Secret Band of Brothers Part 21

"Thus we see that this demoralizing contagion has spread its destructive influence over the most indigent and ignorant of the community. The injurious system of lotteries opens a wide door to gambling, fraud and imposition; of which the speculating, dishonest, idle, profligate and crafty avail themselves, and deceive the innocent and ignorant.

"If we place this subject in a pecuniary view as it relates to the public funds, the mischievous effect is more obvious. From an estimate, made by a gentleman of accurate calculation, it appears, that the expense, or the amount drawn from the people, to raise by lottery the net sum of 30,000 dollars, amounts to $170,500, including the expense of the managers and their attendants, the clerks and attendants of the lottery offices, the expense of time lost by poor people, and the amount paid the proprietors of lottery offices. This enormous sum is paid for the collection of only 30,000 dollars. This is, therefore, not only the most expensive, but also the most demoralizing method that was ever devised to tax the people.

"Upon the whole view of the subject, your committee are decidedly of opinion, that lotteries are the most injurious kind of taxation, and the very worst species of Gambling. By their insidious and fascinating influence on the public mind, their baleful effect is extended, and their mischievous consequences are most felt by the indigent and ignorant, who are seduced, deceived, and cheated out of their money, when their families are often suffering for the necessaries of life.

Their principles are vitiated by lotteries, they are deceived by vain and delusive expectation, and are led into habits of idleness and vice, which produce innumerable evils, and, ultimately, end in misery and pauperism."

LOTTERY COMBINATIONS.

The numbers on lottery tickets are formed by combinations of certain numbers previously agreed upon; as from 1 to 60, 1 to 75, 1 to 78, &c., &c.

Combination consists in taking a less number of things out of a greater, without any regard to the order in which they stand; no two combinations having the same quant.i.ties or numbers.

_Problem._--To find the number of combinations which can be taken from any given number of things, all different from each other, taking a given number at a time.

_Rule._--Take a series of numbers, the first term of which is equal to the number of things out of which the combinations are to be made, and decreasing by 1, till the number of terms is equal to the number of things to be taken at a time, and the product of all the terms.

Then take the natural series 1, 2, 3, &c., up to the number of things to be taken at a time, and find the product of all the terms of this series.

Divide the former product by the latter, and the quotient will be the answer.

How many combinations of 3 numbers can be taken out of 78 numbers?

787776 = 456456 and 123 = 6 6)456456 ------ 76076 Answer.

How many combinations of 3 numbers can be taken out of 70 numbers?

706968 = 328440 and 123 = 6 6)328440 ------ 54740 Answer.

How many combinations of 3 numbers can be taken out of 60 numbers?

605958 = 205320 and 123 = 6 6)205320 ------ 34220 Answer.

How many combinations of 3 numbers can be taken out of 40 numbers?

403938 = 59280 and 123 = 6 6)59280 ----- 9880 Answer.

We have sufficient experience in lottery gambling to a.s.sure the community that their whole system is as foul as highway robbery. We purchased a wheel from one of the fraternity in Washington City, and drew in Philadelphia three times, then carried it to Washington, and there demonstrated to the satisfaction of those who witnessed our drawing, that what we a.s.serted was true to the letter. We copy the notices of the American Courier, one of the first papers of our country in the cause of humanity, and ever ready to diffuse that which will promote the happiness and welfare of mankind.

"GREEN'S LOTTERY,

"On Sat.u.r.day night, drew the prize of fifty dollars for the proprietor, he having declared to the audience the intention of giving them blanks, which he did to the satisfaction of the judges. We have the best authority for stating the belief that his expositions will prove not only interesting, but highly beneficial, in opening the eyes of thousands to the frauds practised in the shape of fairness by the lottery managers."

After which the editor received the following:--

_Frederick, June 9th, 1848._

_Dear Sir_--Will you oblige some of your readers by giving them an idea of "Green's" manner of exposition of frauds, as practised by the lottery managers? and by so doing, no doubt but you will confer a favour on many of your subscribers.

Respectfully, B.

A. M'Makin, Esq., _Ed. American Courier, Philad._

EXPLANATION.

In obedience to the request of "B," we have conversed with a gentleman who was one of a committee of the audience to superintend the drawing of "Green's Lottery" on a recent occasion. He says that the tickets were prepared and distributed precisely after the plan of the regular lottery managers, with the exception that Mr. Green announced to the audience that he had purposely reserved certain combinations of numbers, which he knew by calculation would draw for him the highest prize, and leave for them _blanks only!_--Each individual in the audience held a ticket, with a different combination of numbers, such as they choose to select from the packages opened to them. The numbers were placed in the wheel precisely in the usual way, the drawing conducted by the committee from the audience, and on the announcement of the drawn numbers it was discovered, sure enough, that the audience had received all blanks, and upon Mr. Green pointing to a package on the table reserved for himself, it was examined by the committee, and lo! there lay the ticket having the combination of numbers drawing _the capital prize_!--ED. A.C.

_Communicated to the American Courier from Washington, D.C._

Green's great Consolidated Lottery drew in this city on the 22d inst.

The Reformed Gambler astonished a highly respectable audience at his complete exposition of the fraud practised by lottery speculators throughout our Union. Mr. Green stated to the audience that though he wished them to understand the lottery system to be fraught with deception, he did not wish it to be understood that he was competent to make a clear and comprehensive exposition. This was his fourth effort, and he had succeeded in three to the satisfaction of his audience.

He then stated that he would draw from the ternary combination of 42 numbers, and take therefore 8 drawn ballots, being equal to 15 in 75. He then placed in R.H. Gillet's hand 42 tickets, which he declared contained the drawn numbers, where any 3 numbers should be upon a ticket. Having explained satisfactorily his intentions, he requested Mr.

J. Thaw to act as his commissioner, Mr. Thaw being well known as a gentleman of integrity.

Mr. Green then requested Mr. Gillet to mark the numbers from 1 to 42, so that there should be no doubt resting upon the mind of any one that they were the same numbers which should afterwards be drawn out. The tickets were marked, and Mr. Thaw deposited them singly in tin tubes, from 1 to 42. Mr. Thaw then revolved the wheel, mixing them thoroughly; he then drew one at a time, until he drew 8, being the correct drawn ballots.

Mr. Green then asked the audience if they had any prizes. Receiving a negative answer, he stated that he could draw one half of the numbers from the wheel and still they should have none, though they had some 400 tickets against his 42. The commissioner continued drawing, the prizes still falling in the manager's package, and the numbers from 1 to 29 were taken out of the 42 before the audience received a full compliment of 3 numbers on a ticket. The drawing appeared fair; the numbers placed in the wheel were those taken out. The wheel is one Mr. G. purchased from a lottery vender in Washington city. Mr. G.'s explanation of his power to prevent prizes being drawn without his consent appeared very satisfactory. He declared that the managers had it in their power to a.s.sort out certain numbers, and by the villany of those concerned in the distribution, were enabled to keep any numbers from the hands of the drawer.

I must own that this exposition of Green's has taken me altogether by surprise. I did think that the deluded thousands who live on, day after day, in the vain hope of a prize, instead of depending solely upon their industry, skill, and talents, had some remote chance of getting a good drawn number. But, it seems that this is all a delusion, and that lotteries can be "stocked" as well as a pack of cards.