The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-08-31
King of Confidence Men
Fears Reputation Is
Suffering
SELLS HIS INTEREST
%Squeals'' on Metzger, For
mer Associate In Grim
inal Business

Louis Schoenberg. head of the
lottery trust, has resigned from
the management Of the notorious
M. & F. company. He says he
has sold all of his interest in the
swindling business and claims he
IS not now connected, directly or
Indirectly. with any lottery oper-
atoms. he confessed last night
his former connection with the
fraud. His confession was full
and complete. 1t was, in fact,
more of a 'squeal". than a confes-
sion, and as he ran to cover out
Of the reach. he hoped, of the
dragnet which Chief of Police
Anderson was drawing around
him, he shouted the name of
'Netzger" after him and laid the
blame Of the business at his secretive
doors. Schoenberg was willing to tell
all he knew of the NJ & F. company,
which he abandoned after having
been made rich at the expense Of
10000 swindled dupes- He admitted he
had made enough" and that the pres
ent campaign brought about by The
Calls exposure and the activity Of the
police were making the business un-
profitable: he admitted. also. that
drawings" based on the numbers of
the Honduras and Mexican lotteries
had been held after those foreign con
Germs had gone out Of business. He
admitted that not later than two weeks
ago such a drawing had taken place
in this city, and he said that so far
as he knew. another drawing would be
pulled on again in the near future II
the police did not conhseate the tick
cts and property OF the Illicit business
Nothing could have been more arro-
giant than Schoenberg's frank admis-
sion Of MS former connection with the
II. & F. company. He freely admitted
its unlawful character. tacitly con-
Tossing himself criminal. and de-
clared that his principal reason for
getting out at this time was the fact
that the exposure Of his associations
with the vicious gambling concern was
hurting his credit as a real estate
dealer and his reputation as a business
man. The time had come when he
could no longer pose as a decent men,
Der Of the community and he stood re-
vealed as the lawless dealer in phony
lottery tickets. Besides, his friends
had been importuning him to quit.
There were IS at his home last night
he said. urging him to get out Of the
dirty business" He conceded the truth
OF the rumor that the exposure of his
relations with the octopus like trust
had worn on the nerves and health of
his family. In short. he was shamed
into quitting by his friends and fright
ened into quitting by the police.
scHoENBERG WON'T TELL
But he would not say to whom he
had sold his share IN the company.
IT is not a corporation" he said. land
viii not tell who bought me out.
Neither will 1 tell who are the others
interested with Metzger IN the game.
but It is going on just the same. and
there viii be another drawing within
a few days.
schoenbergs experience with the
tempters Of chance was such as to
convince him that there would still be
an army Of suckers to 80 against the
came and scan the lottery lists with
eager eyes for approximation prizes.
The fact that he had confessed that
Continued on PaEe 2, Column