The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-27
JOHN A. NORRIS DEAD
Originator and Chief Owner Of
Louisiana Lottery.
OWNER OF HONDURAS LOTTERY
Proprietor Of the Morris Park Race
Track and "a Famous Horseman-
Profits Dwarfed Monte Carlos.


arrived here or Thursday on a special
train With him were A. Natalie. DIR
BeIden. Jr., Mr.. Mcdonald and W w
Williams. OF New Orleans on THURSDAY
he went out to see fine animal that had
been bitten By rattlesnake and which
DIR. Belden treated with aconite On Frt-
slay at noon Mr. Morris was seized with q
fiji Of apOplexy and never recovered con-
sc3ousness. though physicians from San
Antonio were summoned His wife and
friends In New York were telegrapfed and
are now en- route on d special train. John
A. Morris had for years kept UP a rnagnl-
fcsnt breeding ranch ia this county. which
Is now famous for it's pure atnosr,here
He was In the best OF health and spirits
uy to the moment ne was stricken
John 8. Morris was about 60 years old
lie was the FIRST proprietor OF the famous
racing track at Morris Park. NJ j. but
was better known lottery king. being
the head OF the Infamous Louisiana lottery
now operating In Honduras. with a branch
Office At Tampa. Fla. In 1853 lack Sim
mons Charles t. Howard, father of the
Firi Mayor Carter Harrison, OF Chicago
was about TO marry when killed. and John
A. Morris. organized a lottery trust 70
control the lottery and policy business Of
the country. under the name OF &. H Muir
ray e. Co. Simmons was gambler. How
ard a seller OF lottery tickets in New Or
leans and Morris a horSeman. He was the
principal ia the Louisiana lottery from It's
inception. but took good care that no one
should known OF Il. dc was socially an1bi-
;ious, and masqueraded in New Orleans
az a gentleman Of wealth and leisure un-
I'll such time "a his concern was sanction
Ell By the constitutional law Of the state.
II was through HoEard's attempt 10 get
G. IT, Murray & Co 20 indorse and furnish
capital for his swi1dle that he met Morris.
and the two formed the partnership to de-
bauch Louisiana IN such fashion as no
political division ot the earth was ever
before delyauched. After Howard had un-
folded hts plans 10 the lottery trust. John
A. Morris went 10 New Orleans 10 look
over the ground. \ union OF forces was de-
cided on and Norris is said TO have ad-
vanced 100000 OF his own money for a
! greater interest than his partners OF the
lottery trust were willing TO risk. That
money was used to buy the legislature of
ne state aud thus secure charter. That
legislature % 1857 was the most corrupt
the state was ever cursed With. II was
made up mainly OF negroes. one-haf the
body being composed of enfranchised
slaves Their moral sense was as COM
plstely duled as that Of men of birth and
education later became under the manip-
ulston OF Morris and Howard As
stranger IN the state Norris remained In
the background and so the fiction has ex-
isted that II was Charles T. Howard who
vas responsible for the inhiction Of the
louisiana lottery on the state Without
Morris money he would. however. have
been helpless A ring % half dozen
white carpet hagEers. at the head OF which
was one Ar Harris was formed as
lobby. They openly bought the
necessary number OF votes to
secure the charter. Gov. Warmoth vetoed
the measure. and IL was then promptly
l,sr . t,a
That led the lottery people 10 have War
moth mpeached and succeeded four years
later by Pinchback a scheming negro.
who was one OF the largest holders Of lot
teyy stock outside the Morris-Howard
party, which owned and controlled more
than one-half OF It, The concern was cap
italized az 100000. and was exempted
from all taxation because IL agreed 10 pay
the mere hagatelle OF Si0.@o yearly to the
educational fund of the state. This is the
oEiy direct tax ever paid tho state on a
business that ran from San. 00o 600 to SOS
co. 60 a year for the main lottery. Indi-
rectly Ii was of course a gold mine from
which state and municipal officers drew
whatever and whenever they wanted so
long as they were of use to Morris and
protected his monopoly from competitors.
AS the representative OF Morris. Howard
used money when and where he would
ana without stint SO long as he was the
managing director of tho concern. How
ard once applied to the New Orleans
Jockey Club. Of which his partner Morris.
vas an honored member. for membership.
He was hlackhalled by the proud South
eruers and Creoles who had not yet been
made slaves by handling the lottery
money, and who did not suspect John \
Morris OF being Towards partner In the
lottery. "Blackhallcd me. have thcy?"
said Howard when the news was brought
to him. II never forgive an insult. III
turn their race track into a Gene
terry He did IL. There he lies buried
today As soon as the charter for the lot
terry was obtained. Morris began schem-
ing to get possession Of the lions share of
u, ard this he did speedily. Less than
tWo weeks after the scheme was brought
through the legislature the charter was
assigned. With all it's rights and privileges.
70 John A. Morris = f. simmons and -
n Murray Later Howard. IN accordance
with previous understanding. was given
nth interest in the concern. and the
curse - Che city and state was launched
as the property OF Howard. simmons &
60. When It began 20 pour stream OF
god into the rockets or It's owners Morris
N some way "froxe ont all his partners
except Howard, Morris IS supposed to
nave obtained possession Of more shan
one-haf the stock Of the concern before.
IN l@l. IL had become a mine richer than
GolcoEda. fountain or wealth to which
taat Of Monte Cristo was mere
l2gatelle AfterVard he acquired an
that he could buy at any price.
and lis shares We're more valuable at one
oiue th2u those of any other concern in
America. The railing price for years was
N.th share COY Siea shares. ami none
Vas % he hal AZ that figure. 50 that the
quotation was merely nominal As The
eon'frn paid as high rs I10 per cent. In
elv'acr IFS annually and averaged Nn per
eent. daring tbe twenty-four years 81 It's
eNiSteoce. tHe quotation was even below
rs actua worth. But no per cert.
Notti motc nearly represent the yearly
cNi&tads 81 John 4 Morris ana 90 How
sFd While he lived. Their profits under
ne ass sa0eat ~ the lottery 20 them
Se(ves from a concern IN which they we're
me Hr-rcinal owners was favorable he
YONG tan dreams 90 avarice. 4, T How
81 \ Go. hc t1nte The sole owners. with
Howard as tat managing partner -
Soao \ y ~~l~ who SIN wore ghe mask
p fesntctahll.N sni kent under cover
Norris aTass-i fortune estimated at
ssN0'fo - So N0 az The way In which
Morris f-7ra r's <tl'aN SAMPLERS cat OF
re louisiana lottery gave rise % the In
s"tato1 ~ corsi3era BILE number of
.aiiS asairS- rim IH his corporate name.
~ save .hen aa 30 haf recourse 80 the
se.aea Hood tnar poured into The lottery
e'"+r> l'tca1ts We're bought OF INST
~ adverse leg s>'ati0n was crushed. one
eoAFersa0- N5tH t3o affairs ~ the con-
.eFn assrt..1s -rst over Ssa 40 was paid
= htao'~< AZ 'ha -rstsiature FOR hrtaes
~ MI Su-1 ..~iS'ltto- What liUSauts
-" iff1 IS a ~+9'el book hHt it reache