Evening journal., 1890-10-04
THE ANTI-L0TTERY LAW
Construction Placed Upon 1t by
Mr.. Wannamaker.
NATTER THAT CAN'T DE MAILED.

mali hh Thai CANT BE MAILED.
The Erart That the Government WI,
Make TO Break Up the Lottery business.
Registered Letters WIZ B@ withheld for
Specific Orders from the Department.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4-The following in.
structions, embodying the construction
placed upon the anti-lottery law by the
postoffice department, were mailed TO post-
masters throughout the country yesterday:
The law applies to any letter, ordinary or
registered, il it concerns any lottery. gift
concern or scheme described in the section
and to lottery tickets, checks, drafts. hills
money, postal notes or money orders for
the purchase Of lottery tickets or any share
or chance in a lottery or gift enterprise
and to the list Of the drawings atany lot
terry or similar scheme and forhids the
carrying of them in the mails or the deliy-
cry Of them from postoftices.
No Seals Broken.
IBs seal e q lsssstssr 2oS q any sealed pack.
age Prepaid at letter rates must not BE dis
tufbed Tor the purpose Of asceEtalnlog Il
its transmission Ia the mail, or It's deliv-
cry at a postofiice, is forbidden by the pro
visions Of this act. Nor will the mere sus-
picion that such letter or package relates
to lottery, or the fact that II Is addressed
70 any person known 70 be engaged in the
business OF conducting a lottery, Justify
It's detention or non-delivery, extept that
the delivery Of registered letters at the
Office OF destination shall be withheld
when the. postmaster general has issued
specific orders, under the provisions of sec.
tion 5000, to that effect.
Postal cards and circulars unsealed. and
all other unsealed matter, may, when sns-
pected Of having been deposited or mailed
IN violation of the provisions Of this act, be
examined for the purpose Of ascertaininp
their character.
How Citizens May he Anected.
The mailing of matter interdicted bv
this act by citizens to lottery companies
and their representatives is as clear a vio-
lation OF the law as the mailing of such
matter by lottery companies to their Gus
toners or other persons. When IT Is known
at the time OF depositinR them for mailing
that postal cards or circulars are unmaila-
bic under the provisions Of section 1884.
the postmaster should decline 70 receive
them. If they be found in postofice and
the sender is unknown TO the postmaster.
or If they be discovered in the mail ia tran.
sit, they should be withdrawn and marked
or stamped fraudulent and sent "a the
postmaster general, accompanied BY spe
cial report from the postmaster explaining
the reasons for their detention.
The provisions of this act apply to letters.
postal cards and circulars concerning lot
teries or similar schemes that come in the
mails from foreign countries, and such
matter so received should be treated as ID
1t originated in the United States.
Matter sent in violation Of the provisions
Of section 1884, discovered by postmasters
at intermediate offices, should be with.
drawn from the mail and disposed of ia
the same manner as II il had been discov-
cred by the postmaster at the Office OF mail
ing OF the Office Of delivery. But post
masters at intermediate offices should not
delay the transmission OF other mail In
making special search for anything de-
clared by this act TO be unavailable.
Concerning Newspaper Advertising.
Newspapers, pamphlets and publications
of all kinds, bearing date before or since
Sept. i9, 1890 Cat which date the act took
effect), which contain the advertisement OF
any lottery, gift enterprise or similar
scheme or the whole or part of the list of
prizes awarded at the drawings of lotter.
les or similar schemes, are, by the proyis-
ions Of this act, denied carriage in the
mails or delivery to subscribers. addresses
or TO any other persons or as "sample
copies Postmasters should refuse 10 re.
ceive them from publishers or to deliver
them, If by inadvertence they reach the
Office Of destination. When found BY post
masters in the mail in transit they should
be held until a report concerning them can
be made to the postmaster general and
instructions received from him as 70 the
disposing Of them. Foreign newspapers.
pamphlets and publications Of ali kinds |
containing such printed matter should be
treated as il published in the United States.
What Lottery Means.
Clerks in the railway mail service dis /
covering matter the carriage of which Il
forbidden by the provisions OF this act
should withdraw and forward il to their |
division superintendents. Di-
vision superintendents should treat such
matter iu the same manner as postmasters /
are herein instructed TO treat IT, The term /
lottery" as used In this act embraces All /
kinds Of schemes, general or local, for the
Of prizes by lot or chance,
such as gift exhibitions, enterprises, con
rerts, rafiles OF the drawing Of prizes n
money or.property az fairs. Hence letters.
postal cards and circulars containing them.
and newspapers, pamphlets and other pub
ications containing advertisements OF
hem are unavailable. The provisions Of
ihe law relating TO registered letters and
20 money orders apply to such matter at
,ffices Of delivery only, and are to be en-
'orced upon the direct orders Of the post