The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-10-20
MR.. NEAL MAKES ANSWER.
He Denies the Charge Made by EX-Gov.
Evans en- the Stump, and Calls
on Him for Proof.

Mr. ". A. Neal, Superintendent of the
State PenitentiHry gave tie following
communication to the daily papers Of
the State last Saturday:
On the Goth day of August last Ex-
Governor John Gary Evans in his cam
paign speech at kingstree made use OF the
following language: Last year, while
was governor, had to send Neal to the
Kelley Institute because he became in-
capable of attending to his business. In
stead OF being the superintendent Of the
Penitentiary he should be dressed in
stripes and put to work as a convict"
He also said at Chester and elsewhere all
over South Carolina last summer during
the campaign on the street cornors, rail-
way trains and hotel lobbies, that he sent
Bill Neal to the Kelley Institute for
drunkenness and telegraphed T. j. Cum
ningham to come to Colu % bia and put
him in charge of the Penitentiary for one
month.
Mr.. Editor, 1 very much dislike to
make public my private home affairs,
but many of my friends insist that l
should do so in justice to myself and
family. I have delayed making public
this statement, that tho smoke Of the
political battle may clear away. with the
hope of q calm, cool and deliberate con-
sideration of what I may say.
deny that Mr.. Evans sent mo to the
Kelley Institute or that he knew any
thing about my entering or necessity for
going, until the evening before. 1 sent
for him and told him of my purpose, as
the Governor of the State felt it my duty
to inform him. Mr.. Editor, I did take
treatment at the Kelley Institute for NOR
phine habit contracted in 1891, at the
earnest solicitation of my wife and ply
sicians, Drs. Duckett, Orr and Pope. /
did not take treatment for the whiskev
habit, am glad to say that / have never
used whiskey to excess in my life and
have meyer been drunk since arrived at
the age of maturity.
fought the morphine habit for more
than four years with all the manhood and
will power possible to command, but at
last was forced to take scientific treat
ment to save myself from utter ruin and
destruction. was thoroughly cured in
80 days, have no desire for the drug or
bad effects left, am now sound man
mentally and physically. The ex.Gov-
ernor and would-be United States Sena-
tor states publicly that should be wear
ing convict stripes. I could, Mr.. Editor,
make the same statement as to his excel
leucy, and could doubtless get many hun
dred men in South Carolina to agree with
me, but would that be manly to slander
him without proof?
T defy his excellency to place his finger
upon one act of mine, either public or
private, that would warrant the use Of
the vile, slanderous remarks. He was
Governor of the State for two years, am
sorry to say while was Superintendent
of the State penitentiary, and as Cover
nor he was eX-officio chairman under the
law of the board of directors Of the peni-
tentiary, and if he knew anything that
was wrong connected with my public
duties he should have said SO then, and
demand that he specify now, or be brand
ed as a slanderous liar by the good people
of the State. Below please publish the
affidavits of few of my friends to sub
stantiate what have stated above. Let
the people be the judges as to who have
spoken falsely. w. A. NEAL.
Following is a list of at1idavits which
fully corroborate the above in every par
ticular. They are from r. J. Cunning
ham, D. II. Russell, j. p. Duckett, NJ. D.,
J.. Z. Breazeale, j. M. Sullivan, L. D..
Harris, George E. Prince, DR.. S. NJ. Orr.