The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-16

the convicts ran about twenty to thirty
two, and SO for 1898. Tho average wa
about tho same. They wcro swappe,
about on tho Anderson and pIckcn
places.
Tho peuitentiary has not yet beer
paid for tho use of thcso convict
for 1896, 1897 and 1898. For 1898 thcr,
Is no note or other evidence OF lndcbt
edness. For 1897 there was the Rags
dale note, which remained unpaid, ant
Tor 1896 the Watson note is also unpaid
Tho note for 1896 was made by !. B
Watson and discounted by tho bank
The contracts were shown Col. Nca
relative TO the rccOnvcyancc OF tho
farm.
Col. Neal said the labor and farm
contracts wee mado the Same morn
ing and we're q part Of tho same
transaction. He said he was to become
u sort OF manager to keep Mr.. Rags.
dale on the farm. The understanding
was tnat he was to see to paying for
inc convict hire. He WAS to pay the
convict hire out Of the proceeds OF the
place, if possible.
Watson had nothing to get out OF
that lalOr contract except his 81, 600
ana interest, annual payments on the
contract for tho rcconvcynnCc OF the
land to him by Watson. He did not
Know whether WAtson's note for 1896
WAS ever presented. 1t WAS settled nv
one OF the Ragsdalc notes. The Rags
nhlc notes arc outstanding. Is. B.
faLSdalc, he thought, was worth
something. Watson WAS solvent. &.
w. tagSdalc had very little property.
Watson's note, hn Thought, has ALWAYS
been held. The g. w. Eagsdalc note
was in the bank for collection. He
could not rccOliect whether the Wat.
son note for convict labor for 1896 WAS
ever discounted. The notc may pos
s'hly have been discounted, but the
note Is In the safe and would show for
itself. This G. w. Ragsdalc note is
for convict labor Tor 1896. He did not
think the Watson note was discounted
The books were referred to aud it was
shown that the Watson note WAS dis
counted. 1t may possibly be that the
=. w. tagsGalc note was to take up tho
Watson note. 1t was for convict hire
Tor 1896. He paid Watson about ST ,0Ol
in 1886 and 1897 under tho contract
Watson was to get SO much Il year
every year. The convict hire was tt
be paid ont Of the proceeds of thcScrop
lie admitted that il instead Of pay
ing his debts he had paid the convict
hire, the State would have been paid
The money that should have gone t(
paying convict hire for 1896 and 1S9'
went to Watson on his debt to him
He never GOT Il dollar from the p,anta
lions in six years.
"Will you tell US about this receipt
for 81 ,IG5.S5 ?' asked Mr.. Stevenson.
Col. Neal took the receipt and exam
incd it, and said he did not knoH wha
it WAS for. He said it had his sigma
| and iI.>l, y
wanted to ask Mr.. Watson about it
said tho money was turned over to Col
Neal to pay for convict hire, aad h
took receipt.
Col. Neal said Watson never pait
him money out OF the proceeds Of tn
crops. Tho receipt does not say wha
it is for.
What other account could you hav,
had Us superintendent. You signed i
as superintendent? ?'
Col Neal said he did not remember
matter, and wanted to talk with Mr.
| Watson about it.
Mr. Watson then explained that the
crop Tor 1896 was taken by him to Pei
Zar and Piedmont and sold, and he and
1877, and Neal made him the payment
agreed, and he gave the check for
81 400.
Col. Neal said when the settlement
was made tho check WAS given him to
Dc PAID out for expenses in and around
Anderson. The money was deposited
| for the cotton in WaLSOn's name, and
that was why Watson gave him the
| check to pay the farm expenses. Wat.
son, he said, knew that not d cent went
TO his account as superintendent Of the
pcnitcntary. lie got nothing TO pay
any claim here. Watson sold the cot
ton TO protect himself in his payment
lie djd not understand why the receipt
was signed by him as superintendent
lie was positive no money was pail
him by Watson to go to the credit 0
convict hire. He examined the sigma.
lures carefully and compared it will
others, and said he never got any none,
to pay hire with. The signature locke
very much like his. He did not re
member giving the receipt, but doe
not deny it, The ltagsdales gave thci
notes because they were the forcmcn
and nc did not wish TO worry Watson
hoping to get out OF the ditch. The,
| merely got wages, and are in no way
responsible. The board did nothing u
all about the Rassda!cs giving tho
notes. He had convicts before he wa
elected. The cOnvicts were then pail
for monthly. After that the board ha,
10 carry all contracts because Of the
! crisis OF 1888. Good security was &c
, quircd. II he thought Il man good h,
= aid not require Is bond, and the boart
T. left those matters largely 10 him. Tn
: credit business started in 1889, and tn
. | next year COnViCts were contracted iO
5 on cotton options at six cents. I'm
Q board to large extent left the COllct
. tlOns and the contracts to him. Th
, board know who had contracts; the
= knew the number OF mon contractc
: for.
/ Did you ever before take a not
, from - solvent man and allow 1t to b
: taken up by a note given ~ insOlyca
/ parties - asked Mr. Stevenson.
+ Answer The contract Is the bind
) ing part. As a ruic IL bond went alOn
/ with the contract. The bond WAS no
, signed up because he needed no BON
: 10 make his cOntraC, good. One OF tn
. lhgadnlcs Is responsible. He took tn
notes because we we're working TIL
. contract with tlc same men, and Nh
Nu1 u,i th l,., Il - T.