National Republican., 1885-09-26
THE POLICY BUSINESS.
SOME INSIDE FACTS ABOUT THE FASCI-
MATING GAME.
How II is Controlled by the New York
Fhm-Tbc METHODS Adopted to Keep
the Corporation n Close One-A List
of the Lucky Rows Played.

luig'nis instead of bothering the poor
Icllcy men, asked REPUBLICAN re-
potter Of Detective Raft yesterday.
"liayc you any idea OF the extent Of the
business done by the poorpolcy men ~ was
the tentative reply.
"Well, not so much Of an idea as about
some ether things, perhaps
"Thcn, let me tell you. The policy bust
mess is conducted by firm in New York
known ns DickersOn Il Co. They are recog
ni7od as the headqua rtcrs In that business
They have agencies all over the United
States. They co ntrOl what is known as the
Kentucky aud Frankfort lotteries, which
arc drawn in Louisville and Frankfort, Ky"
twice u day-Nt IL m. and ) p. IN. In tho
morning they draw out twelve numbers,
from the ballots of which there are
seventy eight, placed In large glass
wheel After this drawing there is also the
one IN the afternoon, in which thirteen
numbers are drawn out OF seventy-eight.
The numbers are Immediately teegraphed
in cipher to the headquarters In New York
city. The company there sends them
out by telegraph to the various
agencies throughout the country. Each
agency has different cipher This
is done to prevent the colluslon be-
tween the operators and outsiders. In
order that no one can take advantage or
put up n scheme to defraud the headquar-
tcrs the writers are compelled to close
their books at the same hour that the draw
ings take place in Kentucky. The books
and money must also be turned in to the
agencies before the kilograms are received
announcing the drawings.
"The headquarters in New York, In order
to protect themselves from imposition,
compel all writers to write three manifold
copies Of their days work-onc the writer
retains another the agent, and the third
one Is sent to New York city by express in
n sealed envelope and delivered into the
hands of the express agent before the
numbers are received from headquar-
tiers. The New York firm receives one-third
of all profits; the other two-thirds go to the
agent, who dcfrnys all his expenses attend
ing the business. At one time Offices were
open TO the public, but through the efforts of
Mai. Dye the law prohibiting the playing of
policy IN this city has been SO strictly en-
forced as to drive the shops out of the city.
"The only way that II is carried on now
is ly the curbstOne broker. The writer
goes about and gathers his plays upon the
street and in alleys. The game has been
entirely driven out Of the city. The head
quarters have been captured so often that
the firms have been compelled to leave the
District and locate in Virginia.
"War is also carried into Virginia upon
them. Mr.. James f.. Clements, common
wealth attorney for Alexandria county, has
lent his assistance IN the matter, and 1t will
only lie question of a short time before
the policy business is driven out OF that
portion OF the state and broken up in the
District of Columbia
"Who are the patrons of the game?"
"The business is mostly sustained by the
ignorant classes, of whom the colored pOpu
lation forms the largest portion draw
ing takes place twice daily, and the play
ers' minds are given up to It entirely. Their
work and business is neglected. and they
hecCme so infatuated in the game that to
Get the necessary money they begin first to
borrow money, then to pawn various arti-
clcs, and finally, as a last resort they steal
either money or saleable goods TO provide
for the payment of the policy slips
'iIow low can the game be playcd|'
"The game can be played from one cent
up TO hundreds Of dollars. AS general
thing, among colored people, the amount
played is from to 25 cents. Among the
whites the game ranges to high amounts.
The most reckless player known in this
city was Dan. Carrigan, who played as high
as $500 or $500 a day. The government
printing Office also furnished many
votaries. There are men IN that Office who
are the recognized agents FOR the game,
and they solicit from among the people
there for the game, thus giving chance to
collector turns his gathered policy slips
over, generally.to certain colored woman,
who is alleged to be the wife OF policy
writer. The policy writer is allowed by
the rules Of the agency to deduct 20 per
cent. from the receipts of the day. This
appears big income to the writer aud an
incentive to work hard for himself and the
agent. Notwithstanding the frequent ar
rests of writers and agents and the severe
fines and imprisonments imposed In police
courts, they nevertheless persist in their
violations of law.
'An evil much to be deplored is the
lcnlCnt manner in which the upper court
deals with appeal cases. So noticeable is
this TO the CIlpIits that in nearly every
instance they take an appeal for the evident
purpose of escaping In the upper court
with small fine, which is in all instances
paid by the hackers or agents"
"IlOw is the game played?'
"The game Of policy is played as follows;
A person can play any row Of figures,
including | to rs, which are In the
drawing wheel in Kentucky. Those play
certain rows which they play. a row CON
sists Of any combination Of numbers the
player may think fit to make up. There are
several familiar rows, and among them the
following are played daily: The pistol row,
81, IL, 81; 'quaTeling,' 2, l2, n; little
dog 1, 10, Al, IL; big dog I, 40, 50, 80,
81; coffin, H., Z, A, =; hog !, A.. -,
0, A., 50; 'polce,' lG, ~, 81, 81, II;
eating 2, IL, 81, 60; baby ], 2, Q; shoe,
5, 9, IL: horse 4, 8, l6, so, A: silver
money :, 13, %, so; paper money 13, 90
43, A., A; fighting 3, 10, 80, "a, Gs; fancy
row. /, 5, II, 10, 10, 80, 50; Stealing 10,
1G, 10; blood TO-, IS, AS water 13, H.
-, 30, 81; prison, 81, Al, 81; president,
IS tnnnl;in1 IN 1E. lnch
u, II, C6, o. GO; snake !, s, II, 60, 6l
'dlunkard's,' Z II, 81, 45; whisky 3, g.
10, Il card 4, l3, 90, So and fire. 4, 6
4G, 81. The most popular of all is the
'washerwoman's row. 4, II, A.
''To show the many chances of thosf
who play or buck against this game it Il
necessary IN order to make hit or gig
as II Is called, that three numbers whicl
they play must come out in the drawings
ITO better understand the chances
against the player the many thousands oi
combinations that can be made out Of the
scyCnty-eight numbers that are IN the whCc
must he thought Of The player has onC
chance to win against 5000 chances in the
favor Of the hackers. On the other hand
should player pay 10 cents for a certain
row Of numbers, and three OF those numbers
should come out in the drawings lie woult
win 90 cents. So greatly has the gamC
fixed itself upon the public mind that dream
or policy books have been published. Thes,
books record all manner Of dreams, and cacl
dream has supposed lucky numbers printed
after 1t, which the playcris urged touse as
medium of success. Among the coloret
people who play policy dreams have won
derful significance. In order to dream n
night they purpOsely overload their stom
achs. Should this fail they ask Of thc
friends what dreams they may have had
and consult with them concerning tn
omcns attending such dreams. Immedi
ately they play the numbers corresponding
to the dreams, In case dream book can
not be had easily by the player the policy
writer is consulted, and he rarely Is withOu
the book. Should he not have one he ha
the happy faculty Of interpreting dream
and suggesting possible fortunate numbers
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