Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-04
STORY OF A BUNCO
How O'6rien Swindied . Guilt
BILE New Yorker
DETAILS OF oliver mEIRoDs
Aidsd By . caa1adecsse He Induced John
II Rsek - Ria eso.ess n Hs
Lifsie Lssswy schsasl

ID 49, = - OSosooD - -
Lisxis Lssaxy echs.s.
BanoosE o'Rrisn's sscASe IN Fraacs
recalls the story al the working Of The
b1aoo game vslea he give IN he
testimony ~ hn trial IN Alhauy.
0Briea stands ~ ne head a ne bunco
men Of the laitsd ssasss. and his slory
of how he gos ti0.06e from John II.
Peck, OF Albany, gives 81 insight into
the working dstails OF his psofeasson.
IL 20 nappsned thss me jury dse not
entirely believe The story. and hs vas
convicted ana sentenced - nsnaamoga
for tea years tor rokhery, while ~ e.
serted that be was guilty 81 nothing
worse than grand lAToeay- He theory
OF defense vas thai he got $40 900 fron
Peck BY playing simple bunoo game.
and pos By forcs o. ro6hery - ell. To
prove this he went GA the Stand. aud
producing ell the implements Of the
game, be buncoed the judge, - veil
- tie district attorney and the jury.
O'Brlsu's story - told In the New York
sun, was thai be and Post we're the
operators.
AnEsoss 90 uaks Msosy.
They had marked Peck o. . man
who WAS ANXIOUS 10 make money ana
had . fasr amount 20 invest Poet
called on Peck and introduced himself
~ nephew Of Erastue Corning, one
OF the most prominent citizens of Al
bany and the owner of . good deal of
property. Young Corning said that he
wanted 20 buy house on the highest
point OF Clinton avenue, u order 70 Get
his wife away from the malaria near
the river. Peck had house which be
WA willing 90 cell for Sic, 90. He and
Corning walked up TO the house, and
on the way back Coroing suggested
that they stop In and zee the agent for
q new lottery company, who was try
ing 10 establish an agency IN Albany
for the saIe Of tickets. Corn
ing orphaned To Peck that the
new company wouli deal much more
literally by in customers than the
Louisiana company, and that he
thought some money could be made
by investing in the lottery. ~ he had
already made some himself. Peck
went IN with Corning and called on
O'brIen, who explained TO them that
he wss the agent of . new lottery
which was dealing very literally with
its customers. AZ Que OF the state
agents with q power 70 conduct ANAL
drawings himself he conducted . few
for the benefit Of Corning. who bought
| . 81 ticket and won = tew hundred dol
lars, which was promptly paid with the
exception of q small balances which
went over TO the next day.
Drawtsx he vscau On.
The lottery was cond uctcc with Q
pack of forty-eight cards IN eight sets,
running from Oue spot 70 sia spots on
. card. The investor bought . draw
ing for 81. He could draw eight cards
and the spots would amount TO some
thing bst1esn six and forty-s'ght. IL
the spots amounted 70 six he got Q
prlss Of $4,000. The same prize Was
given for the maximum drsU oil forty.
eight. The prizes diminished 70 the
immediate nunbers, which only en-
titled the drawer 70 another chance
O'Brien told Peck that - he Wa .
friend Of Nj. Corning's nephew be d,d
not mind explaining that u wee not
the object OF the new lottery company
70 make any money et hrst. bat 70 en-
courage people 70 buy tickets and
make their money sftcrward. That
4
blank IN their drawings, and that every
other draw entitled the investor 10 .
prize or another draw.
He Expiasuea de Chart.
O'Brien had the bunco chart on the
table in front Of him. II was about ~
large ~ tie side OF = Newspaper folded
once. There we're Numbers on ID from
one 10 forty-eight printed IN red ink
with the amount Of the prize which
| each number eut,tisd the purchaser 70
printed in black heiow the number. In
| one corner of the chart was the num-
Der twenty-sight With the inscription
under it. not ss prominently printed -
other numbers, but etili quite plain
and leg,ble: "You lose ali" In the
center of the chart was the rumber
twcnty-seven. rhis number wss called
the grand conditional advertising prize.
OBrien explained that this prize was
offered only once In . city, and then 10
some man Of high personAl and bus,-
ness standing, who would let the fact
that he had won IL 10 known IN order
20 draw other invesiors- No ouahhca-
tons were required from other in-
vestors, bat any man Who was . can
didate for tie grand conditional cd.
vertsing elo. 600 prize muss prove ths&
he was worth at least that much
money. Peck thought that thn was .
better bueine0 than selling housea,
and he made an appointment vita
Corning 70 call The next day and
qualify himself for the grand condi-
tional advsrtieing prixs. In ths mean
time he experimented - IN ordinary
investor and Won 80, which ~ss paid
nAAsss 10 ~ ose.eoe
| The next day Corning and Peck
called on 0'Brien apd Peck prod uce4
SO 900 worth Of bouds aid ether sscur-
ities. O'Brien sasd he had no doubt
reck was. good for 300, - The word
of Erastus corning's nephew WAS sum-
Gent fos him, hot the rules Of HE CON-
pauy Were stSscs and he could DO
make that IN excepsson even 10 che
cas- 81 - estsmabie . nan end one -
highly isdorsed-
You zee. M. Peck :" nd O'Bfien,
EVE are sitting here ~ gentlemen. cd
know that il 10 oil right, but must
comply With the ruIes u TIE company
and - sbe 0o0ey."
Peck thea vent 6oSu ipWs and -
. bank esvs hSm oloceo - M 49,.
| He ss0k sbn hnck - the bosss sBl
drew his casds, Which ansoenee1 ~
twenty seven in the uuos6sg ~ sp01o,
- thea BE wns eoe1o0ed - sae Gfapd
oouditioeal s1scrttang pre-. egt -
pro6ooe1 NJ uoao1 80 nGf. O'Dr5sn
. started 70 oou0t u. 6ut Siding that 4
took SONS the 80 no would take