Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-03-15
Misfellanepas &eaaing.
PENITENTIARY INVESTIGATION.

| ~4ob~OSs
From the Greenville News.
The penitentiary investigation, on
Thursday, developed material evi'
dence. j. Belton Watson swore that
on March 2, 1896, be signed contract
with the penitentiary for 80 convicts.
On the same day he contracted with
w. A. Neal for the restoration of his
plantation for $14, 900, to be paid for
in 50, 1000 installments, with interest.
Neal and Watson had private con-
tract that the convicts were to be paid
for and used entirely by Neal.
The state has not received any pay
whatever for convicts under '96, '97
and '9S, although the '96 and '97 &C.
counts are credited as being paid.
They were really paid with notes dis
counted by the endorsement of w. A.
Neal, superintendent. The notes were
made by the two Ragsdales, foremen
of the farms, and were discounted
without any knowledge or consent OF
the penitentiary management. The
notes average $4,000 each.
The '98 account is open. Watson
says he made the labor contract with
full assurances that Neal would make
the settlements and believed that he
had done 80.
In 1896 Neal being sick, Watson
sold the crop, and after taking out his
annual payment got receipt from
Neal for 81, ,465 which was supposed to
20 to settle the convict hire. 1t was
never 80 used.
There is a good deal on these lines.
u. ]. Frerwell sent a receipt for $3.50
for oats, paid last April, which money
the penitentiary has not received.
Contractor Fowler showed draft
for $500 made on him by Neal, which
was paid, and the penitentiary has re-
ceived none of this.
w. @. Hammond paid his account
for 1856 by ten day draft, which was
paid.
Hammond's $500 and Fowler's $500
were deposited on the same day.
Eight hundred and twelve dollars of
this was credited to the two accounts
at the penitentiary and $539 to Colonel
Meals personal account.
At the afternoon session Colonel
Neal said that when he left Anderson
he owed Watson $4,000 on installments
and tried to pay it back. Ragsdale,
tbe farm foreman, became dissatisfied
and the contract by which he again as.
sumed charge of the farm was to paci-
fy Ragsdale. He, Neal, said that he
owed the penitentiary for the three
years. convict labor. He said that he
had made Watson 10 payments or
about $4,000 on the $4,000 debt, and
that the only reason he had not paid
anything on the convict account was
that the farm had not made it; but
that he was still liable to Watson for
the convict here, and Watson to the
state under bis contract.
The Ragsdales whose notes were dis
counted with his endorsement as su-
perintendent, to pay the accounts on
the penitentiary books, had no respon-
sibility. The 81, 400 receipt, he said,
was for money he paid out in Ander-
son for farm expenses and he mildly
intimated that he did not know how it
was signed w, A. Neal, superintend-
ent, but he did not deny it.
Before taking recess the one other
item touched upon was the Fowler
draft for $500 which was paid in 1896.
He said that he received this money
and had placed it to his personal ac-
count and used it for expenses. He
had periodical settlements with the
penitentiary as to these items of ex-
pense, travelling and otherwise; but
that he had had no settlement since
this payment was made, therefore,
there was no record or credit of this on
the penitentiary books.
FRIDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
A number of witnesses were examin-
ed in the penitentiary investigation to-
day. Colonel Neal was re-examined.
Referring to the collection of $500
from Hammond in 1895, he said that be
kept the money and did not turn it
over 10 the penitentiary. Mr.. Fowler
also paid $500, which he deposited to
his own account when the settlement
was made.
Mr.. Burriss's statement was substan-
TALLY correct as to the amount the
witness owed to the state. He pro.
posed to settle it with the board in
December last but he was sick. He
proposed to settle it and to pay every
single nickel and not call on his bonds
men for cent.
Mr.. Burriss's statement was con-
scienlious and correct. The state will
be protected and shan't loose nickle.
II haven't got the money" he said
"but with the assistance of my friends
| it will all be paid. The Russell note
will also be paid"
Colonel Neal said he didn't turn over
the 81, 900 received from Fowler and
Hammond because he didn't know but
that the penitentiary was due him. 1t
was true he had used some of it per-
sonally; but he intended to fix it in
the settlement.
A receipt was produced for travelling
expenses from August, 1895, to JAN
uary, 1896, amounting $l61. AS to
why he did not account for the 81 900,
he said that was because he hoped to
be able to return it; but was not able
at that time to do 80. He kept men,
orandum, but the amounts were not