This is as deceptive, and as base a business, as was ever introduced into any country. The apparent respectability of it, and of the men who carry it on, is calculated to remove the scruples many might otherwise have to patronizing it. The facility with which it can be patronized, without the liability of exposure, and the promises of sudden gain so artfully held out, are inducements not easily resisted by a money-loving people, totally ignorant of the odds against them in the game they play.
All other games generally require the personal attention of the players who patronize them; but this is a game at which any one can play, and need never be seen, even by those against whom he may be playing. Thousands of persons, who stand high in the estimation of their neighbors for good conduct; men who would not, on any account, be found at a gambling-table, will patronize lotteries. The ease with which it can be done, without exposure, enables them to gratify, to the full extent of their means, their passion for this base species of swindling. In many of our large cities, numerous well-dressed young men are constantly engaged in vending tickets through the streets, or from house to house, and they can be bought as privately as the buyer may wish, or he may send his servant for them. Thus it is that aman may gamble as extensively as he pleases in lotteries, without his proceedings being at all likely to become public.
In my description of lotteries, I shall confine myself to the lottery scheme before us; because it will serve as an example of all others, and because the reader will be better able to comprehend explanations of this system than if I were to write of some scheme not here inserted.
By a reference to the tables of tickets, it will be seen that there are fifteen packages of whole tickets, as many of halves, and thirty packages of quarter tickets. Each package contains all the numbers, from one up to seventy-eight, without a repetition of any one of them. The tickets found in these tables are all that are intended for any one drawing; and every successive drawing is but another edition of the same tickets, all arranged in the same order, and with the same combination numbers; but they have a different class number on them. The proprietors of a lottery furnish the printer with a copy of these tables, arranged in a blank book, and this book is called thescheme-book, from which as many as may be ordered from time to time are printed.
The arranging of the class numbers is a matter of fancy, as to what they shall be; their only use being to determine to what particular drawing any particular ticket belongs, in order that a ticket which proves to be a blank may not, at some future drawing, be handed in for a premium, on account of containing some of the numbers then drawn.
Drawing of Lottery Tickets.Drawing of Lottery Tickets.
The Drawing.There are several methods of conducting the drawing; but that which is most commonly used is as follows:—
There is a hollow wheel, as represented in the plate;then there are seventy-eight small tin tubes, scarcely half an inch in diameter, and about three inches in length; these are for holding the numbers, from one to seventy-eight; each number is on a separate piece of paper, which is rolled up and put into a tube; these tubes, when the numbers have been placed in them, are all put into the wheel, and a person is selected to draw out one at a time from the wheel, which is opened, and cried aloud, for the information of those present who may be interested. The number is registered, for the future guidance of the lottery-dealer, in determining what he shall pay those who may hold one or more of the numbers so drawn. After this, the wheel is again turned, so as to mix well the numbers contained in it, and a second is drawn; and the same proceedings aregone over with, until twelve numbers are drawn, and registered in the order in which they are drawn. Sometimes thirteen will be drawn, it being customary, on many occasions, to draw one number for every six contained in the wheel; but I cannot give this as a universal rule, because I have often found it deviated from. Sometimes little boys are selected to draw the numbers from the wheel—to give the impression that every possible step has been taken to render the management as fair as possible; but in this there is also much deception.
Swarms of domestic servants, day labourers, and the most poor and needy persons daily visit these worse than gambling shops, where they risk their little all, and get nothing in return but the delightful anticipation of being rich when the "drawing" takes place.
True it has been the case that prizes have been drawn, and trumpeted forth to the world, as inducements for others to buy. Having known how some of these prizes have sometimes been obtained, will it be too much to suppose that others are obtained in like manner? that is by the proprietors of lotteries being swindled through the unfaithfulness of their agents. A case came to my knowledge of a man who drew a capital prize; and the mode of operation, by which it was effected, was as follows: An agent, who was stationed in a town some distance from the principal establishment, made two confidants, who, doubtless, readily acted with him from hope of gain. One of these was the post-master of the town, and the other an acquaintance, a patron of the lottery. The duty of the agent was to transmit to the principal office all unsoldtickets, by the first mail that left after the known hour of drawing. This mail also conveyed the lists of the drawing; but, in a regular manner of proceeding, they would not have been accessible to the agent before the departure of the stage with his unsold tickets. By making a confidant of the post-master, however, he received the lists as quick as possible after the mail arrived, and before it had been assorted. He then examined his unsold tickets, and if any considerable prize remained, he would take it from among the unsold tickets, and despatch the remainder to the principal office, and give the prize to his other confidant; each one giving out that the ticket had been sold to him; and accordingly the prize would be claimed and paid, although fraudulently obtained. In this particular case, the capital prize was drawn, and it appeared that the ticket-holder appropriated all the money to his own use, as he was known to buy much property shortly afterwards. It is believed also, by those who were acquainted with the incident, that he never divided with the rascally agent; and thus was the cheater cheated, who, in his wrath, let out some of the secrets of the manner in which the prize was obtained.
This same man has since met with reverses of fortune, and would now, I believe, find it difficult to raise money sufficient to purchase a ticket even of a low price.
Among the many cases of lottery swindling, every body has heard of the great Louisiana real estate lottery, in which the prizes were to have been the St. Charles Hotel, the Verandah, the St. Charles Theatre, the Bank, the Arcade, and other magnificent buildings in New Orleans. It is quite needless to say any thing of this, as the public has been pretty well enlightened in regard to it, through the public journals of the day.
The following is a copy of a handbill issued by the proprietors of the lottery immediately after a drawing, for the information of ticket-holders, and all others interested:—
Drawing of the Lottery.The following are the numbers which were this day drawn from the seventy-eight placed in the wheel, viz.:—12345678910111220516124747746366929263and that the said tickets were drawn in the order in which they stand: that is to say, No. 20 was the first that was drawn; No. 51 was the 2d; No. 61 was the 3d; No. 24 was the 4th; No. 74 was the 5th; No. 77 was the 6th; No. 46 was the 7th; No. 36 was the 8th; No. 69 was the 9th; No. 29 was the 10th; No. 26 was the 11th; No. 3 was the 12th, and last.Those tickets entitled to the 110 highest prizes were drawn in the following order:—123$30,000789$5,00045610,0001011122,36720Those 6 tickets having on them the2 3 43 4 55 6 76 7 88 9 109 10 11 } each 1,500Those 100 tickets having on them the1 2 41 4 71 7 92 3 112 6 101 2 51 4 81 7 102 3 122 6 111 2 61 4 91 7 112 4 52 6 121 2 71 4 101 7 122 4 62 7 81 2 81 4 111 8 92 4 72 7 91 2 91 4 121 8 102 4 82 7 101 2 101 5 61 8 112 4 92 7 111 2 111 5 71 8 122 4 102 7 121 2 121 5 81 9 102 4 112 8 91 3 41 5 91 9 112 4 122 8 101 3 51 5 101 9 122 5 62 8 11} each 1,0001 3 61 5 111 10 112 5 72 8 121 3 71 5 121 10 122 5 82 9 101 3 81 6 71 11 122 5 92 9 111 3 91 6 82 3 52 5 102 9 121 3 101 6 92 3 62 5 112 10 111 3 111 6 102 3 72 5 122 10 121 3 121 6 112 3 82 6 72 11 121 4 51 6 122 3 92 6 83 4 61 4 61 7 82 3 102 6 93 4 7All others with three of the drawn numbers on, (being 110) each300Those 66 tickets having on them the 1st and 2d drawn numbers, each100Those 66 tickets having on them the 2d and 3d, each80Those 66 tickets having on them the 3d and 4th, each50Those 66 tickets having on them the 4th and 5th, each40Those 132 tickets having on them the 5th and 6th, or 6th and 7th, each30All others with two of the drawn numbers on, (being 3960,) each20And all tickets having one, only, of the drawn numbers on, each, (being 25,740,)10
Drawing of the Lottery.
The following are the numbers which were this day drawn from the seventy-eight placed in the wheel, viz.:—
12345678910111220516124747746366929263
and that the said tickets were drawn in the order in which they stand: that is to say, No. 20 was the first that was drawn; No. 51 was the 2d; No. 61 was the 3d; No. 24 was the 4th; No. 74 was the 5th; No. 77 was the 6th; No. 46 was the 7th; No. 36 was the 8th; No. 69 was the 9th; No. 29 was the 10th; No. 26 was the 11th; No. 3 was the 12th, and last.
Those tickets entitled to the 110 highest prizes were drawn in the following order:—
123$30,000789$5,00045610,0001011122,36720
Those 6 tickets having on them the
2 3 43 4 55 6 76 7 88 9 109 10 11 } each 1,500
Those 100 tickets having on them the
1 2 41 4 71 7 92 3 112 6 101 2 51 4 81 7 102 3 122 6 111 2 61 4 91 7 112 4 52 6 121 2 71 4 101 7 122 4 62 7 81 2 81 4 111 8 92 4 72 7 91 2 91 4 121 8 102 4 82 7 101 2 101 5 61 8 112 4 92 7 111 2 111 5 71 8 122 4 102 7 121 2 121 5 81 9 102 4 112 8 91 3 41 5 91 9 112 4 122 8 101 3 51 5 101 9 122 5 62 8 11} each 1,0001 3 61 5 111 10 112 5 72 8 121 3 71 5 121 10 122 5 82 9 101 3 81 6 71 11 122 5 92 9 111 3 91 6 82 3 52 5 102 9 121 3 101 6 92 3 62 5 112 10 111 3 111 6 102 3 72 5 122 10 121 3 121 6 112 3 82 6 72 11 121 4 51 6 122 3 92 6 83 4 61 4 61 7 82 3 102 6 93 4 7
All others with three of the drawn numbers on, (being 110) each300Those 66 tickets having on them the 1st and 2d drawn numbers, each100Those 66 tickets having on them the 2d and 3d, each80Those 66 tickets having on them the 3d and 4th, each50Those 66 tickets having on them the 4th and 5th, each40Those 132 tickets having on them the 5th and 6th, or 6th and 7th, each30All others with two of the drawn numbers on, (being 3960,) each20And all tickets having one, only, of the drawn numbers on, each, (being 25,740,)10
Now, let us spend a few moments in examining this bill, and we shall see how much truth there is in it. It says, that the ticket having on it the three first drawn numbers will be entitled to the capital prize of $30,000. Now, in the whole scheme before us, there is no such ticket. The combination, 20, 51, 61, is not to be found in this arrangement. Consequently, there was no ticket whose numbers entitled it to this prize. Next, the bill says, the ticket having the fourth, fifth, and sixth drawn numbers, which would have been 24, 74, 77, would be entitled to a prize of $10,000. There is no such ticket in the combination. Consequently this also is false. Now, it is evident that the dealers, in publishing this bill, mean to impress the public with the idea, that tickets, containing the necessary numbers to draw these prizes, are in the lottery, and that somebody must, of course, draw them; but it is all false, and a very little investigation will convince any one, that a greater system of deception can hardly exist. Bear in mind, that the bill says these prizes were drawn. The third prize was $5,000, and the ticket which contained the seventh, eighth, and ninth numbers was to draw this prize. These numbersare 36, 46, 69. There is no such combination in the scheme-book—no such ticket was printed or sold. Consequently, here is another falsehood. The same can be said of the fourth prize—the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth numbers—being 3, 26, 29. There is no such combination in the book, and no such prize could be drawn. Of the next six prizes, of $1,500 each, said to have been drawn, there was not a single ticket in the whole scheme which contained the necessary numbers to draw any one of these six prizes!
It is next asserted, that there were in the lottery one hundred tickets, having three drawn numbers, and entitled each to a prize of $1,000. This I have examined, and I find that, instead of being one hundred, there are but two—the first in magnitude being one from package number six, of half tickets, bearing the numbers 20, 36, 51,—these being the first, second, and eighth of the drawn numbers, and would entitle the holder to one half of the $1,000, subject to a deduction of fifteen per cent. The other is a quarter ticket, bearing the numbers 46, 51, 74—from the twenty-seventh package, of quarters—being the second, fifth, and seventh of the drawn numbers, and would entitle the holder of it to one quarter of the $1,000, after deducting the fifteen per cent. But it is well known that, frequently, scarce one half of the tickets of any one class, intended for a particular drawing, are ever disposed of, and are consequently returned to the manager's office, to be destroyed. Then, what guaranty have we that the numbers entitled to the above pitiful prizes were sold? They are as likely to be among the tickets returned unsold, as among those sold. Next, the bill states that there were one hundred and ten others, each having three drawn numbers, and were entitled to a prize of $300 each. By a close investigation, I find but one single ticket of this kind in the whole scheme. This is the ticket in the twelfth package of quarters, bearing the numbers 61, 69, 77; and if it had been sold, it would have entitled the holder to one fourth of the $300, deducting 15 per cent. Next, the bill says, those sixty-six tickets having the first and second drawn numbers, will each be entitled to a prize of $100. In searching for these in the scheme-book, I find but one that bears the first and second numbers; that is, in package fourteen. The ticket having the numbers 20, 51, 66, is the only one having the two first numbers; and if sold, the holder was entitled to one half of the $100, it being a half ticket. Now, the reader may perceive that I have examined and laid open, so that he too may examine, this masterpiece of villany. I find that of the two hundred and eighty-six highest prizes, which, their own handbill states, existed in their lottery, and which, by their own figures, amounted to the enormous sum of $195,967, and, in order to be drawn, only required that the tickets should be bought,—I find, allowing every ticket to have been sold, and afterwards every holder presented his ticket for the sum to which it might be entitled, that of the two hundred and eighty-six said to be in the scheme, there are but five, and these very inconsiderable; and that the greatest amount of these five prizes, without deducting the fifteen per cent, is only $875, instead of the enormous sum of $195,967. Can it be possible that any person will be found to patronize lotteries, after considering these facts?
I pass over those small prizes named after the first sixty-six having the first and second drawn numbers onthem, and will prove the balance to be falsehoods, as the greater portion of the first part of the bill is.
In the first place, let us see how many prizes are represented to exist, not to say any thing of the blanks. In counting up the prizes named on this bill, we find them to be 30,316; and I do not think they would pretend to say that more than one half of their tickets were prizes. Then we will say that they had an equal number of blanks. This would carry their scheme up to over sixty thousand tickets; and even if they were all prizes, and no blanks, (which they do not pretend,) who cannot see the extreme improbability of their disposing of 30,316 tickets in one week? for it must be remembered that these were all of one class, and for one particular week's drawing. But the last witness, whose overwhelming testimony will settle the question, is their own scheme-book, of which an accurate copy is here given, and which shows the number of tickets, for any one drawing, to be but 1,560, the half of which, by great exertion, they might succeed in selling; each successive drawing being another edition of these same combinations, with a different class number on them. Now, let me ask, where are their 30,316 prizes to come from? What a scheme of deception do we here behold! and one, too, that has been so long submitted to and patronized by the public of this and other countries.
Another method of still further swindling the buyers of tickets, is much practised in some parts of the country. The agents who sell the tickets are authorized to insure them. When a man buys one, the price, perhaps, might be ten dollars. The seller, if he has been authorized, will say, "Now, sir, for ten dollars, I will insure your ticket to drawa prize." This is enough for the buyer to have his ticket insured to draw a prize, and possibly the capital prize: he pays an additional fee, and the agent forwards the numbers of all the tickets, so insured, to the office where the drawing is to be held; and there they manage to have these tickets contain one (seldom more) of the drawn numbers. This entitles the buyer to receive back the price of his ticket, after taking out 15 per cent.; and as it was not a total blank, the insurer is safe, and retains the sum paid for insurance. The buyer remains swindled out of the insurance, and 15 per cent, of the cost. These swindling shops are numerous, and are sometimes calledpolicy offices.
We sincerely hope that our readers will examine with some attention the developments we have made in relation to the deceptive schemes of the lottery managers; for we feel that they cannot fail to convince every man of common sense, who has a particle of moral principle and moral honesty left, that he who encourages this basest of all swindling, by purchasing tickets, is not alone an enemy to himself and family, but he countenances a species of gambling that is extensively mischievous and ruinous, and has for its victims many of our best citizens, young and old; while, at the same time, he unintentionally throws a veil over the villanous deeds of the lottery gambler and his unprincipled, as well as his inexperienced supporters. We once more invite our readers to examine our statements with attention.
The following tables represent, completely, the entire contents of a lottery dealer's scheme-book, made for the guidance of the printer, in printing tickets. At the close of the tables is represented a ticket, with its class and combination numbers.
1234561234561 27 531 28 551 29 541 30 561 31 571 32 582 28 542 29 562 30 552 31 572 32 582 33 593 29 553 30 573 31 563 32 583 33 593 34 604 30 564 31 584 32 574 33 594 34 604 35 785 31 575 32 595 33 585 34 605 35 615 36 776 32 586 33 606 34 596 35 616 36 626 42 717 33 597 34 617 35 607 36 627 37 637 43 708 34 608 35 628 36 618 37 638 38 648 44 699 35 619 36 639 37 629 38 649 39 659 45 6810 36 6210 37 6410 38 6310 39 6510 40 6610 46 6711 37 6311 38 6511 39 6411 40 6611 41 6711 37 7612 38 6412 39 6612 40 6512 41 6712 42 6812 38 7513 39 6513 40 6713 41 6613 42 6813 43 6913 39 7414 40 6614 41 6814 42 6714 43 6914 44 7014 40 7315 41 6715 42 6915 43 6815 44 7015 45 7115 41 7216 42 6816 43 7016 44 6916 45 7116 46 7216 27 5717 43 6917 44 7117 45 7017 46 7217 47 7317 28 5618 44 7018 45 7218 46 7118 47 7318 48 7418 29 5519 45 7119 46 7319 47 7219 48 7419 49 7519 30 5420 46 7220 47 7420 48 7320 49 7520 50 7620 31 5321 47 7321 48 7521 49 7421 50 7621 51 7721 47 6522 48 7422 49 7622 50 7522 51 7722 52 7822 48 6623 49 7523 50 7723 51 7623 52 7823 30 5323 49 6424 50 7624 51 7824 52 7724 27 5324 29 5424 50 6325 51 7725 52 5325 27 7825 28 5425 28 5525 51 6226 52 7826 27 5426 28 5326 29 5526 27 5626 52 61
The above lottery schemes were accurately copied from the scheme-book of a lottery dealer in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and may be considered a fair specimen of lottery combinations generally. The tables are for a 78 numbered lottery, every three perpendicular lines of figures containing a package, and each package all the numbers, from 1 to 78, inclusive; and there are also 26 tickets in each package.
7891096977891011121 34 591 60 781 61 641 35 361 38 391 41 432 36 602 61 772 62 652 37 382 40 492 42 453 35 613 62 763 63 663 39 403 41 503 44 474 37 624 63 754 29 784 41 424 42 514 46 495 38 635 64 745 28 775 43 445 43 525 48 516 49 746 65 736 27 766 45 466 44 536 50 537 50 757 66 727 30 507 47 487 45 547 52 558 51 768 67 718 31 518 49 508 46 558 54 579 52 779 68 709 32 529 51 529 47 569 56 5910 27 7810 53 6910 33 5310 53 5410 48 5710 58 6111 28 5311 27 5211 34 5411 55 5611 58 6711 60 6312 29 5412 28 5112 35 5512 57 5812 59 6812 62 6513 30 5513 29 5013 36 5613 59 6013 60 6913 64 6714 31 5614 30 4914 37 5714 61 6214 61 7014 66 6915 32 5715 31 4815 38 5815 63 6415 62 7115 68 7116 33 5816 32 4716 39 5916 65 6616 63 7216 70 7317 48 7317 33 4617 40 6017 67 6817 64 7317 72 7518 47 7218 34 4518 41 6718 69 7018 65 7418 74 7719 46 7119 35 4419 42 6819 71 7219 66 7519 76 7820 45 7020 36 4320 43 6920 73 7420 27 7620 35 4021 44 6921 37 5921 44 7021 75 7621 28 7721 34 3922 43 6822 38 5822 45 7122 77 7822 29 7822 33 3823 42 6723 39 5723 46 7223 27 2823 30 3423 32 3724 41 6624 40 5624 47 7324 29 3024 31 3524 31 3625 40 6525 41 5525 48 7425 31 3225 32 3625 27 2926 39 6426 42 5426 49 7526 33 3426 33 3726 28 30
At the beginning of the first package you will see the numbers 1, 27, 53; they are placed on one ticket; and so with each succeeding three numbers through the whole scheme.
989910010110113141500111 45 441 62 701 27 781 2 531 2 602 46 472 63 712 28 773 4 543 6 613 48 493 64 723 29 765 29 554 7 624 50 514 65 734 30 756 30 565 52 635 52 535 66 745 31 747 31 578 51 646 54 556 52 756 32 738 32 589 50 657 56 577 53 767 33 729 33 5910 49 668 58 598 54 778 34 7110 34 6011 48 679 60 619 55 789 35 7011 35 6112 47 6810 62 6310 56 6710 36 69Here ends Fifteen Packages of Whole Tickets12 36 6213 46 6911 64 6511 57 6811 37 6813 37 6314 45 7012 66 6712 58 6912 38 6714 38 6415 44 7113 68 6913 59 6113 39 6615 39 6516 43 7214 70 7114 51 6014 40 6516 40 6617 42 7315 72 7315 27 3915 41 6417 41 6718 41 7416 74 7516 28 4016 42 6318 42 6819 40 7517 76 7717 29 4117 43 6219 43 6920 39 7618 43 7818 30 4218 44 6120 44 7021 38 7719 27 4219 31 4319 45 6021 45 7122 37 7820 28 4120 32 4420 46 5922 46 7223 36 5321 29 4021 33 4521 47 5823 47 7324 35 5422 30 3922 34 4622 48 5724 48 7425 34 5523 31 3823 35 4723 49 5625 49 7526 33 5624 32 3724 36 4824 50 5526 50 7627 32 5725 33 3625 37 4925 51 5427 51 7728 31 5826 34 3526 38 5026 52 5328 52 7829 30 59
There are, in these schemes, 15 packages of whole tickets, each containing 26, which make an aggregate of 390, and the same number of halves, which, if added to the former, will make 780; also, 30 packages ofquarters, making, in all, 1560. These comprise the whole of the combinations here given, and are intended for one particular drawing, constituting one class. For each successive drawing, another edition of the same combinations are offered for sale, only with different class numbers.
1031041051061071083456781 3 611 3 651 4 661 4 671 5 681 5 692 4 622 41 662 42 672 5 682 6 692 6 705 6 634 42 673 43 683 45 693 7 703 7 717 8 645 43 685 44 696 46 704 45 714 8 729 31 656 44 696 45 707 47 718 46 729 48 7510 32 667 45 707 46 718 48 729 47 7310 49 7611 33 678 40 718 47 729 49 7310 48 7411 50 7312 34 689 39 729 48 7310 50 7411 49 7512 51 7413 35 6910 38 7310 49 7411 51 7512 50 7613 52 7814 36 7111 37 7411 50 7512 52 7613 51 7714 31 7715 37 7012 36 7512 51 7613 29 7714 52 7815 32 6816 38 7213 35 7613 52 7714 30 7815 30 6716 33 6717 39 7314 34 7714 41 7815 31 6616 31 6617 34 6618 40 7415 33 7815 40 6516 32 6517 32 6518 35 6519 41 7516 32 5316 28 6417 33 6418 33 6419 36 6420 42 7617 31 5417 29 6318 34 6319 34 6320 37 6321 43 7718 30 5518 30 6219 35 6220 35 6221 38 6222 44 7819 29 5619 31 6120 36 6121 36 6122 39 6123 45 5320 28 5720 32 6021 37 6022 37 6023 40 6024 46 5421 52 5821 33 5922 38 5923 38 5924 41 5925 47 5522 51 5922 34 5823 39 5824 39 5825 42 5826 48 5623 50 6023 35 5724 40 5725 40 5726 43 5727 49 5724 49 6124 36 5625 41 5626 41 5627 44 5628 50 5825 48 6225 37 5526 42 5527 42 5528 45 5529 51 5926 47 6326 38 5427 43 5428 43 5429 46 5430 52 6027 46 6427 39 5328 44 5329 44 5330 47 53
The venders of lottery tickets possess an immense advantage over the buyer, which is mostly in the extreme improbability of a prize of any considerable amountbeing drawn. The numbers 1 to 78 are capable of making 76076 combinations on what I may term the increasing ratio—that is, the second larger than the first, and the third larger than the second, in arithmetical progression; as, 5, 10, 15, &c.