The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-21

/
false. if not malci0usly false. Your
board investigated the matter when the
charge was first made. The cotton was
| sold in the open with the fullest OPP
portunity for competition by purchas-
crs and was bid for by several buyers.
1t was purchased in different quantities
| by Messrs. +. r. Barbce & Co. and
| Johnson & Thomson. Raleigh; \. Bor-
| den. Goldsboro. and W. G. HardiSon,
| Wadesboro. These gentlemen will fur
nish all the facts of this sale, If desired,
| by any who care to ascertain the truth
| They are honorable men, business men
Of character. who would nor lend them
| selves party to any transaction for
the purpose of robbng the State.
You will perceive that In the face of
| aIl the obstacles enumerated above,
| there was not n cents appropriation
upon which the penitentiary could draw
| TO tide itself over, the first time, so far
as my knowledge goes. it has occurred
| in the history Of the penitentiary, GER
tanly the first time since 1883. From
/ 1888 to 1889 the appropriation for the
/ support Of tho nenitenlary averaged
over 100000 year. From 1889 to 1898
! it averaged $3I 800 a year. From 1875
| to 1895 il averaged $4,000 year. In
| 1896 an appropriation of 100000 was
made. and the penitentiary found 1t
necessary to draw on that amount, not
| withstanding the good crops of the pre-
yious year.
But for the year 1897 there was no an-
preparation to draw on. although every
thing was short and the indication
/ pointed to Il hard. Governor Carr
| had recommended an appropriation.
! A iii S.,Iln
recommendation was introduced, but
was defeated in the House at the in
stance of Superintendent Smiths pre-
decessor. who. strange to say. organized
persistent lobby against 1t. \ new
| bin was then introduced, appropriate
| ing n different amount. This bill pass
ed. despite the opposition, bur was soon
| spirited away by the dainty touch OF
some soft hand, and now lives only as
| the spectre Of some forgotten dream
which haunted the present manage
ment whenever an account was to be
made. Superintendent Lcazer begged
for appropriations during MS term OF
office, and secured them and used them.
IT is strange he was so bitterly opposed
to them rs soon as he saw he was to
he superseded by another. When the
nenitentiaFy was turned over to Super
| intendent Smith it was in the condi-
| ton almost of busted farmer with
| all the trials and tribulations ahead of
| him in the management of his affairs.
| He had to buy everything, when he
could and where he could; on long time
and long prices. In the face of all
these difficulties, the showing made III
| his report is remarkable.
The number of escapes has very much
| decreased.
The sanitary condition has been inn
proved and the death rate reduced.
Discipline has been maintained, and
the management of the convicts has
been firm. but humane. They have
done satisfactory work and have made
/ and harvested the largest crops ever
made on the farms; and for the first
time in the history of the institutions
at least, since farming operations be
gan. the assets were sufficient to pay
the indebtedness. Had cotton not been
extremely low, handsome profit
would have been the result of the opcr-
atons of 1897.
Your obedicnt servant.
CLATDITS DOCKERY.
President Of Board of Directors.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT
OF THE STATE PRISON FOR
THE YEAR 1897:
: To the Honorable Board of Directors
; of the North Carolina penitentiary:
/ In pursuance to Chapter 80. Section
!: :. subsection Of the Acts of the Gen
cral Assembly of 1897. requiring an an
nual report from the Superintendent OF
= the States Prison, ! respectfully here
with submit my report for the yeal
: 1897: In December 1897, / had an in
, vcntory taken on all the farms. This
1 inventory was handed TO the board n
/ your January meeting and as the re
, ports from the several officers of thu
institution had not been completed
/ these reports mainly consisting Of stat
istics-the report was referred by YOU
i J board to the chairman, Mr.. Claudiu
f I Dockery. to complete. AS Il part of m.
/ report would necessarily cover three
months of the former management from
the LIST Of January. 1897. to the 1st o
4 April. 1897 Il did not take actual char@
G until the LIST of April, 1897, Mr.. Leaze
: remaining in charge. and consequent
y and necessarily spending Il great par
o Of both farm products end money o
hand Mr.. DOckory wishing 20 dca
l. fairly. employed the clerk Of the fOrmc
l. board TO make out SO much OF the stat
Il stics and report as could only be gOi
!; ten from the books in the pcnitcntary
y had an inventory prepared in March
: 1891 That inventory differs very great
~ from that of Mr.. Ieazcr for tn
IL reason. his report was made on the las
y of December. 1896. and three month
:. later when | took charge there ha
q been a great many changes made I'll
e supplies on hand were nearly nil cN
Y haustcd. and the property on some q
Il tho farms had been transferred to otl
Y or places: for instance, the Castl
e Uayne farm is stated in his report a
!. having seventeen hundred and seventy
e two dollars and fifty cents worth of liv
n stock on hand. | did not find anythn
IT there on the 1st of April. 1897. I'll
Y farm was abandoned before | too
" charge. found the central pcnitor
tiafy in fairly good condition as TO tn