Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-06-29
AND 1T MUST FOLLOW AS DAY,
SENATOR TlLLMAN TALKS.
His Letter to tho Penitentiary investigating
Committee-Ashleys Horse Feed.

Tho investigation Of tho management
of the affairs of tho State ponitontiary
by former Superintendent w. A. Neal
WAS resumed last week.
Mr.. Stevenson horo explained that he
ind written iettors to tho several promi-
mont mon whose names had been con-
ncoted with tho penitontiary transac-
tions. He read this letter to Senator
Tillman:
CHERAw, May 20, 1899.
Hon. 3. r. Tillman-Doar Sir: In tho
investigation of tho ponitentiary man
agement thcro appears on the brick book
ono car load of brick charged to you
and on the commissary boo, certain gro
ccry accounts for 1894. and it is charged
by the officers that you ran farm while
Governor with convicts, and tho poni-
tcntiary got no benefit from it, and also
that certain furniture was presented to
you by tho management. Tho COM
mittco's experience in tho past in
finding receipts for accounts, etc.,
which appear to DO unpaid and arc not
80 entered, requires that wo give ovory
party against whom such charges and in
situations arc made an opportunity to
DO heard, and 1 write to say that we will
meet at tho State House in Columbia
Juno 49, 1890, at 12 o'clock NJ. and will
be glad to have your statements as to
these matters if you desire to DO heard.
Very truly yours,
w. Il. STEVENSON,
Chairman Investigating Committee.
The reply of tho Senior Senator was
read as follows:
TRENTON, S. G., May 20, 1890.
Hon. w. i. Stevenson, Choraw, S. c.
Dear Sir: havo your letter of May goth.
l hardly think it worth my while to ap-
pear before your committee to answer
tho trivial matters brought out in tho
Neal investigation. do not sec in what
way Col. Meals dcrelictiOn or misconduct
or his transact rns in regard to tho
bricks and bookcase, etc., can affect me.
I am in tho dark as to tho exact nature
of ono of these matters, to-wit: "Tho
account on tho commissary book" and
would be glad to know tho nature of
that account, itoms and dates.
l will state for your information that
| have no recollection whatever of cvcr
having obtained any groceries or any
thing else that could be charged on n
book of That kind from tho ponitcntiary,
except an occasional mess of vegetables,
which we've sent to mo by Col. Neal as q
cOmDlim'nt, | suppose and am sure
paid for anything else got.
In regard to my running q farm with
convicts, will state that never ran a
farm while in Columbia at all, in the
common sense of tho term. | rented
five or six acres of land which | sowed
in oats in the fall with my carriage
horses and then sowed in peas after tho
oats were cut for pea hay. There was a
little patch at the Executive mansion
that was similarly treated, and tho con.
victs who kept the yards and grounds
clean helped to gather in this hGy as well
as that out on tho rented land tho last
year | was at tho mansion, and Col. Neal
would mover tako any pay. The labor of
curing and hauling five acres of oats
and pea hay ono year you can estimate
so rs to see about tho extent of the ac
count, if it is still open. The matter
was SO trivial attached no importance
to it then or now. You may consider it
in Il different light.
In regard to tho brick, I will say that
Col. Neal, Mt his own suggestion, once
while at Rock Hill, offered to ship mo q
a. e
freight, saying that thoy would cost him
very little, and ho would mako mo pre-
sent of them. I accepted tho olfor, and
when Col. Iipscomb sent in bill 1 sent
1T to Col Noal with letter inquiring
whether Lipscomb had any rights in tho
matter. IIo replied no, that it was a
mistake, and thoro tho matter dropped.
Neal also presented mo with plain pno
bookcase with glass doors, worth about
$500. | will say that shortly after l
entered tho Executive oflico | lot Col.
Neal have cane mill and copper cvapo-
rator which cost 500, leaving it to
him to determine tho price. lie only
paid mo 800, and ] therefore did not
feol that in accepting tho smGll gifts that
| did that it was IN imposition OH him.
| never dreamed that tho articles were
not charged to his account and scttled
for. Since l have discovered that tho
State is tho loser, |, of course, am will
ing to pay for each and all of these
things.
There is ono other itcm OF which no
mention has yet been made that l have
seen, though I have not followed tho
testimony closely. IIo shipped mo a
small lot of oats ono timo from some
whore and would novor send mo any bill,
although | wrote for it twice.
make these statements for your in
formation and satisfaction and loavo it
to your own discretion as to what use
You will mako of thom.
am yours respectfully,
B. II. TILI.MAN.
w T Doyie Rnhu G ~ wr;to.. ~,