Year: 1877

LOITERY PRIZES IN PARIS.


Passion for Gambling A Hotel


Cashier aud "a Russian Countess.


Cor. New York Times.


PARIS, April 16.-Wheu | wrote


the other day about the modern


passion for gambling, / might have


added something about the gamb-


ling that is constantly going on


here outside of the clubs. There
are no greater gamblers in the


world than those who stake their
money every day upon the bourse,
or upon the petit bourse during the
evening. And the passion is not a
whit less strong among the people
who invest their small economies
in stocks Of various sorts. All try
to get something to which a lottery
is attached. There are semi-annual
drawings to the Paris loans, and a
number Of prizes. In the first
place the lucky number gets 150,-
900 francs or 20, 900 francs, accord
ins to the date of the loan; there is
q smaller prize of $4,000 francs,
several of 1000 francs, and series
Of numbers are drawn to be paid
oil at the par value of the bonds.
The Turkish loan has drawing
also, and a grand prize of 10000
francs. Last year this was drawn
by a man in Trieste, who came on
here tonegotiatc it, AS the Turks


do not pay interest on their bonds,


he had doubts about their paving
the prizes drawn in their lottery,
bat he finally got some bankers to
take it at 100000 francs, giving
$40, 600 by way Of discount. The
Russian prize amounts to 100000
roubles. All of these loans are
popular, (save the Ottoman at this
time, for all who invest hope to
draw a prize, and in addition to
their interest they have the excite
ment attendant upon investment
in a lottery. A curious case has
just come before one of our tri-
bunals, growing out of one of these
drawings. Three years ago a Rus
sian lady came to Paris and took
rooms at the Byron Hotel, where
she was well received. She was
lady of certain age, pretending to
be a countess and the wife of q
general stationed in the Caucasus.
She had money and lived in style.
In very short time she took a
fancy to the lady cashier of the
hotel, and the two became exceed
ingly intimate. The cashier was
an unmarried lady of thirty odd,
who was dreaming of ultimate mar
riage, and was saving her money
to buy her trousSeau when the for
tunate being who was to be her hus-
band should chance along. She
had waited years for him, but every
year added something to her
wealth, and made her more and
more an object to be desired. She
confided all this to the Russian lady,
who gave her encouragement and
hope, and the two spent many an
hour together, talking over the
matter. Naturally the grande
dame was informed of the econo-
mics laid aside for the marriage set
tlement.


AS time wore on the cashier saw
the lady's bills paid with less regu-
larity, and dunning letters became
frequent. Finally she began to
borrow from her "dear friend" the
One day she pretended to
have received an order from her
husband to return at once to Rus
sia, but lacked the five hundred |
francs necessary for the voyage.
She borrowed this sum from her
friend, giving her a rouble bond to
cover this and other sums, promis-
ing to redeem it in six months.
This period covered the annual
drawing. The time came and the
bond did not draw a prize. The
cashier then wrote for her money
and in reply received an authoriza-
tion to sell the bond. On reflection
she concluded to keep it herself
A year rolled by and at the next
drawing this identical bond drew
the grand prize Of 100000 roubles,
The dreams Of the cashier were now
more than realized so far as money
went, for she had never gone so far
as to fancy herself the possessor of
$4,000, She went to the proper