The San Francisco call., 1897-06-03
UNDER THE SEAROHLIGHT.

The most recent revelations in the lot
terry frauds of this City should have the
effect of putting a stop 10 the outrageous
swindles for all time to come. 1t is TO be
| hoped that credulous people have had
their eyes opened at last as to the real
chances of fortune" in these lottery
games.
1t need hardly be urged tha. the lottery
swindlers subsist and grow fat largely by
reason of the extensive advertising which
is given them in the daily prints whose
managers implicitly upnold the nelarious
business sol long as the unscrupulous lottery
com biue keeps up its pay ments for space.
In this manner has the robbery of work
ingmen, servants and factory girls by
knaves been encouraged. Through the
columns OF THE CALL alone, among the
newspapers OF San Francisco, have these
schemes-these bunko games-been ex-
posed and condemned in the interests of
honesty and common decency. The posi-
tion of THE CALL from the very beginning
has been steadfastly opposed to all schemes
which are calculated to enrich rascals by
mulcting the people.
The truth concerning these iniqnitous
lottery operations has only half been told.
More light on the subject was afforded in
Yesterdays issue of this paper with re-
gard to the fact that the 500 capital prize
tickets presented at the first Nav draw
ing, and the fifty or more tickets bearing
the winning number presented at the
second, are said by the lottery-dealers to
have been "counterfeited. 1t is GER
tainly passing strange that a counter
feiter, in the range OF $4,000 numbers,
should for one drawing print big batch
OF tickets containing exactly the same
numerals, ana for the following drawing
another big batch all bearing one set of
figures, and that in each instance he
should hit upon the capital prize num-
Der.
An explanation which seems reason
able has been advanced as follows: OF
the $4,000 Mexican tickets only about
1000 numbers are printed thus giving the
scbemers leverage of $4,000 numbers on
which they will not have to pay any
prizes. These 20O0 numbers, duplicated
and reduplicated to fit the demand, are
divided among the numerous peddlers OF
tickets so that no one of them will have
q duplicate. Thus each peddler could be
given 1000 tickets. each ticket with diff
ferent number, and yet these would be all
the numbers represented out of the whole
So 600. Only the winning tickets would
come to light, and suspicion could be al
layed by cashlng a few of the smaller
prizes. ANY duplicate numbers brought
in for the same prizes could be stamped
counterfeit" and laid to the credit of the
imaginary 'forger."
A study OF the tickets of the local lot
ter!es shows that the so-called Counter
feits" are, without doubt, issued by the
little lottery combines themselves. In
consistencies are demonstrated 10 exist
in their own issues of tickets which place
the ticket purchaser completely at the
mercy of the lottery sharper. II the
holder of a ticket fails 10 find his number
in the winning list he is given "hope for
the future" by the shrewd peddler; If his
| mum Der chance 10 be a winning ono the
lottery agent pTonounces the ticket
counterfeit"
The peddlers OF lottery tickets make
considerable margin on every sale, and
small army OF these peddlers is supported
by the swlndle. These ticket venders can
be made to seek honest means of employ
ment If people will refrain from purchas-
ing their tickets. AS has been frequently
pointed out. there is no redress for the
defrauded buyer. Let the masses of the
people second, as they should, the efforts
of The CALL, and the lottery frauds will
be doomed 10 sure and swift destruction.