing affair; but it is nc
less immoral aud an offense against law
than are the big lottery swindIes which
the government is trying to suppress
Besides, as every teacher of morality
knows, it is the apparently trifiing sin
which are winked at where large one
would daZe, that form the entering wedg
to undermine the conscience and hardel
it for greater ones. We cannot beliey
that our business men will care to aid i
any such swindles, nor that the people O
their second thought will expect to benz
fit by purchasing baking powders, @
what not, which may be offered undo
such suspicious circumstances.