The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-10-04

to as 's.able rent" it seems that it
was allowed by the board of direc.
tors as an item of expense and is not
chargeaDie as . breach of official
bond. am, therefore, of the opin-
ion that at the present time none of
the charges contained in the second
class of liabilities could be made the
basis of a,suit against the bondsmen
of the late superintendent of the
penitentiary. 1t will be noticed that
on the account of the lease of con.
victs for three years mentioned, the
State has lost So SOC; but l know of
no legal steps which can be taken to
recover this amount
Among the items of the first class
of liabilities ($s,584 there are
two which were deducted when de-
maud was made upon the bondsmen.
The report charged up "cneck un
paid and carried by Burrias, Sl72 -
Upon investigation l frd this paid
before the report was referred to this
Office There is also charged "W.
W. Russell, note for $780," for
which the penitentiary received the
money which it has never returned
to the bank, discountipg the note.
As long as the State holds the pro.
ceeds of this discounted note it can,
not demand of the bondsmen geim.
bursement On that account
Therefore deducting these items,
$l72 and 5000 from $3,584 Al. we
have as the amount chargeable
against the bondsmen at the date Of
the report the sum of S2.S12 Al
| notified the bondsmen. Messrs.
Wiiie Jones w S. Pope and P. 81.
Haltiwaoger, of the claim of the
State. and it gives me pleasure to
say that they have promptly met the
demand upon them, each paying the
sum of $937 81. l now hold the
State treasurer's receipt for the
amount paid on the bond
Senator Tillman, upon the present
alton of his bill, as is reported by
the committee, paid the amount due
the State
l desire to acknowledge valuable
assistance rendered me by the Hon.
W. F. Stevenson, chairman OF The
committee of investigation
Respectfully,
G Duncan Bellinger,
Attorney General
Columbia. S c., September 80, 1899.
The Carolina National bank, which
loses $4,000 by tine discountipg OF
the two notes which the superintend
en-, accepted in payment of Watson's
convict hire, may ask the board Of
directors to refund that amount to
the bank since the penitentiary was
benefited by the proceeds from the
notes which are now found to be
worthless. 1t is said that the
attorney general will not advise the
directors to comply with the banks
request. 1t is also stated that the
bank will begin suit against j. B
Watson upon the check which he
gave for convict hire Cor the year
1898 and which was accepted by the
bank when presented By the peuiten
tiarv authorities for the purpose of
taking up the note of the previous
year
While the admitted shortage of
Neal has now been settled in such a
way that the State loses nothing
except the amount of 50 600, of the
note taken up, the end of the Neal
matter is not yet in sight Various
suits are likely. to grow out of the
affair, and in addition the prosecution
of Col Neal upon the criminal
charges will be pushed, the attorney
general himself conducting the
case, which will be called at the
term of the coart FOR Richland
county which begins two weeks from
today. The line of defense has not
yet been made public, but it may
take turn, which has not yet been
mentioned, and should this be 80
certain declarations made upon the
stump several years are likely to be
verified, at least in part