The herald., 1895-09-13
Another Step Toward the Sup
preston of the Traffic
A NEW LAW IN FORCE
Suspected Letters May Be Taken From
the Express Companies
The First Seizure Under the Act Of March .,
ISo5-By United States narshal
Covarrubias

The United States local authorities yes
terday took another step in the war
against lotteries which, if closely fol-
lowed up. will result in the virtual total
suppression of the illegal traffic. When
the law was PASSED making 1t an offense
to use the mails for the transmission nf
lottery tickets or advertisements of lotter-
les of any kind, it was heavy blow
against the various companies and great
ly reduced their business all over the
country. The lottery com panies, however,
soon recovered. and began to conduct
their business through the express COM
paniss which nave since Ieaped rich
harvest through the trans mission of tick
cts and lottery literature, including news
papers and other publications. containin G
lottery advertisements. TO cover the case
congress atiIts last session passed n 10 nj
entitled. "An act for the suppression Of
lottery traffic through national and in .
terstate commerce and the postal service
subject to the jurisdiction OF the laws OF
the United States" This law is chapter
191 of the United States statutes al large,
was passed March 2, 1895, and is as fol-
lows
"Be it enacted by the senate and house
of representatives. OF the United States of
America i'll congress asseu bicd, that any
person who shall cause to be brought
within the United States from abroad,
for the purpose OF disposing of the same,
or deposited in or carried by the mails OF
the United States, or carried from one
state to another IN the United States any
paper, certificate or instrument purport-
ing to be or represent q ticket, chance,
shave or interest in OF dependent upon
the event of a lottery. so-called gift con-
cert or similar enterprise offering prizes
dependent upon lot or chance, or shall
cause any advertisement Of any such lot
terry, so-called, giftsconcert or similar en-
terprise offering prizes depending upon
lot or chance, to be brought into the
United States or deposited in or carried
by the mails OF the United States, OF
transferred from one state to another in
the same, shall be punishable in the irst
offense by Imprisonment for not more
than two years, or by fine of not m ore
than $1,000, or both, and IN the second
and after offenses by such imprisonment
only
The second section of the act Ye-enacts
certain sections of the revised statutes as
applied to the lottery case for the seizure
OF suspected parcels, and providing for
their condemnation and destruction
under orders of the court.
The first seizure under the new law
was made by United States Marshal Co
varrubias yesterday. Two days ago Mr..
Covarrubias Was notified by United States
Marshal Meade. at Tucson. Ariz., that
letter had been sent from that place to
G. A. Stowe, Chino, San Bsrnardino
county, by Wells-Fargo's express, which
containing lottery tickets, and advising
him to look out for them. Marshal Co.
varrubias at once applied to Judge Well
born of the United States district court
for a search warrant. which was promptly
issued. Armed with ths search warrant.
a deputy proceeded to Chino and secured
the letter. bringing it to this city, and
turning it over to the clerk of the court.
The next step will be the condemnation
OF the letter. which will then be destroye cd
by order of the court. .s,
From this it will readily be seen that
if closely followed up it will be impossi-
BILE for the lottery companies to do bust
ness. Ii the United States officers can
enter express Offices and seize suspected
letters or packages. on complaints sworn
to on information and belief it may be
safely assumed that the death knell OF
the lottery has been sounded-at least in
the United States.