Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-16

WAR ON THE LOTTERIES
A Bill to Prohibit Them from Doing Any
Business in Massachusetts.

Special to the kennebec Journal.
BosIoS, Feb. Is.
For some time past Representative Dresser
of Nedford. has been quietly gathering evil
dence against lottery agencies-Louisiana
lottery and policy shops-and tomorrow, at a
hearing before the judiciary committee, he
will submit the facts. This investigation be
has caused 10 be made in order to support the
bill which he offered some weeks ago, which
is in substance ito prohibit lottery compa-
MES from other States doing business in Mas
sachusetts and also to prevent district attor-
neys and others from causing cases to be mol
pressed. This, of course, is direct hit at
the agents of the Louisiana Lottery Company
doing business in this State. 1t has been
well known that lottery tickets in the Louis
lana company were on sale in Boston, but
our Law makers never dreamed of the amount
of the amount of business that is being done.
In order to get at the facts the Medford
statesman employed a detective from the
Pinkerton agency to learn just what was
being done. The result of his Investigations
have been given to your correspondent and
they prove to be very interesting reading.
He learned first of all that of the Sl2 COS, :
900 worth of business done by the Louisiana
company during the year, over per cent. of
it came from Boston. In talking with the
post Office inspector the detective was told
that tho I nit on 10
numerous attempts to capture the agents in
this city, but is was difficult to catch
them, and still more difficult to convict
after capture. This is one of the points the
bill now offered is intended to rub
against. 1t is claimed that last year twenty
six cases of violation of the lottery law were
before the lower court and in each case there
was "A conviction supplemented by fine of
Sl0O and costs.
OF course, in each instance there was an
appeal taken and the fact will be impressed
that not one of these cases have ever come
before a jury. From the inspector at the
post Office it was learned that one
of the agents who do business for the Lousi-
ana company does it under an alias, and while
they (the United States and city officials
know this, still, by decision of the judges
holding that letters in such instances might
be of private or personal character,
the agent is mot apprehended. 1t
was the opinion of the bench, however, that
if the officials could seize any letters mailed
in this city to parties here or elsewhere, they
could be taken, the inference in the case be-
ing that the letters sent out from the Office in
this city would contain advertisements or
tickets. He learned that in one office, (per-
haps the largest of the kind in New Eng
land) all the mail received was taken to a
house in the suburbs where a small army of
women were employed in opening letters,
answering corresponding, and in fact at
tending to the business that came by mail.
He also learned that instead of dropping the
letters into the Office they were all shipped to
partner in New York, who put them into
the mail in that city, when they were re-
turned to New England cities and towns.
The modus operandi in the purchase of
tickets under the present system is more or
less embarrassing No ticket can be bought
over the counter. Any one who wants one
must throw his name and address. together
with dollar bill, into box near the office.
and by return mail a ticket, emitting the
holder to chance in the Louisiana lottery
il received All these facts will be submit
ted to the committee tomorrow.