Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-07-01
CHAINGANG INVESTIGA ALTON.

CHAINGANG INVESTIGATION.
The county board Of commissioner!
held court at the home of Magistrate
Plaxico, at HooGtown, in Bullock:
Creek township, last Wednesday, fol
the purpose of investigating the con
duct of the superintendent and guards
of the chaingang. The matter hao
been on hand for some weeks bu'
did not take place on a day previously
set on account of the absence o.
Supervisor Culp, who was kept away
by the serious illness of his wife
But, on Wednesday, a number o.
witnesses were duly subpenaed, and
the work was entered into with full
determination on the part of the
commissioners to develop the truth OIL
falsity of such reports as had, from
time to time, come to their ears.
The court was called to order by
Supervisor Culp, after which, on ac'
count of the fact that the superintend'
ent of the chaingang is his son, the
supervisor took no further active part
in the proceedings. He remained in
the room, however, throughout the in
vestigation. Mr.. J. S. Brice, as clerk
of the board, administered the oaths
to the witnesses, and as attorney con-
Quoted most of the examination. Sew
eral questions were asked the different
witnesses by Commissioners Wilker-
son and Crawford, and also by Mr.. W.
S. Gordon, who had been summoned
because of the fact that he is mem
ber of the grand jury, and because he
resides in the neighborhood where the
chaipgang was working at the time
the alleged misconduct, etc., had taken
place.
By way of preliminary, Mr.. Brice
explained that the specific charges in
regard to the chaingang, were drunk
enness, incompetency, and neglect Of
duty on the part Of the superintendent
and guards. 1t was alleged that on
one occasion-the date Of which he
had not been able to fx-there was a
drunken row at camp near Mr.. Camp
BELLS, in Bethel township, and that
this row lasted from Saturday after
noon until 10 or II o'clock Sunday
morning. The information had come
to the commissioners in the shape OF
rumors, and in ORDER TO get at the facts,
the commissioners had instructed him
to summons as witnesses Messrs. Tru-
man Turner, F. E. Clinton, R. B. Rid
die, R. L. Campbell, w. S. Gordon
and Jim Robertson.
Commissioner Wikerson said: 81
want to make a statement with regard
to this matter. All along there have
been reports in circulation rejecting
on the conduct of the chaingang.
These reports have touched on the al
legged incompetency and misconduct OF
the superintendent, and have sugges-
ted wasteful extravaganza in the pur-
chase and use of supplies. There have
also been rumors of disorderly pro-
ceedings at the convict camp on Sun
days, and other scandalous stories.
Many of these reports have been of a
nature that would hardly be apt to
reach the ears of Supervisor Culp, be-
cause of his relationship to the super
intendent of the chaingang. They came
to Captain Crawford and myself quite
freely, and for that reason we have Or
dered this investigation. do not
pretend to say that there is anything
wrong, or that these reports are true
or untrue, for do not know. That is
what we are here to find out. If there
is anything wrong, hope it will be
developed by this investigation, and If
there is nothing wrong, 1 hope that
fact will be established.
Truman Turner was the first witness
sworn. In answer to the questions OF
Mr.. Brice, he testified that he went to
the chaingang camp on the Saturday
night before it was moved to Bullock's
Creek township, accompanied by Mr..