The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-23
TRAPPED BY DECOYS.
Government Officers Swoop
Down on Lottery Men.
They SENT TICKETS BY MAIL.


The violation Of the laws Of the United
states iorbidding the use OF the mails for
immoral purposes yesterday got two deal
ers IN lottery tickets into what may prove
very serious trouble. and one of them 10
now under heavy bonds 20 appear before
the United States grand jury 20 answer
tue charge OF sending lottery tickets by
mai, while the other viii. no doubt, be
bound oyer today for q similar offease.
The men arrested are Basil Suponiska.
alias N. H. Basil. at one time q we'll
known lottery man In Seattle. and w. w.
Gilman, the keeper of . cigar stand near
the corner Of Railroad aud Yesler avenues.
and their arrest Is in grea. part due to tie
clever detective work Of Postal inspector
II. L. Thraii. Suponiska has lived in Sc
attic for long time. during all OF which
ne has been engaged Ia tae lottery bust
ness. Several months ago the inspector
and officers OF the Seattle postofiee. sus-
pecsing that he was using the malls in his
business. sent decoy letters to him, with
the result that evidence clearly estab-
hshing his guilt was gathered. The ar
rest vas not made At once, however. and
20 about week ago sfr. Thrall wrote n
deeoy letter signed O. II. Bryan from
Kingston. across the Sound. asking
saponiska to send two lottery tickets con-
tanning the figures an their numbers
hint was also given TO Suponiska that
the writer Of the letter was q small store
keeper and would be- willing to deal in the
tickets himself on q commission. An
answer was soon received acknowledging
the receipt of the money and enclosing the
desired tickets.
Then Suponiska was given surprise.
Another letter WAS sent TO him asking him
10 meet another fictitious gentleman at
the Occidental hotel yesterday morning.
and again he bit. At the hour appointed
Thrail, accompanied by Constable Terry
King, walked up and accosted him:
us this Mr.. Suponiska?"
Yes. SIR, | suppose this is Mr.. ----?"
Right yon are; allow me I, introduce
Mr.. King; he has warrant for you"
suponiska merely wiited, and walked
along like q lamb to Commissioner
Emery's Office. On the way he made sew
eral remarks going to show that man
named w. w. Gilman was also impii-
Gated, and the officers made q note of 1t.
At the commissioners Thrail told his
story and Srponiska did likewise, after
over 10 the United States grand jury IN
der $1,000 bords, which were given by
Agassiz 4 Mcconnell.
In the meantime Gilman was found In
his cigar stand and arrested. The circum-
stances were rather peculiar. Thrall
stepped up and asked few unimportani
questions about lotteries, dropping as i!
accidentally the fact that his name was
Bryan, of Kingston. Giiman's face lighted
up at once.
did you get my letter and the tickets ~
he said; II sent them to you; did you &c,
them?"
oh. yes" replied tho inspector. care
lessIy. they got to me after while"
Then Gilman began very confidential
conversation with the representative oil
the United States. The gist OF ii was that
"Mr. Bryan" was 10 sell the tickets TO the
ranchers around his store at Kingston on
commission. and IL wound up by the in.
junction of the lottery man:
"But you don't want 20 use the mails
very often; you had better use the ex.
press. II is safer, but il amt so cheap"
Sad to say. this good advice had not been
followed by its giver, and the unfortunate
cigar dealer was placed under arrest. His
hearing before the commissioner was eel
for l o'clock in the afternoon. He was
then released on 81 900 bonds. also given
by Agassiz & Mcconnell. As the inspecto.
considers that Gilman gave himself dead
away before his arrest, he thinks that he
will be bound over. as was Suponiska.
Gilman is short, iight-complexioned
man of middle age and married. He has
always borne . good reputation outside oil
dealing openly in lottery tickets at his
cigar stand. where he runs ticket Office.
Supouiska is tall, dark man OF about g
or more years of age. and is son-in.
law of O. y. Morse. the hotel man.
He claims TO come from Poland. He
has been connected with different lot.
teries ever since the fire. with the excep-
ton Of the past year, during which littls
about his dealings Is known. Gilman.
however, clears Suponiska by saying that
the latter has not sold tickets for over q
year. When T.. \. Wood ran the Louisians
Exchange bank at 6i2 Second street. q we'll
known lottery joint. Suponiska was his
right-hand man. Later Wood left the
town and saponIska went into the Gold
Leaf Remedy Company. in the same build.
ing. an association which is closely watched
hy the postal authorities.
Assistant Postmaster Coikett says that
no more arrests are contemplated. The
United States grand jury meets on the
second Tuesday in December and il the
two men are indicte d and convicted fine
OF $500 and one years imprisonment may
no srnpoSed