54 Kan. 711 | Kan. | 1895
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The only question presented for our consideration by the record in this case is, whether the defendant
In this instance, it may be conceded that the main purpose of the defendant was to increase his legitimate business by this scheme, and that the sale of merchandise was not used merely as a cover for conducting a lottery. The purpose of the defendant undoubtedly was to attract attention and stimulate trade at his store; but this case must be determined by the legal principles applicable to it. Suppose that, instead of a large stock of general merchandise, on which only moderate profits are made, the defendant kept only such articles as usually bear a very high percentage of profit, and, instead of offering $25, had offered $1,000, on precisely the same terms as this $25 was offered: could anyone doubt for a moment that those who are inclined to invest small sums for the purpose of gaining large ones would be likely to purchase articles for
This contention is not sound, though specious. Neither buyer nor seller was supposed to know which was the true key to the box, and the fact would only be actually determined when the trial was made at the time appointed to unlock the box. But, even if we assume that the chance was determined when the sale was made, it would be equally a lottery, for the fortunate person would at once obtain a right to the prize, though he could not in fact get it until the time appointed. The unfortunate purchaser would at once receive his merchandise and his blank in the lottery. No sound distinction exists between the principle involved in this case and that in the case of The State, ex rel., v. Mercantile Association, 45 Kas. 351. The case of The State v. Mumford, 73 Mo. 647, is also directly in point. Prizes were offered to subscribers to the Kansas City Times, each subscriber receiving a ticket entitling him to participate in a drawing of prizes, and no extra charge above the ordinary subscription price being made. The supreme court of Missouri held this a lottery, and that subscribers to the newspaper bought at the same time, and for one and the same consideration, the newspaper and the ticket in the lottery. So in this case, the purchaser, for one undivided price, bought merchandise and a ticket in