The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-15
IN YESTIGATI0N OF COL. NEAL
Amount Duc the Penitentiary Approx
mates 100000.
Columbia State, -lIdrch IN.

the pcnltentiary lnNeStiGatl0ll Eestcr-
day, here is the situations:
In 1896 j. b. Watson and Col. W; a.
Neal made contract whereby the lat
ter was to redeem or buy back his farm
in Anderson county, which he had
turned over to the former debt. The
price was to be SD, 1000. and this was to
be paid in installmcnts OF S., ,0O0a year.
At the same time and on the same day,
according to the testimony OF Col.
Neal. Mr.. Watson made Il contract with
him as superintendent of the pcniten-
tialy for 80 convicts who were to work
this farm and another owned by linn
(NeaD in Pickens county. The super
intendcncc OF the Anderson county
farm work was to be under Is. Is. Rags
dale and the Picllens farm under Z. w.
Ragsdalc. BY this contract Tor con-
vict hire j. B. Watson was to be noml-
nally responsible, while Neal III reality
was to get the benefit OF the labor;
This was ncapparcntly to getaround
the statute Which prohibits the super
intendcnt OF the pcnitentiary from en-
blowing c0nvicts to work Tor himself
! individually. This contract with Wat
son was not secured by bond rs is gen
orally required because Col. Neal COLI
sidercd him "a responsible man.
Under the instructions OF the board
of directors Il note properly endorsed
so that it may be discounted ata bank
may be accepted i'll payment Tor con-
victs.
In the year 1896 j. B. Watson got 30
convicts who worked the two farms Of
Col. Neal in Anderson and Pckcns
counties. These convicts worked those
farms during 1896, % and '9S. In pay
ment for their work the first year b.
3. Ragsdale gave his note for S2,595.99,
endorsed by w. A. Neal us supGrlnten-
dent. For their work in 1877 G. w.
Ragsdalc gave his note for S2,0l2,45,
endorsed in the same way. The ac-
count for 1898 is still open, though
under the head of assets. }. B. Wat
son is charged up with their hire;
These two Ragsdale notes were placed
in the Carolina National Bank and the
money drawn on them. The b. b.
Ragsdale note for S2.595.99 was taken
up bv the payment OF Il check given by
J. i. Watson. The check was made
payable in five lays, but before that
time had expired Mr.. Watson held up
the payment. The bank now demands
from the pcnitcntialy the payment OF
these two amounts. w. a. Neal as
superintendent having endorsed the
two notes.
This puts the State virtually III the
position of endorsing notes in order to
ret money and then having to pay the
notes herself, the maker OF the notes
not having paid them.
Col. Neal testified yesterday that the
two RagsdaleS who gave their notes Ill
payment for this convict hire for the
wears had not derived IL cents benefit
from the convicts' work. 1t had been
done on his farms and he had gotten
the benefit of the work.
The State will have to redeem these
two notes and by doing SO loses the
nav for 30 .convicts for the years 1886
and 1851. This amount is in round
numbers S4,5OO, to say nothing of the
past wear, which will run the amount
ND to about $4,000. All this labor Col.
Neal was using ON his farms. though
undcr the contract Mr.. j. b. Watson is
the nominal lessee of the cOnvicts.
Mn. WatsOIl's testimony was impOr-
tant in that it told OF the contracts
made between himself and Col. Neal.
He gave his reasons forlcEnSin@ to pay
the check taking up the b. B. Rlgsdac
notes and then went on to SLY thai llil,
der their personal agreement he had
sold the cottoncrops from the two farms
made ins1SHi. Aftcr taking ont from
the proceeds the first payment on the
farm To himself, l!c turned ovci to Col:
Neal 81, ,465 50. for which Col Ne;ll
rccciptcdl ls superintendent and which
I he understood WIS Ia GO topaN the con-
yict hire for r!;;li ycll. III had not
been 50 credited an:! li. records gave
no rvi.lcnceui i, h;lN!n~ bcell5lE,;d. IN
1850 he had alsnspnitl Il draft OF 500 to
Col. Neal. but. us WIS afterwards
shown. ne Sliot credited wlth tllisllt
amy way. 80
Col. Neal. in reference to the 5000
draft. said liz. !;., used it for travelling
cxpcIlscs. ABOUT tile Sl.it;oo.Sj paid by
Mr. Watson. he claimed that it had
bccnpai,l ont to hands and for the cN-
penscs of making the crop IN lS!H.
Mr.. Stevenson asked the pointed
question question. after Col. Neal had
stated that he had paid $2,100 III 1S!hi
and 1897 to MI Watsoll, in payment on
thc farm as per private contract. it the
payncnt Of these inst;illmentS were
not virtually using money due the
sCCNlC 10 pay llllNillt ttDto'
Mr.. BurrisS testified to several lrrcgl!-
laritics involving several hundred dol
lars and showed where only Il part OF
a draft would be credited toa mans
account, while the remainder wis
placed to the personal credit of VA.
Neal.
TIE TESTIMONY
of the witnesses best tells the story Of
acknowledgements in the inquiry.
Wien tie examination 0f witnesses
was renewed ut l0:30 o'clock Yesterday
morning Mr.. j. S. Fowler was recalled
to the stand. Hi. testified that in De
cembcr 1S!L5, he advanced S50llfor the
services OF colvictS. Ibis wis lmd by
draft to w. a. Neal Individually and
the receipt was signed by liiml;s sllpcr-
intcndcnt. lie WAS not credited with.
this money. srhc pcniirntialy report
showed no=crcdit for him ut this time.
The payment oI. this 5000 wills made 1T
the Bank of Anderson. The datc or
the draft waS Dcc.5!I. lSlI. aud the re-.
ccipt WAS otlHtctl ut1'a,l: !" Received
of j.. S. Fowler, tivc hundred dollars
on account hire for the year lS9C.=
Amount $500. w. a. Neal. Slpcrln-
tcndcnt.
Thctlraft paid Dec. ao. 1s9G. Re
iativc to the check OF Feb. "A. lS!lI. Tor
$500, Mr.. Fowler said he WAS clltlltcd