The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-17
COMMITTEE REPORTS
n RESULT OF INQUIRIES.
FINDINGS OF NEAL INVESTIGA.
TION ARE SUBMITTED.

FINDINGS OF NEAL INVESTIGA-
TON ARE SUBMITTED.
Loose Management Condemned and
Conduct OF Farms and Treatment
of Convicts Commended.
mittee appointed to Investigate Col.
w. A. NeaPs management Of the State
penitentiary has been filed with the
governor. The full report follows:
TO Hon. M. B. McSweeney, Governor /:
The general assembly Of this State
ut It's last session passed concurrent
resolution TO appoint q committee of
two senators and three representatives
for the purpose Of inv gestigating the
affairs of the penitentiary With in
Structions to report to you. The un-
dersigned were appointed as said COM
mitteo and organized by electing w.
John Taylor as expert boohkeeper and
Miss M. +. Gibbes as stenographer.
Me etings were held from time to time,
as it was expedient to do so, az Is
shown by the record herewith sub.
mitted. Much testimony was taken
bearing on the condition and manage.
ment Of the penitentiary. The matters
examined were embraced under three
heads |. The treatment OF the con.
victs. 2. The condition and manage
ment OF the farms and the disposition
OF farm products. 3. The general
financial affairs of the penitentiary
proper and the use and disposition
made Of the assets OF the penitentiary
proper, including amounts due to the
same.
l. AS to the treatment OF the G! T I
victs: We find that Mr.. Neal h. Z
ways been an advocate OF hum Il
and that wherever the treatme Il
convicts came under his peb I1oal
supervision there is no doubt Of s5ir
kind and humane treatment Ono in
stance Of very severe whipping Ia re-
ported as being given by one subordi-
Neal is not responsible. We wish to
commend the methods used by Mr..
Miller, manager OF the Lexington
farm, In this particular: His manage
ment has reduced the Necessity for
whipping to q minimum, and yet he
',ets excellent results. While we know
that the convict must be controlled we
feel that the dictates OF humanity re-
quire that the unfortunate who is
without character or legal standing
and without friends or hope Of redress
should be treated with all the consi-
deration which strict discipline will
allow. We are glad TO be able to
report that Mr.. Neal has always shown
his desire to do his full duty by the
convicts from u humanitarian stand
point.
=. We find the farming property In
fine condition, we'll stocked and we'll
cultivated large crops are made, and
valuable improvements in the way Of
buildings and dykes and ditching and
clearing have been made during his
administration. The superintendent
deserves commentator for the ener-
getic and skillful management Of the
affairs and improvements made on the
property, both on the farms and at the
penitentiary itself. The DsSaussure
and Reid farms have been paid for
under the administration of MIR. Neal
We are not prepared to say that Ghe
farming business, however, Ia profit
able. There mas been, for instance,
for the year Of 1898 an average OF l39
hands used on the Reid and DeSaus-
sure farms. The evidence Ia that thsy
will pay $50 per year per head when
hircd out, making $6,95O net from
their hire. The total products from
these farms for 1898 as reported by the
bcprd was 4l,Ol3.95. The cash re-
Sau ,sure and Reid farms, pages "a and
IL, Is $l2, 1855 ninety bales OF
cotton on hand January 1st. 1899; there
was possibly on hand at that time un.
der liberal estimate $1,000 worth of
other produce, making q total Of $22,
2lO.55 accounted for, and leaving bal
ance of $l8,S03 40 which must have
been consumed. Now, this crop cost
therefore, the hire OF convicts, 81, ,95G
accounts paid for the two farms, $2O, ,O60;
rent of land, estimating 1t at ono quar-
{ ter OF the crop, $lO 25O 40 produce
consumed In the making, S,9O3. 40
the value of the crop, $4l ,Ol3.95, leav
ing deficit Of SIS, ,062. 81. From this
should be deducted the value Of per
manent improvements claimed al
being made during the year (see ex
hibit Az, 81 ,000 leaving an ,pparen
deficit of $l4, ,062.32. TO this should bl
added the interest on the equipment
which is valued by the directors a
So, 900, on page q Of tho report o
1897, which, at per cont, would b'
$1,500, making q total dchcit o
$l5 562 %. From this, Of course, shoult
10 deducted the corn and oats ant
bacon furnished to the penitentiar.
itself, which, at liberal estimate
not exceed IS, 900 from the crop OF 1895
which would necessarily leave a los
of sic, ,5o2 81 from farming operation
on those two farms.
3. AS to the general financial affair
of the penitentiary proper and the us
and disposition made OF the assets, etc
we are constrained to report that tn
Investigation has brought forth Il stat
OF affairs which Is not creditable. |
the first place 1t will be found by
close examination OF the testimOn
taken that the directors knew too Ii
tie OF the affairs OF tho Institution an
worc too subservient to the will OF tt
were about 81 900 OF Rsgsdale notes
the bank with tho penitentiary @
dorscment representing convict hi
for two years on Mr.. Nealn plac
while tho directors thought the hi
had been paid, shows that their kno,
,f Of fp,i,o ~ hn natl ft,,xi l.