The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-22
Director Willoughby Sticks to His Story
About the Penitentiary.

was willing to rest my case until called
upon for proof, but as the friends of Col.
Neal have thought proper to forestau an
investigation, I have no objection to CIV
ing some OF my reasons for filing
minority report.
s.I contend that all supplies should be
estimated fox by the year, and by buying
in quantity, get the advantage OF whole
sale prices, We had sixty eight mules
TO buy. tried to have the same sdyer
tised and offered at public competition
but was overrnled, and having some
little experience in the stock market,
think the State lost at least 81, 900 by the
transaction. Where stipulated price Ii
bid for furnishing supplies there is no
chance for jobbery, rebates, etc., as In the
present BY stem Of one man purchasing
from whom he pleases, when he pleases,
and with no check upon prices.
= You charge extravagagce and bad
management, what is your proof on those
points 2,
Mr.. W.-."I saw at the Hagood farm
after the crop was planted during the
early summer months, thousand sacks
of guanO. The sacks were rotten and
the stuff: losing its fertilizing properties
every day. This certainly WAS extrava-
gance and bad management. Ireported
IL to the board but no action was taken.
AT the Sinlms farm, in which the State
has share, the crop was gathered and
divided without any representative OF
the State teing present, and this in def
ance of tho order Of the board. Now l
do not claim that the State did not get
her half Of the crop, do claim 1t was bad
management In not having representa-.
tive present who could have certified to
81. Al S-to $k1os
the State got full justice. 4
: ssThere was an average Of Say 1000 con-
victs last year, the accountant reported to
me. the purchase during the year Of $500
pairs OF shoes Mr. Sherwood, late su-.
ipertntendent of the Sherwood farm, tolo
me that the convicts there got only one,
pair year, and up to December lS had.
received no coats.
s.Mr. Cooley, at one Of the Hagood
camps, told me plow hands got two pair
and hoe hands one pair Of shoes per year.
Now when tits known that hoe hands
are In proportion of two or three to each.
plow hand, it will readily be seen that
the division Of shoes is unequal If the
whole $500 pairs have been distributed.
And while on the subject of shoes, will
state that In examining an account which
were being audited by the board. I dis
covered some higher priced shoes, and
upon calling attention, Col. Neal admit.
ted that those were his private purchase
and should not have been on the account.
Yet the Penitentiary storekeeper had
verified the account, and II they have
ever been paid for by Col. Neal it has
never been brought to the attention OF
the board"
"The division of the Hagood farm into
two camps, with two superintendenta,
etc., was done for no other purpose than
to make place for somebody's friends
and Is wanton extravaganza"
You charge that accounts are not prop
eriy verified before audit, why do you
make this charge?
Mr.. Win all our County affairs
bills and accounts have to berendered on
oath, and I thought it should be done
here, and did all I could to have this re.
quirement made, bat the board seemed
inclined to trust implicitly In the Super
and those from whom he makes
purchases, and after having adopted
resolution making the requirement, they
resclnded 1t because the Superintendent
ignored it. I have already spoken Of an
error in bill Of shoes, and now state
that bill of lumber which I discovered
had been previously paid, was presented
q second time and certified as due by the
officials Of the Penitentiary. also dis
covered that Mr.. Neal had presented
each member of the board with cane
made by convicts, and had charged up
the engraving thereon to the State. and
in this connection will say that Peni-
tentiary convicts have performed labor
in the city of Colum bia for private parties
and no account has been rendered to the
board. also discovered that there was
q paint mixing concern In the Peniten-
tiary yard belonging to private parties,
and that Gonvicts we're hired at 81 per
day each and no report made to the board.
It may be my want OF prehensiOn,
but in the shape matters are presented to
the board for audit, 1t appears to me that
We have been guided entirely by what
Neal said. and in this
connection I will say that his presence at
board meetings prevented full and free
discussion OF his management, and upon
one occasion asked him to retire, and
upon bis refusal, asked the chirman to
enforce the rule, but he refused" !"
Do you charge that Superintendent
Neal is dishonest?
Mr.. VIZ do not, I simply say that
there is sufficient in his management to
cause fair investigation. He may make
everything appear all right, while at
present they seem to me all wrong. /
was told by Sergeant Dean, of the Sher-
wood farm, that he shipped from that
farm to Superintendent Neal's plantation
in Anderson County, 256 bushels of peas,
and have never seen any account of the
same."
Ars you unfriendly with superinten-
dent Neal?
Mr.. W.-"Not at all, on the contrary,
when I was first appointed he was ex-
tremely courteous, giving me several
appointments. Upon my refusal to sane
tion q proposition he made me that l
would advocate the State paying his
house rent, I noticed his ardor cooled
and soon my appointees were discharged.
"Mr. Allen informed me that during
the blizzard last January, that Superin-
tendent Neal sent a wagon load OF con-
victs to the Hagood farm so poorly pro-
vided with clothing and bedding that
several died from tho trip and others Of
them are ruined for life by having their
feet frozen. The toes OF one Of them
rotted and sloughed off, and presented
sight,"
Have you seen the reports In the NeDs
and courier, giving Meals side?
Mr.. W.-s'Yes, and T want to say that
at our November meeting Guv. Evans
presided. I was made committee of one
to estimate and obtain quotations on the
supplies for the institution for
the next IL months and Secretary Burriss
was also directed to give me any informa.
ton wished. then and there request-
ed him to furnish me with an itemized
and classified account Of everything
purchased by the institution during the