The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-01-29
Turns to a Fair Paper.
Ring Organs Won't Give Will
loughby a Showing.
70 the Editor of The State ::

To the Editor of The State:
! ask the indulgence of a small
space N your valuable paper since
self-yespect will prevent me from
recognizing in any way my party
organ, The Register, after its dirty
attack upon lie yesterday | am
! Reformer; have spent my time ard
money in the interest Of reform, and
when I was elected member Of the
beard of directors of the penltentlary
! endeavored to do my duty as such.
carefully read and studied the
statutes and have insisted that they
be obeyed recognize the right of
no man holding office to subordinate
tie law to his will When I saw no
attention was paid to the statutes
protested The law until 1895 re-
quired al! supplies for the peniten-
tiary to be advertised for; this law
was entirely disregarded, Superin-
tenden Neal admits that. aud excuses
himself on the ground that he did
not know it was law. Now, it
strikes me that man accepting the
responsibility of superintendent CT
the penitentiary and giving a
$4,000 bond would at least have
/ read the statutes to know his duties,
mowers. etc The statutes prohibits
the hiring out Of persons convicted
of murder. rape, arson and man
slaughter. This. charge, has been
violated
The statutes provide that the
superintendent and directors may
lease or purchase land out of the
surplus earnings Of the penitentiary.
We had no surplus earning, but
bough. the Reed farm on credit. l
protested against this purchase.
This l construe as direct violation
of tina statutes The statutes pro-
vide that no convict shall be hired
out unless under the supervision of
sworn officer and guards appointed
by the superintendent OF the peni-
tentiary. On Investigation of the
Sims farm charge, Colonel Neal ad-
mitted that no such officer was there
or had been for months
The statutes provide for the letting
of convicts 10 the highest respcnsi.
Bile bidder. The convicts have
never been advertised and put up to
competition 1t further provides
that no bid shall be received that
does not include the board, clothing
and all other expenses connected
with the transportation and safe
keeping of said convicts to be paid
by the bidder, and bond given. The
evidence in the Mixson matter shows
violation of this; no allowance for
guard, and the books show that even
the hire for them was not charged up
until after my charges were made,
namely, January Is, 1896 There
are written contracts also in violation
of THE statute. The law requires
that no convict shall be hired at any
place until the physician Of the peni-
tentiary shal! have declared in writ
ing such place is reasonably safe and
healthy Convicts have been work
ing IN places so sickly that white
guards could not live, so said the
superintendent, upon the board pass
ing a resolution in our December
meeting prohibiting him from using
pegro guards. In violation Of this
resolution, l saw negro in stripes
with his gun guarding other convicts
on the lst day of this month.
The law also requires that an an-
nual report shall be made to the gen.
eral assembly at its regular session,
showing the number and names of
convicts hired out, to whom hired,
for what purpose and for what con.
sideration. This has not been done.
And lastly the law provides that any
contractor or any other person who
shall violate the provisions of any
law regulating the hiring of convicts
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
and on conviction thereof shall be
punished by Imprisonment not
exceeding five years or fine
or fine not exceeding $500, or
both, in the discretion of the court.
and in all such prosecutions any
convict shall be competent witness
in behalf of the State
regret to have to appear in The
public print, but since the Register.
Manning Times and Marion Star
have attributed improper motives to
me, my justification is scif-defense.
II has come to pretty pass when
man is to be bounded down as a