The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-04-28
Chain Gang Controversy.
The Investigation Concluded,
Election Held and Over
seer DuBose Goes Out.

submitted at the last meetlng or tue ooafo
and the Investigation commenced, as was
stated at that time.
The meeting of the board was callea IT the
purpose of completing the investiga, and
to elect M overseer and guards for the eusa-
ing two years.
Overseer DnBose was represented by DR..
Y. puBose and Supervisor Dorm by a B.
Strckey, Esq. Mr.. R. Maoning at the re-
quest of the Board served as chairman
The charges entered By Supervisor Dorm
we're as follows:
SuxTER, s. C., March 20, 1897.
Mr.. T. j. DuBose, Oversee. of the County
Chain Gang:
Dear Sir 1T is due to you that should
write you and ask that you do not apply for
reelection as overseer of the chain gang for
Sumter County before the County Board OF
Commissioners at the coming election for that
appointment on April 9Th next 1897, for the
reason that you are not in my judgment a
suitable person for such appointment.
In case you do Offer as candidate for such
appointment it will be my unpleasant duty
TO make The following complaints against
you, of which | DOW give you notice that
you may have fair opportunity of ansv 'r-
log the same. They are as follows:
i. That at the time Of The capture and
lynchiog of the late Simoo Cooper. at time
of great excitement you left the chain gang
10 charge of Mr. Sam Folk alooe
O. That visited the chain gang about osce
or twice week while they we're employed 10
the work of building clay road between
Shot Pouch Braoch and the city of Snmtes,
and at least half of the time | made these
visits you were not with the chain gang but
was Often 10 the city of Sumter. And that
am informed you were often absent from
the chain gang while engaged in this work.
3. That for about two days, while you
were in charge of this work, you did not
reouire anv work Of the chain gang at all :;
that at least one of these days was fair
weather, your only excuse to De was that The
ground was frozen GU that day which in my
Judgment was insufficient.
4. That on Tuesday before leaving this
work OF following Monday ! gave sou notice
that chain gang would he moved on follow
ing Monday and asked you TO fuish up the
road bed completely as far as you got with
the di,cbing aud aot io,leave any work uu-
finished as far as you went That you did
NOT complete and 6nieb the WORK as thus re
ouired but left it 8, as water could 90: be
di,cbipg, and that you left this work st noon
ou Saturday before leaving on Monday in
this unfinished condition.
5. That while engaged in work near Shot
Pouch you kept one Of the convicfs solely for
purpose @f waiting upon you and Nr. Sam
Folk and to carsy water to chain gang, and
erquired no other work of him, and that he
was capable of doing full band's work.
fRnC
work pear Shot Pouch | bad made arrange
meuts with Ar. John Boykin to camp the
convicts in strip OF woods near his house
and obtained his consent to use his stall for
the county mules. aud to get ws,er from his
we'll, and so instructed you and told you to
camp the chain gang at that ulace convenient
for the work 90 the road above Tirzah
Church. That instead of complying when !
instructed you, you camped at old Provi-
dencs Spring fully two miles from your work
making it necessary to consume considerable
time in going and returning from the work,
morning and night, and dieobsyed my posi-.
tive reeues
7. That on Saturday of the 6r-t week Of
the Court of Sessions for said county, told
you not to carry out the new convlcts until the
Court of>General Sessions adjourned. That
without seeing me, or speaking with me
again about the matter, you obtained posses-
sion of such new convcts before the Court of
Sessions adjourned and carried them out to
the chain gang on the same evening.
8 That am informed that on same S4i-
u,d4y night Mr. W Il. Seals visited II g
chain gang, and asked permission to psss his
opinion 90 each of the new convicts, meaa
ing thereby, suppose, whether or not such
pew convicts or on either of them would
make any effort to escape. Thot at such ex.
animation one Of the new convicts remaked
that after be was sentenced some one at toe
Court House told him be might then run off
and make his escape and that he would net
run eff That ,bereupon you asked him who
had told bin he might mske his escape, and
whereupou the new convict re-
fused to tell in public who had 80
told him At the Court House but said lie
would tell you in private. That tbereupon
ycu got you- leather strap and proceeded to
whip him 90 bis naked back, and did 60
whip him until be told who had so spoken to
him at the Court House. That sach pro-
ceedings, on your part we're in my judgement
exceedingly improper aud unlawtul.
9. That while you had charge of the chain
gang before ny term of ofhce, while engaged
in working road near Bradfords mill pond,
you allowed the conyicts to fish iu said pond.
10. Tnat On one occasion recently you told
noe had to buy citizens cloihes for seven
convicfs who were 10 be liberated on Satur-
day, MaTch 6tb, ss tbey had no c.o'hes, that
you had their old citizens clothes burued-
because they wete lousy, therefore bad to
buy and did buy cliizens' clothes for them at
expense to the county. And that on Sstur-
day, March b, tolc 5eu that to avoid the
expense of the purchase of citizens clothes
for any more Of the convicts that you must
remove the citizens clothes from their per-
sons aud have them safely kept in the old
Jail 80 that each one could get bis own clothes
again when be should be discharged. Thar
instead Of doing this you carried both the
stripes and their citiz z.ns' clothes with the
new convicts off from City of Sumter, and
that hen one of the recent convicts escaped
from the chain gang on last Wednesday,
nau ed Jake Whitfield. be escaped with bis
citizens clothes making it easier for him 10
disguise himself aRd to make suecessful
escape.