Middletown transcript., 1899-01-21
LOTTERIES AND LUCK
TRICKS THAT HAVE BEEN PLAYED BY
TICKLE FORTUNE.

Some Instances That AptIy illustrate
the Truth of the Old Adage That
There Is Many a Slip 'Twixt the
Cup and the Liz.
There are few things with which ro-
nance is more closely connected than
the distribution of lottery prizes, and
there can be no doubt that we Britons
are all the better off because of the lille
gality of holding lotteries in the United
Kingdom. A big lottery must disap-
point hundreds of thousands while it
enriches one winner, who often finds
that his hastily acquired wealth results
in doing him more harm than good.
A short time ago the first prize in
one of the Italian state lotteries, which
amounted to some $4,000, fell to a
peasant who, with his wife, had actually
died Of starvation within a few hours
of the drawing of the prize.
Owing to dream in which peasant
had the presentiment that a certain
number would be on the ticket which
would win the splendid prize, he
scraped all his money together and pur-
chased not the ticket he wanted, be-
cause it was already sold, but one which
bore the same numerals, differently ar
ranged. Then he and his wife fell on
desperately hard times, which eventual
ly closed upon them in death from sheer
starvation, for he had tried and failed
to sell his lottery chance. which was
the last thing left to him.
When the drawing came on, he won
the first prize of $4,000, but as he was
dead and no next of kin could be discov-
cred the prize was ratified for again,
when it fell to swell the purse Of an
Italian banker who already was pos
Eessed of vast wealth.
A German lady living in Brunswiok
had fancy that certain ticket would
win a prize in a lottery In which the
first prize was e15, 900. It may seem
strange, but it is vouched for as being
perfectly true, that she SO altered her
opinion as to the chances Of her ticket
winning a prize that she bartered it
away for a new hat from her milliner
within few days Of having purchased
IL.
This was melancholy exception to
the rule that second thoughts are al
ways best" The ticket which she had
exchanged for a hat, possibly worth
couple of guineas, succeeded in oaptur-
ing the first prize of e15, 900, and the
miliiner, who considered he had run
his risks, absolutely refused to palliate
his customers bitter disappointment by
anything beyond the payment of few
pounds, which were dragged from him
by hollow threats of legal action.
On one occasion the first prize in an
Italian lottery, amounting to nearly
e5, 900, fell to a man who had died
three days before the rattle, the second
prize Of so, 1000 fell to lady who had
sold her lucky ticket at the eleventh
hour, and the third prize of 81, 900 to a
private soldier who, on hearing of his
good fortune, drank himself mad and
then committed suicide. For want of
claimants who could establish their
claims satisfactorily, the first and third
prizes were again raff1ed for, and this
time they both fell to the same person
the owner Of one of the largest pri-
vate estates in Austria, who was quite
Indifferent about the addition to his al
ready huge fortune.
Silly superstitions play an important
part in the buying and selling of lottery
tickets, and it is no uncommon thing
for person who faneies certain num-
ber to buy it at price equal to hun
dreds Of times Its original cost, and
many of those who indulge in this kind
of speculation with the fixed idea Of
gain generally discover that 1t is an
expensive game.
A German banker conceived the idea
that the first prize in a certain lottery
would fall to the holder of ticket on
which the figure three stood either alone
or with others. So greatly impressed
was he with this belief that he bought
up every ticket that bore the numeral
three, little deal which cost him some
thousands OF pounds, because many Of
the tickets he fanoied were held by per-
sons to whom he had to pay fancy prices.
One Of these persons when approach
ed on the matter refused to sell his
ticket unless the banker purchased a
complete bundle of 90, Of which he was
anxious to get rid. The banker did not
wish to do this, as there was only one
ticket bearing three in the bundle,
but he ultimately consented, took the
ticket be wanted and gave the. vender
back all the others. Great must have
been his annoyance on discovering later
that the first prize had not fallen to
him, but had been won by one Of the
tickets he had bought and scorned.-
London Tit Bits.