The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-01
The Chain Gang System.

LIE Cnaln UhHS Systtms
COLUMBIA, s. c. December 2s.-The
somewhat slow but steady growth Of the
chain gang system in the State Is signih
cant. It shows the determination to i'm
prove the roads of the State. Whether or
mot the change results in mnch good IN
the next year or two, it is move on the
part of many of the counties to do syste-
matte work on the public roads. There
are now nineteen counties that have
adopted the chain gang system and have
forces at work. Other counties are seri-
ously considering the matter of changing
to the chain gang system and are likely
to do so..~. y'..,',.
Capt. Westcoat, OF the Penitentiary, has
kindly given the following list Of coun-
ties where the system is in operation:
Aiken, Anderson, Abbeville, Barnwell,
Berkeley, Chester, Darlington, Colieton,
Fairfield, Edgefeld, Lancaster, Laurens,
.Oconee, Marlboro, Newberry, Richland,
Spartanburg, Union and York..
1t seems that the system Works hnely
In some of the counties. while in others
it is found to be somewhat expenaive and
that feature Is discouraging. In Rich
land County, however, 1t Is working TO
the entire satisfaction OF the County
authorities, and the same Is the expert
pervisor Weston, In talking about the
experience with the system In the County,
said that It was really the only satisfac.
tory plan that has yet been found and
that the roads that are now being fixed
by the chain gangs are the best and only
really good roads In the County. Five
miles have been finished on each of two
roads and three miles on third and
these, Mr.. Weston says, have been we'll
worked. AS to the cost, Mr.. Weston says
that after months of experience the aver
age cost per capita WAS $3.50. which IN
claded the living of the guards. -,
Mr.. Weston went on to say that with
the chain gang work could be required OF
the hands and was executed under COM
petent officers. He said that not long
ego ninety -four men were put to work
On three miles of road. They were given
forty shovels, and but for the importance
of the work 1t would have been amusing
10 see how the men worked. Some OF
them were drunk and few worried about
work. and there was no way to make
them perform their task, while with the
chain gang there were no such annoyan-
ces. The introduction of the chain gang
tsystem has had the effect Of making the
scounties invest in road building ma
chinery. Richland has bought eight
mules, steam shovel and other applian-
ces, Other counties haye done some
thing OF the kind aud the necessity Of
finding advantageous employment for.
the conyicts has Induced the Investment
In road machinery.
In some OF the upper counties the con-.
| ,victs have been put to work on perma-
nent roads, and some few are! being ma
eadamized, and there Is even q PROPOSE
stion to build a macadamizedS road with
convict labor from Rock Hill to York
ville.
The use Of conyicts on the chain gangs
has reduced the attendance at the Peni-,
tsntiary. Last year there were ], 100 con-.
iyicts9 under the control OF the Peniten-,
tisry, while to-day, there are few less
than q thousand under the control of Su-
perindent Neal. The estimate Of the
authorities Is that by the increase of the,
Echain gang system that by this time next
year there will bos about 700 TO 800 con
victs In the Penitentlary.
These figures, while showing decrease
In the attendance at the PenttentiRryS
also indicate an increase in the number,
of convictions, as each Of the nineteen
counties In which the chain gang system
is in vogue will average fifteen men on
,.he force. at present those who are
keligible to be sentenced to the chain gang.
must be sentenced to less than two-year
terms. Z : - (,
The Constitutional Convention brushed
away the distractions that have been In
the way OF the chain gang and Low all
Glasses OF officials with authority to SEN,
tence TO imprisonment have the right OF
sending convicted prisoners to the chain,
gang.-Nssus and Courier.