The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-29
SAYS THE confess
WAS 4 L0TTER
------------------- IL An
Scheme Conducted Through
News Leader So Classed
by Commissioner.
ALL PRIZES OFFERED
FORFEITED TO STATE,
Files Report Showing How ALI
legged Winners Procured Votes.
Paper Refunded Much Money
to Losers. -. u

TO 1OSerS. 49, n
The house and lot contest condssct-
ed last year by the News Leader han
been declared by Special Commits
sloner b. .. James to have been MI
lottery, In which the contautnnfa
We're deceived not by the owners OF
editor of the paper. but by the con-
CEN which promoted HE contest M
of tho prizes offered are by law for-
feited to the State, Colonel James,
declares. and the contestants are en-
titled to recover nothing.
Colonel James. who was commits
stoned by the Law and Equity Court
to Investigate the matter. has cOr.s-
pleted his report and filed 1t with the
clerk of the court.
Judge Ingram win officially receive
II within the next two or three DAYS.
and II approving, may enter an order
calling upon the News Leader u
show why It allowed the lottery rs
be conducted. and to show why IL
should not be liable to the punisai-
ment as required by law.
The report of Colonel James cora
stftutes twsnty-ntne closely typowFdt-
ten pages. Every phase Of the case
Is fully dealt with and discunned.
while the various findings and ri1i~
ings OF the commissioner are forff-
ned by numerous decisions and Q{E3-
taions from legal authorities.
Facts or Contest. III
The facts OF the contest a. see
forth IN the report are as follows
The News Leader offered q 3E.eeo
house and lot to the winner Of 10
largest number OF votes obtained With
| subscriptions, the contest being con-
Quoted between the dates February
"a. 1903. and May 8. 1893.
The second prize offered Wa
$4,000 automobile. The thfrd prf.as
constituted two trips to EurppeS yxf-5
| ued at $f.eo0 each, There wNxo them
! number of priges valued al $319*
others valued at $175. and ctharn,
valued at $50.
At the close OF the contest, becauss
certain irregularities were charreNx.
and Equity Court. the. News. Tns6eS
t refusing TO deliver t. the firsf NRIi7
twinner---Afn 8. M, Rowu1ar~-<lSS
house and lot, 81.
| Colonial James was then fnsfruceed
to hear the case. and July 81. 1e0ax
began taking dispositions and invoeti~
! eating every detail OF the allereA
frauds,
How Fraad Was Determines.
The three essentials OF tottssy, The
repor< points out. ara thu consaaern~
tion. the p<kae and the chancak and
after citing numerous authorities. the
fndinx OF Colonel James is ~ tol-s
lows;
1T h to- be noted that the anornt
OF work necessary to win any prsza
was, not fixed. but waa uncertain. II
is also to be noted that the amount %
value OF the prize which would ~
gotten for any given amount OF work
| was also not fixed. but uncertain,
1T u also to DO noted that the pe1xea.
given could In no sense be considered
(, from business standpoint. az compen.
satory to the different contestants fur
the amount OF work done by each
Placing Responsibility,
The report shows that the contrst
was conducted by the Pacific Coast
Circulation Company, this corporation
acting AS the agent OF the NeMs-IeaEep
Company Colonel James speciHcativ
states. however, that he does not hOll
either the editor OF tho paper 81 the.
| owner responsible for the n,inrepre-
seHtations which weBa made. an he he
lieves they were made without theiri
knowledga-
Regarding these Misrepresentation
the report saySs
I'm the case Ut bar, tricks arc tsl~
legged, and suhterfuges seem to have
been adopted with the hope OF vi,a~
ming. 1t Ia charged that the managers
OF the cnntest themselves resorted ~
fraudulent practices and beguiled IL
contestants to put UP money"
How They Won.
The commissioner gives the folinee~s
ing details of the methods foIl0ne6
Nv fkx.
The candidate whom the NeWs-
Leader deemed to have, under H.
rules OF the contest. obtained the IaDx
est number of Votes tMr, 8, M. Bow
mani, and to have won tina first prtx2
borrowed 32,sE0, and with certain Otha{
money which he had, put In $4,000 ID
the last day. at the ninth. Il not inc
eleventh, hour Of the contest tar syIa,-
scripttons tor people OF whom ha ap.s
parentiy knew nothing. and cared lexa
cthough undertaking to reserve thaA
right to change not only the address
to which tho subscriptions were 10 n
| sent. but the names of the pernone tf3
whom tha papers were Ia AA e1Sst w
with the hope, as he said. OF wtnnini
the first prize of $4,000 houso md
lot" III sA
The next contestant IN tho pfS11
of award OF prizes rs mAd0 b. ~
News Leader, paid one third Of up1Rs
erous subscriptions with thu hopi |
winning large prize. ssS3
The husband Of thH next c0nt&ntAN9
the evidences Indicates, endorsed r7Is
piess notes who would suhscrthe
this contest, and had them dtpconu1411
on his and a friends endor1am1 S1&!
aas to furnish the cas- hthat this 0|
test required ssaS 4 S 22sl Il
Money Returned, N
/ - i - 1900 l-.M