The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-07-20
ASKS FOR
PRISON CELL
Supreme Court Justice Re-
fuses GOurdain's Prayer.
MAY BUILD LITTLE JAIL
Alleged Lottery Agent and Pro-
moter Fails In Endeavor 10
Be Put in Penitenliary.

NEW YORK, July 20.-After an in
terylew with Justice White OF the
United States supreme court at Nara
gensott Pier X. l.. Louis A. Gourdaln,
the former alleged lottery agent who Is
trying 10 be readmltted 10 the Joliet
QlD penitentlary. from which he was
recently released by pardon. deciding
that his effort 10 get his petition filed
with the supreme court OF the United
States was useless, left Narragansett
Pier aud has returned to New York.
Gourdain requested Judge White to
order the clerk Of the supreme court TO
accept his petition for readmlsslon TO
the penltentiary. but the justice inform
ed him that the clerk was perfectly
right IN his refusal TO receive the petit
ton without special order of the
court
The interview between Justice White
and his visitor was a pleasant one. as
Justice White was formerly acquainted
with Gourdain's father and both came
from La Fourche parish. Louisiana.
After friendly talk OF personal mat
tiers Gourdain introduced the subject
OF his errand. saying that he had pre-
scented al the Office Of the clerk Of the
supreme court In Washington II petition
asking for his return to the penltentlary
and the clerk had declined to receive ii
on the ground that there must be an
order Of the court
In the petition. Gourdain explained.
he had set forth that during his trial he
had given his word that II convicted he
would not appeal from the sentence,
but IN some mysterious way an attor-
ney had interviewed aud had secured a
pardon for Gourdain. which the latter
at the earnest solicitation Of his wife
had accepted by signing the required
bond.
Afterward. Gourdain explained. he
ropented Of his action. as he considered
his honor involved because OF his prom
Use made In court prior to his conyic-
ton. and he therefore desired 10 be
returned to the penitentiary.
with voluntary imprisonment in the
Joliet penitentary as his one aim and
object In life. Gourdain was induced 10
remain at liberty and 70 sit down TO an
elaborate breakfast In his sumptuous
apartments AT the Hotel Savoy.
As he helped himself to raspberries
he sighed dejectedly ut the cruel fate
that denied him prison fare and ut
tered solemn vows that as Justice
White Of the United States supreme
court would not reinstnte him "a a
convict he would 20 back to Joliet and
at once begin the building OF a prison
Of his own. where he could serve ont
the sentence Of four years and six
months imposed upon him by United
States Judge lands OF Chicago and of
which he was deprived through the
treschery OF his lawyer.
Gourdain. who does not dislike being
considered q multimillionaire. came
into prominence in 1890. when he or
ganlzed the Louisiana grand lottery as
rival to the Louisiana state lottery.
His system was simplicity Itself Gour-
daln Issuing tickets numbered exactly
like those issued by the state lottery
and paying the same numbers drawn
by the state lottery.
THE receipts" he explained com
placently. were anywhere from 5000
900 to $1,5OO.0O0 a month. As paid
my agents 20 per cent commission and
the state lottery only paid theirs 10
per cent, I naturally sold more tickets
than the state lottery did didn't
have TO pay anything for advertising
the winning numbers. the state lottery
publishing theirs for me. and | also
saved the expense Of the drawings.
When first started offered to pay
the state bonus Of $4,000 a year, just
as the state lottery did, but the state
refused so | spent the $4,000 fol-
lawyers and detectives and went Oh
doing business until 1894, when the lot
terry laws shut us both out
During four years | was indicted
more frequently than any other man
in the world. The grand jury would
lndict me every day in fact, but they
never dared to put me on trial.
after the lottery business had beer
declared Illegal | came to New York
and tried the Stock Exchange game"