The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-17
THE INVESTIGATION
OF COL. W. A. NEAL
HIS DISPOSITION OF THE STATES
BRICK INQUIRED INTO.
TilIman Got IL Carload of Thrm-Wh other
Flo Intended to pay for them or Not uu
Op III 0nrstion-Spicy Dovelupments
In tho PrCCecdinge.
The State, 14th.1

Interest was added to Tho Neal in
vestigation. esterday by finding an un-
paid and unchanged claim for 10000
brick whlch tho ponitontiary had
furnished to Senator Tillman in 1895.
THIS added q now phase to tho ques
tion and the afternoon session was
spent in inquiry into it.
In Jniy Of that year Senator Till
man was in need Of some brick. In
al oifhand way ho said to COL Neal,
who, with Col. Lipscomb, was opera
ting hrickyard for which the State
furnished convict labor, tho Two
purties to the contract sharing brick
alike, that he wished ho would ship
him a carload to Trenton. In the
conversation about brick and his need
for l2,0O0 of thom, according to COL
L'pscomb's recollection of the story
as narrated by Col. Neal, Senator
Tillman's mind seemed to have dwelt
upon the ingratitude of republics
for not much sooner had he ordered
the shipment taan he said: "I havo
been going to Clemson and Win
throp colleges as trustee and now
l am going 70 ask tho Legislature for
remuneration" The brick were
shipped to the senior at tho
request Of Col. Neal and Col. Lips
comb took the privilege Of sonding a
bill along with them. Col. Lips
comb then mentioned % matter to
Col. Nea who said just charge the
brick to the pcnitentiary account.
They were so charged; the peniten-
tiary paid for them, but has never
collected from Senator Tillman.
From the testimony no effort has
made to do so and the tom was not
even carried on the penitentiary
books rs an asset.
What the committee is seeking to
find out in connection with the brick
matter is this:
In tho penitentiary reporr ef 1897
there are reported on hand 225, 1000
brick rs IN asset and are valued at
So per thousand. In tho report Of
1898 only $4,000 of these brick arc
reported on hand, while only $9.O5
were realized on the sales. The
committee wants to know what be-
C, me cf the other 100000. In the
testimony that followed about 1OO,-
600 woro accounted for, though tho
committee has not yet finished it's in
quiry into this particular matter.
Here are
PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.
When the pontentiary investigation
committee ret yesterday morning
over an hour or moro was spent in
private conference determining upon
tho line to be pursued.
The meeting was thon made pub
lie and Mr. j. Il. Boggs of Pickens
presented himself and said that he
was there at tho request of Col. W.
A. Neal as his representative. He
said further: 81 am in this matter
not to fruscrato but to aid tho COM
mitteo in getting at the bottom of
the matter. l am here to urge the
the committee to probe every wound
and to search for the truth, and after
this is done | may advisedly state
that we are ready to comply with any
conditions which tho committee may
impose"
Alr. Boggs then won't on to say
that Col. Neal was not the defendan,
. in this matter and that he would re-
quest that he be subjected to such
questions as were only necessary tt
explain any transactions Of tho peni
tentiary with which he might have
had to do in an official way.
Chairman Stevenson briefly ropliec
that each time Col. Neal had talor
tho witness stand at his own reques
and there had been nothing compul
,sory in the investigation.
ANOTHER NEAL NOTE.
The examination then proceeded
with Col. Neal on tho witness stant
at his own request. The first matte
touched on was note for l,408. II
made by Col. Noal as superintendent
with notes Of the Columbia Stree
L .nl Dnnnr