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


posed to loan it to him for I per cent.
payable semi annually another at s
per cent. annually. He asked me
about it aud told kim if he lost his
job he would advise him to take the
8 par cent. As to why notified the
bank not 10 pay it was in consequences
of papers on the cotton which would
prevent me getting it. There was a
$4,000 note in the Farmers and
Merchants Anderson bank which
Mr. Fowler had endorsed and which
had gone to protest. Mr.. B. NJ.
Burris, and Mr.. ]. @ Hammond we're
the other endorsers. The note was
made BY Col. Neal. They notified
Mr. Ragsdale not to move any cotton
from the farm He went over to take
the cotton to sela It and meet the
draft, when he was notified thst
others had lien oo It. Then he told
the bank not to pay the note. He
has never ascertained from Col Neal
what those Ragsdale notes were
given for
He had told Col. Neal be had
given the draft aud Col. Neal told
MIN that If he had had the opportunity
he would have advised witness not
to have done it ! told Col Neal
that he knew that was not morally
responsible for the hire, and Col.
Neal replied that was true. Col
Meals general tenor was that he
himself was responsible he said 30.
He said Col Neal told him thst he
had informed, the board of the trans
fer Of his contract, and he was
shocked when some Of them told him
they knew nothing about it he
was dealing with Col Neal ss an
individual and did not know that
there was anything contrary to law
in the transaction
In answer to Senator Livingston
he said there was no secret agree
ment so fer as he was concerned
He had nothing to conceal He.
didn't know whether the board knew
about the reconveyance Of the farm.
He said that he had told the board
that he did not bold himself Liable
for the hire. This when Mr Cum
ningham showed him the memoranda
during the session of the legislature.
He could not remember whether he
had made the verbal agreement with
Col Neal about the use of the con.
.victs before or after he made fhe con-
tract for convicts. 1t was really Col.
Neal'e contract and witness YVES
never required to sign a bond as bad
previously been the case. He pro-
duced some letters and papers
bearing on his testimony as to the
sale of cotton.
Nj. b. e. Burriss. bookkeeper Of
the peDiten.isry, Vas the next witness.
He has kept the books derisg Col.
Ns.i's term. He saw only the B. B.
R.gsdaIe' 'snete. Gong bsek to 1896
the Watson contract wss made. The
first note which came to bin wss 10
April. 1896, for 81. $50 aud vas given
by Mr.. Wsssos. Itsss payable in the
fall. The nose Vas not paid as
maturity. bnt Ma charged By the bank
% the penisaatisry aeeoant. oo
December, 1885. fhs note aud interest
sisse mstasity mas charged. The
anoaps ssas $l,560, isss the diseoaas.
Ths hi.s fof 1896 auonnted 70 some
thias over 81, 800. Some time in
1897 Col. Nssl told hin Of . ssttls.
oent he hsd bed With NJ stsoa ssd
turnsd ovs. 1918 81. Col. Neal ssid
tho note bed bsss sstslsd up sod the
$318.87 vss 70 80 90 eonsies hire fer
1893 He thinks the note Of one OF
che Raesdsles vss taken DIP in this
transaction.
In February, 1898, Mt Clsrke. or
Col. Jones, sold him they had note Of
B. B. Ragsdsle. He called Col. Meals
attention to is aud be said it had been
srtsuged. Ee didn's say anythiDg
about the circumstances of giving the
pete. Tn February. 1898. was q
$2.398 note by Watson to cover the
'97 convict hire In April. 1897, there
Was . payment Of $172 BY check,
which was not paid Col. Neal said he
would arrange the matter with the
bank, sad it vas carried as ossh. 1t
was given BY Col Neal personally, be
saying he would bsve to pay discount
on the note. he knew nothing about
the Nesl and Watson private contract.
Col. Neal had never told him anything
aboutsit. He knew nothing about the
G. W. Rsgsdale note until about Elk
weeks ago. when he learned of it
through letter to Col. Neal. COL
Neal deposited notes in payment OF
1898 convict hire He was under the
impression it Was Watson note. As