The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1897-10-31
4 FAKE LOTTERY UNEARTHED
Secret Service Officials Pursuing
a Clue
THE TICKETS PRINTED HERE
A Small Printing Plant in This City
Turning Out Reams of the
Worthless Slips.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. D.-Investigatio1
here discloses the fact that fake lotter,
has been in operation for some time, ant
that its operations have been gradual,
extended until they reached considerable
proportions. The principals, who ar
we'll known lottery and policy backer
of this city and Wilmington, DEL, ar,
now keeping shady, and the government
officials are now gathering evidence pre-
paratory to making arrests.
The scheme is said to have been con
cejved in Wilmington, and the unquali.
fed assertion has been made here that
the principals in the matter are now and
for some time have been, under constant
surveillance.
The plant in which the tickets, draw.
ings, etc., are printed has been located
in Wilmington, and employees of the
establishment stand ready to testify il
called upon to do so by the Federal au-
thorities.
That the Louisiana State Lottery had
its tickets printed in Wilmington for
many years is well known to all the
secret service men, but it is quite as we'll
known to them that the plant which
executed the work of the Louisiana State
Lottery has not printed anything like a
lottery ticket for years. 1t was this fact
that led to the discovery of the
smaller plant now printing the tickets
for the fake concern which is doing bust
ness under dozen titles and in as many
places. ....
The present investigation is the result
of certain kilograms from New Orleans,
where, it was asserted, the old Louisi-
ana Lottery Company had re-established
its headquarters. A careful survey of
the field developed the fact that the old
company, now known as the Honduras
Lottery Company, really had established
offices at New Orleans and branch con-
Germ at Bay st. Lewis, Miss, from which
points more or less profitable business
was being conducted. The yellow fever
drove. the employees away from their
desks, and thus suspended, for the time
being, all activity on the part of the
company. The fake concerns, however,
thrived. This fact proved conclusively
that the executive Offices of the promo
ters of this scheme to steal were located
north of the fever district, and the in
vestigation started at Washington.
To trace the tickets bought in the
capital city to Wilmington and from
Wilmington to this city was easy and
to-day things became so warm that sev-
eral cappers for the game sought seclu-
sion in neighborfng states.
That the tickets are printed in Will
that the printer is interested in
the company and that q Philadelphia
policy hacker is peddling out the slips to
agents in Baltimore, Washington, Chi
cago, Pittsburg and this city is q Ger.
tainty and exciting developments may be
looked for at any moment.
Mississippi Involved.
Special to THE Sun.
BAY ST. LOUIS, MISS, Oct. 3O.-Govern-
ment secret service officials have been
here for several weeks investigating the
alleged operations Of the Honduras Lot
tery, the successor of the Great Louisiana
Lottery, which is said to be maintaining
an office here, and to have openly re.
sumcd business. The company's office
s now closed, and deserted. The yellow
lever having caused its removals. There
Is much excitement over the investigation
one arrest has already been made.
Those who profess to know assert that
he Company's business is entirely trans
.cted in Honduras, and that no United
States authorities have jurisdiction.
1t is also said that the Honduras Lot
cry Company has been chartered by the
Honduras government.
+. r. Todd, of New Castle, was in vii
yesterday.