The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-29

| 4. Absolutely none.
| O. Then | understand you to say that
| If n man wanted to sell % cents worth
If produce, there was no way to deter
mine whether he ever turned it into
| thp Treasury; you could not tell how
much he sold unless the purchaser told
If? There was every facility for I'M
limited fraud or theft?
| A. Undoubtedly, every facility for it.
A SUGGESTIVE LETTER.
Copy of letter read before committee:
"Weldon, n. c., January 81, 1899
1.-THE Penitentiary owes me for sew
eral vouchers which have been sent in,
one for money / paid free labor for
picking cotton here, and the others are
for stamps, express, etc, which | had to
nav each month on account of the Peni-
tentiary. The voucher or account | had
against the State are long past due,
and when you call upon me to retire 1
hope you will see to it | am heard from,
that the accounts are paid. / owe the
Penftentiary a few dollars for some col
lactions | have made, which | am ready
to pay over whenever they may desire
a settlement. win also send you next
week a check for carload of oats shipped
TO T. w. Wood & Sons, Richmond. on
December "a, 1898. l hope you will at
tend to these matters for me.
Yours truly"
The letter is from Supervisor Pope, at
Halifax farm, to w. III. Day, Superin-
tendent.
@. Is that the only evidence of any
indebtedness from or in favor of the
Penitentiary from this party?
A. The only that ! know of. There
is no evidence Of any indebtedness to
him unless he may have sent the ac-
counts here and they have been pigeon
holed or stuck away in some drawer.
NO SYSTEM OF CHECKING.
Q. You know Of no system of check
ing up?
A. None in the world.
Q. In settling these accounts, what
course would you pursue?
A. Where the accounts are not audit
ed and vouchered / shall inquire into
the justhess of the claim, and if it is not
proper | will not voucher it. If proper,
and I mean by that that there has no
fraud been perpetrated upon the State,
shall pass the voucher for it.
Q. In computing the indebtedness of
the Penitentiary, do You make any al
lowance for this class Of claims?
A. In my examination I did. | said
to the committee, that the ascertained
debt was $4,000, this after allowing
credit for various accounts, $4,000 due
for the Penitentiary OF this $4,000, /
said to the committee that possibly
$4,000 was collectable, thus making the
debt of the Penitentiary from $101, 600
to 100000. This ascertained that
there were possibly between three and
counts against the Penitentiary, the
amounts Of which could not be ascertain
ed until the parties presented their
claims. / think that $4,000 viii ap-
proximate within a few thousand dol
liars of the indebtedness of the Peni-
Tertiary.
Since | came in, all purchases are made
at the central prison by Mr.. Arendell
upon whom acquisitions are made by the
various officials of the prison. On the
farms. no supervisor is permitted to buy
anything at all without receiving an
order for such purchase from Mr.. J. H.
Tillery, nor is he permitted to sell any
thing without receiving such order from
Mr.. Tillery That is the plan | have
adopted.
CHAPLET FOR PREDECESSORS,
o. Do you know John z. Smith?
A.. Yes.
Q. Do you look upon him as being Z
thoroughly competent man to manage
the Penitentiary?
A. / look upon him as being absolute.
~ incompetent TO manage this Peniten
tiary, because Of his mutability to being
influenced by his friends and pretended
friends.
Q. Do you know J. NJ. Mewboorne?
A. Yes. ! look upon him as being in
competent. / believe he is thoroughly
honest and his errors have been from
weakness and not from crime or corrup
ton.
The qualifications of the following EN-
ployes: l find McCaskey incompetent,
Dickson, incompetent; Mezingo. incom-
petent; Summerell, competent, efficient
Al TAGGING BOOK KEEPER.
@. What kind of book keeper was in
charge of the books of the central
prison?
A. A man that / conceive to .be alb
solutely incompetent for his position.
@. Is he sober man?
A. No, sir.
@. When sober is he a good account
ant?
A. He is not a man that you would
take for a business that involved these
! transactions. They pay the book-keeper
500 per month.
O. Who was in charge and warden
when you took charge of the Peniten-
tiary?
A. L. b. Russell.
Q. Under the rules heretofore oh
served around the Penitentiary he was
in charge of the purchasing department,
was he not?
A. / don't think anybody was in
charges. that is, | think everybody was
in charge. / don't know what the rules
were in the old time.
@. Who should be in charge of X, in
your opinion?
DUTIES OF THE MANAGER.
A. A general manager of the central
prison, whose sole duty should be 10
purchase and sell, and supervise the Gen.
| trail prison.
@. Should that supervisor attend to
.I,o Ia,,rahaca ond caIa of Goods n thp