The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-14
HOW TIE LOTTERY FIGHTS.
Paper Had to Employ Professional
Prize Fighter en- It's STAFF.

From the Louisville Courier Journal
Interesting incidents attending the Ma
fla troubles and the anti-lcttery heht ia
New Orleans are related by J. c. Wick
life. Jr., who was prominent factor in
all these events and VINO is now in Louis
vile in consequence of the illness of his
father, Judge J. c. Wicklthe.
OF the anti-lottery fight he SAYS thai
outsiders know comparatively nothing
Of the bribery and general civic corrup-
ton. 1t reached such an extent that
every man was thought to have a price
and the lottery company absolutely owned
so many influential men, not to speak OF
officials, that the people were intimilated,
especially after several attempted at
tacks upon the lottery company had ter
minated in worse than failures through
Unblushing selling out by leaders.
The organized fight against the lot
terry company began in 1890, when the
New Orleans Delta was started as the
anti lottery organ. This was six column
four page paper, ana the trials which at
tended its birth demonstrated to the
shame OF greater territory than New Or
leans the tremendous grasp which the
company had upon the people. Mr.
Wicklhe was made the editor of the
Delta and remained with it until 1892. A
printing press was ordered from New
York 1t was side-tracked twenty-five
times, and delayed each time until the
anti-lottery people and promoters Of the
Delta We're enabled to start IL on the
Journey AGAIN after telegrIphing many
messages and often making personal Wis
it's to railroad officials At last the anti
lottery people despGired Of getting the
press delivered to them by rail, and or
dered it shipped from where lit was
then sidetracked back to New York. 1t
made the home journey in creditable
time. Then the press was put on board
Of a shin and made the long journey from
New York to New Orleans by water.
Meanwhile the members of the Delta's
staff were undergoing prosecutions and
contcnding against odds which
were disheartening The paper had been
started and the forms were trundled TO
other paper offices to print the paper.
After printing 4 few copies the offices OF
press rooms doing this would throw up the
contract What was thought to be an
invio1able contract was made with
press room equipped with six presses.
Time and again the one press o. TWO
presses at other places had broken down
or suffered some mishap, so that the con-
tractor. as he would claim could not do
the work One issue was run off from the
six-pressroom. but when the forms for
the issue of the next day wore sent
around the report was made that all SIX
of the presses had broken down. The pub
Usher of a religious journal finally took
the contract and carried it out
1t seems that nothing was left unno-
ticed bv the lottery company and its hire
lines that could financially damage or
barass the Delta promoters. The forms
for the paper were trundle1 to the print
ing place by colCred man, and the same
man never came back for another days
work of this character. To prey enl TINS
The bushes manager of the Delta WouId
rot pay the engaged negro for that cay
work. telling him that he would pay nm
whom the forms were delivered the fol-
lowing dav. This worked no better than
The former -you-go' plan. The
negro made more money by remaining
away and FORGETTING pay for the day ne
had worked.
Even the poor newsboys were rot
spared They were attacked beaten anu
I robbed of their papers, which were then oe-
/ etroved To meet this emergency and
brutality the Delta engaged professional
, ,rize- fqhter at 500 a week. to remain at
/ tbe once subject to call. He was big
/ powerful fellow. who heartily enjoyed
/ a scrap if sure that he would pc pIoIec'-
( cd when a bruised, bleeding or weeping
/ nev,sbov returned to the Office this pug
/ list would be sent out with hlm' anu an
/ The newsbov had to do was to point out
! his assailant and enjoy the thorough
| drubbing that was speedily administered.
These annoyances were expensive ana
the fines which were imposed on the
nrize-fghter for assault and battery We're
burdensome in themselves, for the passetrs
| If the sentences had incentives to give
! the limit. The anti-lottery people SUNK
as much as $4,000 in the Delta alone
and This represented but a part OF the
enormous amount that was absolutely
necessary to prosecute the fight against
eucb a giant. money-ladened corporation
as the lottery company. The paper, now oyo.
over. fought its way gamely, ana IN 1917
the anti-lottery people numbered mem
bership Of 1900 After the fight was won
and the purpose Of the paper accomplished
if began to fail and finally ceased to eX,
| isl. Mr.. Wicklffe had left 1t soon aIter
the fight terminated
The lottery company has been driven
| completely out Of the state Of louisiana
| and those who were in the anu-iottery
movement are trying to purge the city oi
New Orleans of that civic corruption
which the lottery company brought INTO
| existence, nurtured until it was bold