Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-10-05
IN ITALY
Gambling Under the Auspices OF
the Government.
The DRAWING IN PUBLIC

finances OF tho PIsyC.S.
King Iiumbrrt /. made tie rules f.,
'h" public / ttrry Of l,aly:
First The public lottery +, trapora
lily 1naintain,d 10y lar ;a,,r OF III.
state uadcr the fohpW.n. laws
S"rcHd.--lt is administered e.. :a
ntIiStcr OF finance. under whom tn.
hlris are chosen for their rrSpc tl,,
functions.
Third The lotto Is formed by m.nc
- numbered from To %. inclusive
i've or which drawn b! chance deter
u.inr thr successful.
Fourth. one can "plHy the lotto" f.
,'r following manncr:
On one number tvcry rarely played.
un all five numbers very rarcl,
rlaycI
ON two numbers "amho."
On three numbers. which Is known
- the "terno."
ON four numbers. which Is lnuwn aS
he "Quatcrno."
fifth.-Whcn one number is played
ihe winner is paid ten times and Il
half his output; whrn two numbers
are played the winner is paid $40
times his output: when three n..nhers
are played the winner Is paid J.2Ju
times his output; when four nUmbcrS
arc played the winner is paid 10000
times his output. Therefore il one has
by any chance bought No ticker
and wins the four numbers (uuateruol
he wins 100000.
At o'clock on every Saturday after
noon throughout all Italy the drawing
or the lotto takes place In NuplcS
the ceremony Is held AT the end OF
foul. filthy alley known us the Imprc
sa, back in a great courtyard I'm full
view OF the people on the balcony OF
an old palace. From early in the aft.
crnoon until the fatal hour the streets
OF Santa Chiara and the alley fill up
with the crowd whose hope on this
day Is to be deceived. The streets are
always so full OF life that for this
extra crowd. jostling. pushing and
eager. there would seem to be no place
Ii Is comprised OF the very poor The
better classes watch for the telephone
or the showing OF the numbers I'm the
various banks Ia the city to discover
their fate. but In tho Impresa the
crowd OF people Is as dense az shad-
ow. There are many here who have
paid their last cent for Il ticket. There
are many here who are in debt for the
shoes they wear and will never be able
TO pay for them. But ut tho stroke OF
the church clock the blinds OF tho bal.
cony open and the paraphernalia OF
the lotto are brought out-n long
green table. on which is placed q crys-
tai ball bound with silver, and an iron
box containing ninety other little box
cs, In which the ninety numbers are
locked by the state. The officers OF
this performance are coolly Indifferent,
and the only figure deserving OF note
Is that OF the little orphan child, dress
ed in snowy white, chosen by law from
the orphan asylum to draw up from
the crystal ball the five magic num-
bers.
At the sight OF these familiar, looked
for objects the crowd begins to cry
and chant, TO beSeech and evoke. 1t
begS the little orphan child to draw
well. And the child I'm his white robe.
his innocent eyes on the mass OF peo-
pie, looks down on the beggars with
their yellow locks and on the appeal
Ing mass. One by one the balls are
taken out from their sealed boxes, dis
played 10 the people and dropped into
the big bowl.
They have blindfoldcd the little bnm-
bino, and he stands on n chair. for he IL
only eight years Of age and is small, in
full sight OF the people. The balls hav-
ing been shaken around for the last
time. the child puts hts hand in and
draws The first number that he pulls
out IS called forth-"No. T." Now. every
italian WHO has bought No. 3 for place
has either won or lost No one holds
this number I'm this crowd however,
and there Is \ murmur-and a fresh
adjurgtiOn for the child TO draw well
The people who have drawn for the
tcrnO and the quaterno still have their
chance. The child draws again. this
time 40. q. ana the holders OF the
tcruo are now the interested ones, for
the next will be their last chance. The
enthusiasm breaks forth again with
murmurs and cries and prayers, and
The quiet child before tho urn I'm his
I white dress hears them and trembles.
for he knows that nc Is menaced BE.
fore the people there IS n blackboard.
and man posts up the numbers as
they are drawn. ~. II. 10 and so
. And this series OF five IS discussed.
yelled at challenged. cursed. Tor not
/ one ln the crowd has drawn a fortu.
nate number The child's eyes are IN.
bound. md ne IS put down and cot
free. The balls are returned into their
boxes scaled up ond carried away IN.
der the eyes Of the crowd which after
waiting FOR n moment unable 10 be
Hove frs $40 fortune breaks up and dis
iIpis Apathy IS thrown upon the mn
tority as much as such state OF mind
IS possible to NcapO'itan mass "a.
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