The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-19
MEALS ANSWER,
THIS. HUPDBINTDNDnNT OE, THm FHS'
ITENTIARY RRPLISs 40 JOHN GARY
EVAND. .... ..
ho Took ,Kesley for, the Asg11hIRs Bahi
and was Cs,.s.se! Cssse9 fsiarusts sarusts at E,sns.

and va. .-!1..ss9! Csssss! fssarusrs AZ E'sns.
.4ts&fr. Editor: On the s26th day OF
August last ex-Gov. John Gavy Evana
in HE campaign speech at Kingatree
made use OF the following language:
"Last year while I was Governor l
had to send Neal TO tho Keeloy
:, institute because he became incapable
of attending to his business. Instead
Of being the superintendent Of the
penitenitary he shoald bs dressed in
stripes and put to work as con-
vict." He also said at Chester and
elsewhere all over South Carolina
last summer during the campaign,
on the street corners, railway trains
and hotel lcbbies that no sent Bill
Neal to the Keeley institute for
drunkenness and telegraphed/ IT. j,
Cunningham to come to Columbia
and put him in change OF tho pen.
itentiary forrohe month.
Editor, I very much dislike to
make public my private home affairs,
but many Of my friends insist that I
should do so in justice to mysolt and
family. have delayed making pub
lio this statement that the smoke Of
the political battle may clear away
with the hope of calm, cool, delib-
crate consideration of what / msy
say.
deny that Mr.. Evans sent me to
the Keeley institute or that he knew
anything about my entering OF me-
cessity for going, until the evening
before. l sent for him and told him
of my purpose, as the Governor of
tho State 1 folt it my duty to inform
him. Mr.. Editor, I did take treat
mont at tho Keeley institute for
morphine habit contracted in 1891,
at tho earnest solicitation Of my wife
apd physioians, Drs. DuekstA. Orr
and Pope. I did not take treatment
for tho whiskey habit, am glad to
say that I never used whiskey to OK
cess in my life and have never been
drunk since l arrived at the age Of
maturity.
I fought she morphine habit for
more than four years with all th
manhood and will power possible to
command, but at last was forced to
take aolentifo treatment to save my
self from utter ruin and destruction.
l was thoroughly Cured in thirty
days. have no desire for tho drug or
bad effects left, am now sound
man mentally and physically. The
Ex-Governor and would-bs United
States Senator states publicly shat
T should be'wearing eonvieb stripes.
I could, Mr. Editor, mako tho same
statement ae to his exeelleney, and
could doubtless got many hundred
men in South Carolina to agree with
me, but would that be manly, to
slander him without proofP
I defy his excellenoy to place his
finger upon ono act of mine, either
public or private, that would war
cant the use of the vile slanderous
remarks. He was Governor of tho
State for two years, am sorry to
say, while I was superintendent Of
the State penitentiary, and as Gov
ernor be was OK. offloio chairman un-
dor the law Of tho board of directors
Of the penitentiary, and II 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 branded
az a slanderous liar by tho good pso.
pie Of the State. Below please pub.
lish tho afadavits of 6 few OF my
friends to substantiate what have
stated. jabove, let the people be the
Judges as to who has spoken falsoly,
= w. A. MEAL.
Douglass, Oct. 18: 1907.
Col. w. A. Neal, Columbis, 8, g.
Dear Sir---Governor Evans during
the last senatorial campaign. having
circulated the report at Chester that
he sent you to the Keeley inatltute
for drunkenness and telegraphed mo
to come to Columbia to take charge Of
the penitentiary for one month and
doubtless the Same report was oirep.
lated in other portions Of the State.