Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/342/277/
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 14:08:50+00:00

Document:
In § 213 of the Criminal Code of 1909, 18 U.S.C. (1946 ed.) § 336, which forbids the mailing of any letter, package, postal card, or circular "concerning any lottery" or similar scheme, the words "concerning any lottery" mean an existing, going lottery or gambling scheme, and the section is not applicable to the mailing of a punchboard with a letter suggesting how it might be used and an order blank for ordering merchandise to be used for prizes, when neither the sender nor the addressee was engaged in the operation of a lottery or similar scheme. Pp. 342 U. S. 277-281.
The District Court dismissed an indictment of respondent for violation of § 213 of the Criminal Code of 1909, 18 U.S.C. (1946 ed.) § 336. On direct appeal to this Court under 18 U.S.C. § 3731, affirmed, p. 342 U. S. 281.
"No letter, package, postal card, or circular concerning any lottery . . . or similar scheme offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance . . . shall be deposited in or carried by the mails. . . . Whoever shall knowingly deposit . . . anything to be . . . delivered by mail in violation of . . . this section . . . shall be fined . . . or imprisoned. . . ."
"Perry Halseth, knowingly, willfully and unlawfully did cause to be delivered by mail to Miss Lucia Brown a circular letter concerning a lottery or scheme offering a prize dependent upon lot or chance. . . ."
The other counts were identical except as to the name of the addressee and the point of delivery.
$2.00 with the order and the balance payable on delivery, or by a C.O.D. shipment. The punchboard also informed the addressee that merchandise could be "purchased" from appellee at any time.
The District Court held that even if these stipulated facts had been alleged in the indictment and accepted as true for the purpose of the motion to dismiss, still the indictment did not state an offense, because the mailing did not concern an existing lottery or scheme to obtain prizes by lot or chance. The question, therefore, is whether the mailing of gambling paraphernalia that may be used to set up a lottery or similar scheme is a violation of the statute.
"any paper, certificate, or instrument purporting to be or represent a ticket, chance, share, or interest in or dependent upon the event of a lottery. . . ."
"The lottery had already been drawn. The papers carried by the messengers were not then dependent upon the event of any lottery. . . ."
"There is no contradiction in the testimony, and the government admits and assumes that the drawing in regard to which these papers contained any information had already taken place in Kentucky, and it was the result of that drawing only that was on its way in the hands of messengers to the agents of the lottery in Cincinnati."
"The statute does not cover the transaction, and, however reprehensible the acts of the plaintiffs in error may be thought to be, we cannot sustain a conviction on that ground. Although the objection is a narrow one, yet, the statute being highly penal, rendering its violator liable to fine and imprisonment, we are compelled to construe it strictly. Full effect is given to the statute by holding that the language applies only to that kind of a paper which depends upon a lottery the drawing of which has not yet taken place, and which paper purports to be a certificate, etc., as described in the act. If it be urged that the act of these plaintiffs in error is within the reason of the statute, the answer must be that it is so far outside of its language that to include it within the statute would be to legislate, and not to construe legislation."
164 U.S. at 164 U. S. 682-683.
Congress has had before it many times the question of what gambling devices and paraphernalia it would exclude from the mails and interstate commerce, [Footnote 4] and only recently has it passed an act concerning the subject. Act of January 2, 1951, P.L. No. 906, 64 Stat. 1134. If punchboards are to be added to the category of devices to be excluded, it is for Congress to make the addition.
Actually, four counts were based on material relating to radios and pens and four to cameras and a telescope; but, since the nature of the mailings was the same, we consider only the material relating to radios and pens.
France v. United States, 164 U. S. 676; Francis v. United States, 188 U. S. 375; United States v. Irvine, 156 F. 376.
Report of the Postmaster General 72 (1915).
Hearings of April, May and June 1950, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce on S.3357 and H.R. 6736, 81st Cong., 2d Sess., 259-260.

References: § 213
 § 336
 § 213
 § 336
 § 3731
 v. 
 v. 
 v.