Court Opinion

ID: 6804964
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-07-23 18:45:46.346166+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:03:24.148917
License: Public Domain

Lyons, President,
concurred; and the entry was as follows :
“ This day came the parties, by their counsel, and the court having maturely considered the transcript of the record of the decree aforesaid, and the arguments of counsel, is of opinion, That in lotteries, every purchaser of a ticket is an equal adventurer, and, as such, has a right with every other adventurer, to an equal chance for a prize; and that, as a ticket numbered 3556 was not, by neglect or accident, put into the wheel before the lottery, in the proceedings of this cause mentioned, was drawn, that ticket had not an equal chance with the tickets of the other adventurers; or rather had no chance at all, to draw a prize. And that, although no fraud, collusion or evasion, was practised by the managers, or their agents, in their conduct or proceedings respecting the said lottery, yet as there was a mistake in the number of tickets put into and drawn out of both wheels of the said lottery, the mistake might have affected the chances of others, as well as that of the owner of the ticket No. 3556, and therefore ought, in equity, to be rectified; which can only be done by a redrawing of the said lottery according to the original scheme thereof; and that the appellee ought not to be benefitted by the mistake aforesaid, or to be paid the five hun*569dred dollars drawn under such error and mistake, as a prize to, and by his ticket. Therefore it is decreed and ordered that the decree aforesaid be reversed and annulled, and that the appellee pay to the appellants their costs by them expended in the prosecution of their appeal aforesaid here. And this court proceeding to make such decree as the said superior court of chancery ought to have pronounced, it is further decreed and ordered that the bill of the appellee be dismissed, and that the parties bear their own costs in the said superior court of chancery.”