Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-08-18
STILL WITHHELD.
Even the Governor, on Demand.
Cannot Get a Sight OF Jno.
r. Smiths Penitentiary
Report.
Isthe Executive Exhausted?

Governor Russell refuses no
longer to share the responsible
ity with the ex>snperintendent
of the penitentiary, John R.
Smith. and the Board of Direct
ors of the State prison for the
delay aud wilful refusal to make
public the report of the prison
for the year 1897.
Governor Russell has written
a letter to the chairman of the
Directors of the penitentiary,
Mr.. Claude Dockery, in which he
shifts any responsibility and
makes demand that the report
be made in compliance with the
law. This letter was mailed to
Mr.. Dockery August 2. 1898.
August Alb Mr.. Dockery di-
rected a reply to the Governor.
In this letter Mr.. Dockery
stated that the report was type
written and that it would certain
~ be sent His Excellency 'In>
side of two or three days."
The 1.-TWO or three days"
passed, August 6, 1898. and still
the Governor had not received
the report, August 18th has
passed, and still the report has
not been made to the Governor,
and there is no assurance that it
will be made soon. AS Governor
Russell says he has been ''in-
formed from time to time that
the report would soon be in"
and this is the only assurance
that we have on the subject.
Here is the letter the Govern
or wrote Mr.. Claude Dockery,
chairman of the penitentiary
Board, on Angus: 2, 1898:
"State of North Carolina
Executive Department,
Raleigh, August End, 1898,
Claude Doekery. Esq, Chair
man Board of Directors of the
States Prison, Raleigh, N. c.:
Dear Sir-Chapter 213, enti-
tied An act for the Government
of the Penitentiary,' ratified the
3rd day Of March, 1897, provides
in Section 9-that the Board of
Directors shall make an annual
report to the Governor. showing
the fnancial condition of the IN
%stitution by inventory and ac-
counts Of the superintendent, and
also the condition and residence
of the convlcts,' together with
other requirements stated in said
section.
NC such report has been res
ceived in this Office from your
Board. I have been informed
from time TO time that the report
would soon be in. Il looks like
time enough, Or more, has
passed. [ can see how it might
require a considerable time for
the Board to prepare the report
after it received the reports and
Inventories from the superintend-
ent, and I understand that under
former administrations the
report has come in several
months after the end of the fiscal
year; hut I must say it seems to
me that your report ought to
have been in before this. You
will please inform me when it
will be delivered to ths Cover
nor's office.
Very truly yours,
ID. l.. RUSSELL,
Governor"
Mr.. Dockery made the follows
ing reply, two days later. after
he returned to Rockingham:
Buckingham, N. c.. August
4. 1898.
Dear sir:
"Your favor of the End inst. to
hand. At the last meeting of the
Directors, a report showing the
condition. ETC., of the p%eniten-
tiary, as prescribed by law. was
made by exsSuperintendent
Smith. It was examined by the
Board, and. the clerk was ordered
to have it typewriter for tram
smission to your Office. The
report is now in the hands of The
clerk, and ought to be ready by
this time. At any rate. I am sure
it will be received at your Office
inside of two OF three days.
Very truly yours.
t'CLAUDIUS DOCKERY,
Chairman.
"To Governor D. L. Russell,
Raleigh, N. c."
At the Executive Office yester-
day Private Secretary Cade was
asked if the report had been
received by the Governor. He
replied that it had not.
Mr.. Cade further admitted that