Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-03-16
TIL. THE NEIL lN|EE|:AIL d ESSTIlIGGHifIION.
Large Sums Paid Him as Penisentiary
Superintendent Unnacc0unted For. M

Large Sums Paid Him as Penis9ntiary
Superintendent Unnacc0unted For. ss
| Tho Legislative committee appointed
just mt the close OF the General Assem-
bly, to Investigate into the management
of the State Penitentiary began its work
on Wednesday, March 9th, at noon.
Chairman Stevenson, Senators Living
ston and Hay and Representatives Patton
and McDow were all present. Here is
The testimony:
CoLUMBIA, S. c., March 8.-The Neal
investigating committee mot to-day and
took testimony this afternoon. E
Taylor's testimony showed numerous
errors in bookkeeping, but he said that
he thought if these errors hnd not been
made the books would have shown no
discrepancies. He said that ho did not
beliovo thoy were made with criminal In
tent. IL t... ifatt. i E=.}
Chairman Cunningham gave some
damaging testimony against Neal. He
said that j. Q. Hammond, Cooley, j. S.
Fowler and j. j. Fretwell appeared on
the books as owing sums of about 500,
but they claimed to have paid Col. Neal.
| Fowler was a witness and pl oduced a
draft, drawn on him by Neal, for $500,
which had been paid.
j. Is. Watson, of Anderson, gave O
check for $4,000 to pay note, but the
check was hold up by Watson, though
tho note was taken up by tho check.
w. w. Russell, brothor-in-law of Neal,
owes $500. , ....'
TIE bo%cI, know nothing about those
notes until recently. There is no record
of thom i'll tho ponitontiary.
COLUMBIA, S. G., March 0.-The poni.
tentiary investigation to-day developed
material oviderce.
| j. j. Watson swore that Oh Maroh =,
1896, ho signed contract with tho p> =
tcntiary for thirty convicts. On the
Same day he contracted with w. A. Neal
for tho restoration of his plantation to
Neal for $4,000, to be paid for in $4,000
installmcnts.
Neal ard Watson had q private con-
tract that the convicts were to DO paid
for and used entirely by Neal
Tho State has not received any pay
whatever for conviots under 1906, 1907
and 1903, although tho 1896 and 1897 ac-
counts are credited as being paid. They
wero really paid with y !tos discounted
| by tho endorsement OF w. A. Neal s,,-
perintondent. Tho notes were mado by
tho two Ragsdales, foremen of tho
farms, and were discounted without any
knowledge Or consent of tho penitcn-
tiary management. The notes average
81, 900 each.
The 1898 account is open. Watson
says he made the labor contract with full
assurance that Neal would make the
| dOno so.
In lS0G, Neal being sick, Watson sold
the crop, and after taking out his annual
payment got receipt from Neal for
81 ,-iG5 which was supposed to 60 to settle
tho convict hire. 1t was never so used.
| There is good deal on these lines.
| J. j. Fretwell sent receipt for $3.50
penitcntary has not received.
| Contractor Fowler showed draft for
$500 mado OH him by Neal. which was
paid, and tho pcnitontiary has received
none of this.
w. Q. Hammond paid his account for
1896 by ten day draft, which was paid
lIammond's $500 and Fowlor's $500
were deposited on tho samo day. 1912
of this was credited to tho two accounts
4
personal account.
| At tho afternoon session Col. Nea. Caid
that when he left Anderson he owed
| Watson $4,000 Oh installments and tried
to pay it back. Ragsdalo, tho farm fore
man, became dissatisfied and the contract
by which he again assumed charge of
tho farm was to pacify Ragsdalo. He,
Neal, said that he owed the penitcntiary
| for the three years convict labor. lie
said that ho had made Watson ton pay
mnnts of about $4,000 on tho $4,000
debt and that the only reason he had not
paid anything on tho convict account
was that tho farm had not made it, but
that he was still liable to Watson for tho
convict hire and Watson to tho State un-
dor his contract.
The Ragsdales, whose notes were dis
counted with his endorsement as super
| intondcnt to pay the accounts on the
pcDitentiary books, had no responsibility.
The 81 400 RECEIPT, ho said, was for money
he paid ont in Anderson for farm ex-
pcnscs and he mildly iDtimatcd that he
did not know how it was signcd w. A.
Neal, superintendent, but he did not
| deny it.
Before taking a recess the ono other
item touched upon was tho Fowler draft
| for $500 which was paid in 1895. IIe said
that he received this money and had
placed it to his personal account and
used it for expenses. IIo had periodical
settlements with the penitentiary as to
these items of expense, travelling and
otherwise, but that he had had no set.
| ticment since this payment was made
therefore there was no record or credit
of this on the ponitcntiary books.
The investigation closed for tho day to
| be resumed on the morrow.