Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-09-26
The BIRD LOTTERY.
HOW THE INNOCENT PUBLIC Is
SwIEDLED.
Lottery Partners Fall Out, and One
Being Arrested Tells How
1t Is Done.

A. Addleberg is the name of young
man whom Deputy Sheriff Eagan brought
down from Redding yesterday, to answer q
charge of grand larceny.
The warrant was 81 orn to in this city by
man named Charles Cummings, who fol-
lows the vocation of street fakir. and was
here during the fair with q sort of lottery
game, in which the winning numbers are
picked cut of box by a canary bird. He
alleges that Addleberg stole bis birds while
in this city, and made away with them.
Addleberg was seen at the county Jail
yesterday by RECORD UNION reporter,
and if the story he tells is true, he is
greatly wropged man.
He said he was recent arrival from the
East, and met Cummings several weeks
sgo Cummings had his bird lottery in
this city at The tine. but was broke, and
as there was no fair here had no chance OF
earning any money. Addleberg says be
had little money, having been working
IN a downtown restaurant as a cook, and
taking an interest in Cummings, boarded
ard lodged him. 1t was then that the lone
fair opened, and Cummings said if he
could only get there be would make
plenty of money with his lottery.
81 paid his fare down there, said Addle-
berg. and his hotel bills. He promised to
repay me as soon as his lottery got to
work. But the Marshal would not
allow him 10 operate. did not
have enough money left to carry even
myself back to Sacramento. so l
3oI a. Il Gclt 7 -
friend who kindly paid my way here. l
met Cummings here several days later, and
having got employment, had little money
in my pocket. He told me how hungry he
was, and l took pity on him and fed and
lodged him again"
Addleberg then went on to tell how they
made the rounds of the Willows, Red
Bluff and Chico Fairs, becoming sort of
partners. at each of these places. he said,
Cummings made plenty of money, bur
whenever he was asked to pay him lad
dleberg) what he owed him. always
pleaded poverty, and begged him to feed
him.
1t was during these wanderings, said
Addleberg, that he discovered that the
bird lottery was one of the biggest swindles
ever invented. He willing explained to
the reporter how it was worked. Six per-
sOUS IL dppcdics are iuNitcu W cpSCuictt
each paying % cents for that privilege. The
gamester, however, takes good care that
one of these is ''capper." Each of the six
is given card on which are several num-
bers. One Of the trained birds is then
called out of its cage and il picks up card
out of box held before it for the purpose
On this card is number, and whoever of
the spectators holds that number wins
the pot" minus % cents commission to
the game. But the 'capper" always wins
The lottery man always knows what card
has been given the ''capper," and he knows
where the cards are in the box with the
corresponding numbers. The birds are
trained to pick up the cards nearest them,
and it is a simple matter then to have
the ''capper's" card win. To illustrate
how simple the swindle is, Addleherg was
allowed by Jailer Foote to show the re-
porter how it works. The outfit and birds
were at the Jail, and Addleberg proved in
few minutes that what he said was true
The birds would pick out any card he
wanted them to, when held in front of
them.
When they returned to this city, said
Addleberg, he made another demand for
the money advanced to Cummings, but the
latter pleaded poverty. Addeberg says he
then became desperate and gathered up
Cummings outfit and LETT for San Fran
cisco with it.
He was on his way TO Portland, Or,
when arrested at Redding by Constable
Crone.