Evening star., 1932-10-02
tCopyright. 1922

One lottery syndicate operated a radio station
across the Canadian border. but this was soon
suppressed by the Canadian government and
the operators were sent to prison.
All the lotteries of course are not crooked,
although they are illegal in this country. Now
and then an honest lottery is run and fortunate
individuals reap huge prize for the dollar In
vestment. But even the honest lottery is not
permitted to go along its way free of crooked
ness for many gulbe people in this country
have invested in foreign lotteries only to find
that the tickets which they have bought are
counterfeit and therefore absolutely worthless.
One lottery which is run in foreign coun-
try seems to be about as near crook proof as
any which could be run 1t Is not one which
can be operated on an international basis
The system provides for total number of
chances running up to 100 and the lucky
winners are paid 80 to /, the operators Of the
lottery taking 20 per cent their share. Those
who gamble in this lottery are permitted to
play for any amount they see fit and if success
full receive the 80-to-l Odds but naturally the
chances are 100 to l against them.
The drawing is done By a novel method, one
which would seem to eliminate all chance of
manipulation. box with 10 runways each
provided with an outlet, is set on a table. One
hundred marbles bearing the numbers ! to 100
are placed on the runways and then all are
released simultaneously. AS they run out Of
the box they are caught in flour sack, which
is then securely tied. After much shaking and
kneading to mix the marbles thoroughly the
bag is tossed to one of group of people in the
room where the drawing is made This person
catches the bag in one hand, seeking as he does
SO to make the catch in such way that
single marble is caught between his fingers. II
more than one is clenched in his hand, he
toSses the bag to some one else and this tossing
continues until some person manages to catch
the bag by single marble. This having been
accomplished string is tied around the bag in
such way that the single marble is isolated
from the others The bag is then emptied of
all but the one marble which is finally taken
out by itself. This marble carries the winning
number.
The foolishness of a 1O0-to-1 shot however,
is enough to keep any sensible person from
taking a chance, while the added fact that the
pay-of is at the rate of only 80 to l makes the
investment all the more foolish.
The really pathetic part of the lottery Is
that those who take tickets are too frequently
people in destitute circumstances who make
last despairing gamble with a dollar which they
can i'll afford to lose in the hope that for
tune will smile and end their misery. When
the lottery is honest the odds are almost i'm
possible. When the lottery is crooked as many
of them are, the criminals who run it are of
the meanest type, for they prey too often on
human and desperation.
The activities of the Post Office Department
have put a serious curb on the activities of the
lottery promoters The aid of the public when
information concerning lotteries is found would
make the suppression even more nearly COM
plete and would partake more of the nature of
public protection of the weak against the
crooked than "squealing,' which is abhorrent
to most Americans The chances of a prize are
hardly better in most international lotteries
rainbow.