The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1906-11-02
CAREER OF |.
A. GOURDA|N
Has Been Like a FALLING
Star
WAS CLERK 20 YEARS Ago
Nearly Ruined The Famous Louisiana
State Lottery
TALKS OF BUILDING PRIVATE JAIL

The readers Of the RECORD will re-
member several issues back we publish
ed picture of a Jail to be built by the
man who hoped to be the only inmate.
This man was:
Louis A. Gourdain, the emaciated,
luminous eyed parchment-skinned
boaster, who has succ .eded in keeping
himself before the public for upward
Of three weeks by tryintg to get him
self reincarcerated in prison. has an
interesting history. He claims many
things that doubtless are not true. He
is offended because the authorities re-
fuse to send him to prison while he is
out on bail, and talks Of building a pri-
vate Jail himself, that he may serve
time for evil transactions. The most
interesting that is laid to him in the
way in which he nearly put the Louis
lana State Lottery out Of business by
counterfeit'ng the tickets Of that no
torious concern. writes correspondent
of the New World.
The history Of the man as outlined
by himself, commences with his birth
40 years ago at Thibideau, La. At II
he entered the banking and commission
business Of his brother. He was a son
he says, Of colonel in the famous
Louisiana Tigers, a crack military or
ganization Of the south. Incidentally,
he does not make this boast when he is
in the south, because Of bodily harm
that might come to him.
Twenty years ago he was a clerk in
New Orleans State Lottery. At that
time the lottery was running wide
open. because stringent laws had not
been enacted against II. Gourdain got
SIS a week. This did not satisfy him
and he quit the business and outlined a
plan to a man who had little capital.
It was to run fake opposition lottery.
They hired a room. printed a few
million lottery tickets. purporting to Je
Of the Louisiana Grand Lottery. and
sent them out to all parts Of the coun-
try. in $50 packages. These packages
we're directed to men in each commun-
ity who were told to sell them and
keep 20 per cent Of the money and for
ward the balance TO Gourdian before
the date Of the alleged drawing.
In each package was one ticket in a
separate envelope. An accompanying
note stated that this ticket WIS intend
ed for some man in the community
whose drawing a large prize would
cause a sensation and make customers
for the lottery. The agent was told "a
keep half interest IN the ticket him.
self. The result was that the agent
would keep the whole ticket and for.
ward the m ney to ';uordian. From
this scheme Gourdain made $3.50. 900 be.
fore the police raided him and drove
him out.
It was when Gourdian's money wa.
running low that he evolved his schem,
and formed a combination with John II.
Dalton. a Chicago man. and a New Or.
leans man, who since has risen to such
prominence in the community that his
name has ceased TO be mentioned In the
Connection.
Gourdian came TO Chicago and nego.
tiated with a printer for the manufae.
ture Of 1900, 900 lottery tickets cum
terfeiting those Of the Louisiana State
Company. This was in 1892.
Dalton's history up to that time Il
unknown, He was a German who had
changed his name, and mystery shroud-
ed his past. Gourdian established head.
quarters in New York. Chicago and
New Orleans, taking charge Of the
eastern Office himself. leaving Dalton
In charge In Chicago and allowing the
third partner 10 handle the New Or.
leans headquarters.
The firm nam" assumed for the pur-
poses Of the fraud was W. L. Jackson
a Co.. New Orleans,
The l,0Oo.Ooo counterfeit tickets
were made up into packages containing