Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-21
Lotteries Run
On Big Races.
Detroi+er Says
Reveals Printed Matter
TO Prove They Exist
BY DAMON RUNYON

which indicates that a sweep
stakes lottery is operating. pre-
sumably in this country. on big
American horse racing events
and apparently with some Sue
cess.
A San Francisco reader con-
tributes printed slips bearing a
conglomeration of figures which
he assures me represent the re-
suits of drawings in a local
numbers game. I suppose the
figures would be clear enough to
Frisco numbers player but
the reader failed to send key
that might explain the thing to
me.
1 Judge these slips are sent
around to the players to show
them how they came out in the
drawings. whereas in the. New
York numbers game the players
used 10 find the results in GER
tain figures regularly printed in
the newspapers, such as the
clearing house receipts.
In the trial of Jimmy Hines II
developed that the figures used
by the Harlem operators for a
period were the pari-mutuels
payoffs at an Ohio race track
and il was charged that the OPP
orators had a man in a position
at the track to bet enough
money into the. mutuels at the
right moment to switch the pay
offs around TO suit the purposes
of the numbers boys.
THE material on the sweep
l. stakes is more informative,
as it includes a ticket for the
Widener Handicap of 1912
which took place at Hialeah
Park in Florida in March. and a
folder giving the names of the
alleged holders of winning
buckets. The operating con-
Germ is given as "the American
Jockey Association" further
identified as Unit "a" with the
statement that this is the only
unit" of "the American Jockey
Association" and that it is not
connected with any other
sweepstakes or horse racing as
ISOLATION.
I find nothing in the printed
matter to show where the outfit
has its headquarters. I say
above that presumably IL oper-
ates in this country, but the
home office could be in Canada
or Mexico or elsewhere beyond
the boundaries of the United
States.
Obviously. however, il seeks
its customers here and according
TO the folder found them for the
Widener TO the tune of S215 ,209.
that being the alleged sum of
the total pool
The folder purports 10 be the
final statement and official list
Of the prize winners. Several
hundred names are announced as
winners of sums ranging from IS
TO 100000. These persons are
assigned TO many different cities
but in no case is street address
given. The name of the seller
of winning ticket is also men
toned as he is supposed to get
some of the dough, too.
THE home city of the win
Il ner of 100000 per ticket
WE 39561 on The Rhymer in the
Widener is mentioned as Los
Angeles. got in touch with
the only person OF the name
stated who is listed in the Los
Angeles directory and he said
he had never heard OF the sweep
stakes. The seller of the win
ming ticket is supposed TO have
received $4,000.
The second prize winner of
SOS, 900 is given as a Portland.
Ore. resident and the third
prize winner of $4,000 is said
to be a Racine, Wis. citizen.
1 refrain from publishing these
names because it might be an
injustice to the owners. But IL
the statements of the folder are
true, the winners have certainly
managed to avoid the publicity
that used to shower down on
the lucky ones in the Irish
sweepstakes, tickets for which
were sold in this country before
the war by the thousands,
though a sweepstakes or any
other form OF lottery is illegal
here.
And though the proceeds were
from technically illegal sources.
the government used to nab its
share in income taxes with the
same aplomb with which il used
TO collect from the bootleggers'
illicit pursuits.
I AM telling you about this
Il Widener handicap sweep
stakes because, if it exists, and
am inclined TO think il does,
il is another argument in favor
Of my national lottery which
would do away with schemes Of
this nature.
1 notice that the folder adj
vises the recipient TO "see your
ticket agent for our Kentucky
Derby" and l am curious to
learn what it crossed on that
one.
The final words in the folder
is buy defense bonds" which
IS perhaps ironic TO a lot of the