The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-15

We llyeu about Two or three miles
apart. In 1870 and Oil held those two
crops. He endorsed notes for me for
about $4,000 so that could hold this
cotton for better prices.
.Bcforc 1870 was in good shape
financially. Luck went agalnSt. us in
1891. The crop was sold while was
in bed with rhelmatism, The whole
proceeds were sent to the bank. 1t
went along until the fall OF 1892. De-
ccmber OF that ycarl was elected su-
pcrintcndcnt OF the penitentlary.
took charge January 3, 1898. After
was elected and before coming here L
had 104 acres of land in Anderson
county and IS mules and horses. ! had
corn and fodder, hogs and an album
dance Of provisions. said to Bolton
Watson, I am going to leave mere. .
You have endorsed my papers to the
amount of 5000. We've slipped up.
Cotton's gone down. but Imcan to pro-
tcct yon il / can. Here's my property.
slwon't take anything except my house
hold property ! will turn over to you
the real estate and everything else.
Ell make you deed to the real estate
and have my wife to rclin1uish her
DOVER He said he didn't want the
property. There were Il few other un-
paid claims against it, | made him
ont the deed though and tnrned the
property over to him..
.Mr. B. B. Ragslale was foreman on
the place. Iagreed to help him out by
paying (Watson) $500 4 year out OF my
salary. This went on for three years.
He was to keep an account OF the sale
OF crops, and it was understood that 1t
he could thus pay himself he was to do
so and turn the plantation back over to
me. This went on for three years, 1893,
'94 ard '9j.
"Mr. B. B. Ragsdale became dissatis
fed and said he would quit unless some
other arrangements were made. He
and Watson couldn't get along, he
said. paid $40 annually OF his rags
(lale's) salary myself. I said to Belton
that some other arrangements would
have to be made or Ragsdale would
leave. He (WatsOn) went home and
looked up the cotton bills and all and
said to me it would take $4,000 to pay
him all owed him on the place. |
agreed then to take charge OF the place
and pay him $4,000 Il year until the
debt was paid and to pay per cent.
interest on the $4,000. This CONVEX
sltion took place in February, 1896.
"Watson made contract with the
State to hire 30 convicts. The first
year paid him $4,000. including eXpen-
scs, insurance. etc. That took about
all that was made, but we kept Oh
hoping for Il better time. In 1891 it
was about the same way. We haven't
had any settlement this year. so | don't
know low it will come out. 1t has al
WAYS took everything to run the place,
and have never made anything out OF
it.
Relative to the Ragstlalc notes, Col.
Neal said they were managers OF the
place which he had decided to Watson.
During the years 1896, o, and ':lS,
were You managing the farm for Mr.
WatsOno" was asked.
..The facts are just these: The man
agcr became dissatisfied and Watson
turned the place over to lis to run as
best we could"
worked Col. Neal said the number var
led. Sometimes there were rs many
as :333 or 81 aud sometimes as few as 20
odd.
In regard to the Pickcns place lie
said that the crops from it were used to
pay the tlebt.to Mr.. Watson.
Has the pcnltentiary been paid Tor
the Use of the convicts tor the years
1916. '97sand '9S:: y
NO. no.
For tic year ls!lS there is oevi-
t!cncc in the report that there was any
pay for the c0llvicts?9
No
In tile year 1885, there is the 3: 3.
Ra%stlalc note, paid BIZ the j. b. Wat
son check. which waS held up, and III
'9i the other Ra%sdalc note which was
by Watson. which lsall the
pay for conyicts those two wears. Is
that the situation:
ITS that is it.
Tli>.lly upt the contract OF 1896 for the
lease Of cDMvicts and also the contract
for the pIacc the qucStionwasa asked ii
lie (Col. Ncal was not the substantial
lessee OF tllcconvicts: in other words,
he w:ls to work the cnlivictS.
In substance Col. Meals reply Was
tlar he was to work the convicts and
wls to get the benefit OF the profits
on the farm.
Getting back To tllcuuc>tion OF notes.
Col. Neal said the Hagstlalc note Of
lS9j was not discounted.
Tllc G.. w. Rlgsdalc note for 50 600.
which the bank is now claiming Is due
by tine pcnltcntiary, Col. Neal salu was
for convict hire for 1898.
..lsn't ita fact then that the money
that should have gone to pay the con.
Wet hire has gone to pay your debts:
asked Mr.. Stevenson.
'Well, the money that should have
gone to pay this convict hire, possibly
SIr. Watson got for '9G and '977.''
''It was paid OH your debts: you got
credit for it on your debt!'
Yes.
"Well, Colonel, has there ever been
paid to yoll with which to
pay this convict hire, to pay ythc Wat
son note that was given for 1s9G p
No, sir; | never got Il dollar from
either of the plantations for those
years.
The receipt given j. B. Watson OH
the ed of February. 1897, for 81, ,-tG5. .s5
and signed by Col. Neal as superintcn-
dent WAS handed him. He said he
could not recall what the receipt WAS
given for.
Ah. Stevenson stated that Mr.. Wai-
son had said it was for the surplus dc
rived from the sale of the crops, and
lad been pail for tie convicts used in
making the crop of lS9G.
Repeated efforts were made to re-
fresh Col. Meals memory and to get
him to say for what the recent WIS
given and to what purposes the money
had been used. He couldn't recall any.
thing about it. and finally said hc