The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-29
INVESTIGATION OF COL. NEAL.
Penitentiary Investigation Probe Goes
IL Little Deeper.
Dispatch to Grccnriir .Ncw~.

pcmitcI:iary investigation committee
resumed its session to-day and the first
witness was $. u. j. Gairis, member of
the board of pcnitcntiary directors.
who asked that he be permitted to tcS-
tify on II question of personal privi-
lcgc.
The report circulated the pas! few
days that lie had received Il ear load of
bricks from the penitentialy was cr-
roncous, he said. The car consisted of
brick bats which had been rejected.
He tried to sell them but could not.
owing to their wOrthlcssncSS.
When questioned about the manage
mcnt of the State farms, Mr.. Garris
agreed. as the reports showed. that
durin. 1878 oats had been sold, bring
ing S4,495.10. The published receipts
showed that 81 1896 had been turned
i'll us cash and there was owing on oats
S9i2.29, thus leaving Il balance Of So
O3".1G not accounted for. When this
had been developed Mr.. Patton paid Il
tribute to the board by these queries !:
Did you ever take occasion as Il
member of that board to examine into
what became Of that 5000 or 5000,
worth of oats that were sold, and see
whether the penitcntiary charged itself
with them and whether it had been
received i'll cash or if not whether notes
or other evidences Of the Indebtedness
were properly set out us assets in max
ing the reports as cash ,!
did YOU ever make any such exam
inationo'
"Well, no sir; myself | did not" an
swercd Mr.. Garris.
"Did you ever know any other mcll-
Der OF the board to make any such cx-
animation ?"
'Of course the board looked over the
books
"Do YOU appreciate now what ap-
pears to be a very grave discrepancy in
that matter since your attention has
been called to it ,"
eyes, sir
"And yon had never suspected that
OF discovered it before ?"
''Well, no Sir
A'"t Voii ypu tIllIlk IL WiS your
duty as one who had been charged by
the State with the supervision of that
large institution to have so ~. ;tcd
yourself so that such il discrepancy, if
there is one, could not have occurred,
and if there is not one SO YOU could
have explained how it was?"
Mr.. B0ggs objected to this question,
MIR. Patton insisted. Chairman Steven
son Oveirulcd the objection and MIR.
Garris answered:
II have never been educated as II
hookkcepcr-reyer had any education
much i'll that line. depended entirely
upon the reports made, but neither Mr.
Stevenson nor myself are bookkeepers,
and l think you understand now. But
never went into such close investi-
CATION as You all have. took it as we
had bookllceper and superintendent.
| had the utmost confidence in their
keeping it straight and never sus-
pected such a thing. Now l am only
one Of the board you know. IT that is
an error had never discovered it,
Capt +. II. Wcsttield, former captain
OF the guard, was the only witness cx-
amined in the afternoon. His business,
he stated, was to carry out orders. He
said there was q pool table at the pen
itentiary to offer inducements for the
guards to remain there. The table has
been there three years and was brought
from the asylum. There was furniture
made at the pcnitentiary by Lavalle, Il
convict. Chairman Cunningham had
obtained book case, Mr.. Garris
washstand, book case and other things,
Mr.. d. H. TOmpllins book case, Mr..
Hardy table and Colonel Neal furni-
ture, book case, a bed and other
things but he could not say they were
paid for. The board of directors have
been entertained ut the penitentiary
free. During the past six years there
have been more visitors than ut any
time prior to that. The direct tors occu-
py rooms there when here and so do
visitors free. Governor Ellerbc has
got coal and wood there the past two
winters but there is only one entry of
any pay payment, S24O. The coal is
furnished the governor at actual cost
and wood at small profit. He thought
this had been done for six years.
Coal and wood were always free for
superintendent Neal since Wcsttield
has been captain of the guards. The
superintendent has received wood and
coal free at his home during the past
three years. The superintendent has
also COTTON his lard, kerosene. hams,
sugar, soap, vegetables, milk and but
ter from the penitentiary, and there is
no credit for them, and the books show
that they have not been paid for.
Convict labor has been furnished free
Mt the governors mansion, and also Mt
Col. Meals house.
Captain Westtield said it was custo-