The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-03-15
From Colombia Record, March g..

the $500 he had paid to Col Neal by
draft Taking the expense accounts,
ETC., they might take up the amount
The discrepancy is in reference to the
draft Of 1895.
Mr.. r 3 Watson wss next sworn
He was shown q contract and said il
was for work on q plantation he
owned. which was formerly owned
by Col Neal He acquired it in
1898 For 1896 '97 '985 ne did not
work convict labor under the con-
tract Col. Neal worked it He
resold5 the farm to Col Neal for
$l4. .000--a credit transaction. He
didn't remember whether it was
before OF after che contract for con.
yicts was made, but thinks it sitter.
Papers were produced showing that
the convict contract and the transfer
OF land Was made on the same day.
He GOT no convicts during '96, '97.
.sS for bis ewn use.
Referring to the peaitentia,y re-
port for 1896, he is credited with
paying $4,000 or more Tor convict
hire he said he knew nothing Of IL.
He supposed If he was lisbie, il was
under the contract, bat he never
used conyic. hire. In January; 1897,
he iss credited with paying over $500
as q balance for 1896. He denied
that he owed any balance In April,
1896, he was credited by the report
for 81, ,4s2 rs. He was not positive
whether he had paid that on. the
settlements Of his contract, which ex.
pired in 1895 Since then he has not
used one hour of convict hbor In
1896 Mr Bnrriss wrote that witness
had given q note dor the hire Of con-
victs for that year. The cotton raised
Oh the sAndetsos aad PicksDs farms
was so!d to factories. The balance
consfinR 70 me- 20 psy for the iSnd WI
turned over 70 Col. Nesl. The.smonaf
8lAe5.85 Is .was;to be, credited
10 payment for convict labor He got
: reoaipe signsd By Superintendent
Neal. Mr. Stephenson remarked
thH there was 10 credi 10 the report.
Ms. Wstsoa ssiid in letters and From
psFsonA statemsnts from Col. Neal
he wss told that all accounts had
been bsasnced up be supposed i va
correct. Ool Neal rsn thg Pinkeus
farm. G. VI. aRsgsdales superintended
the Pickens farm aud B B. Rsgsdale
the other He didn't know exactly
how many convicts were worked.
Assto the check for $4,000 given BY
him, he ssid his attention wss called
to it when he read the report for the
past year. He looked over the report
and found his name appearing as due
$2,5S4 He msde inquiry. It was
not in conformity with the agreement
and he asked Mr.. Burriss about it,
who said the account in my name
amounted to $500. But some ex.
pense would have to come off,
amounting to 5000. he saw Mr.
Cunningham, who showed him q
memorandum furnished him by the
Carolina bank on which the Ragsdale
notes appeared. His impression and
mineswas that the B. b. Ragedste
notes wss for convict hire for 1888
and,hat of G. " Rsgsdale forf897.
Then he aeked me to see if could
arrange matters, stating that Col.
Neal had said be had about ESQ bales
of cotton nnencumbered. Col Neal
was sick, but be told me that he had
about l75 bales. e Considering bis
prostratioo and the fact that he had
promised to pay 81. 700, and knowing
that l would be protected by the
land, T gave Mr.. Cunningham draft,
and also in consideration Of the state
mept which had been handed to nae
by Col Neal in reference to convicta
hire for 1897.
He said it was painful to have to
tell the reason Why he recalled the
draft. 1t was ten days draft HE
first draft was for $4,000 Mr.. CLARK,
of the bank, didn't sppprove of this,
and another was drawn on January
Is, 1899. l expected to get $1,000
from Col. Neal, as third payment
on the land. In November he stated
he wouldsbe able to pay it and went
on to say something about the bal
ance He said he had arranged to