Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-03-29
PENITENTIARY INVESTIGATION.


PENITENTIARY INVESTIGATION.
New Developments That Are Decidedly
Interesting.
The penitentiary investigating COM
mittee continued its labors on last
Thursday, Friday and Saturday and
adjourned to meet again at the state
farm on June IL, when new line will
be taken up. The following conden-
sation of the proceedings is from the
Greenville News of Friday and Sat-
urday:
The investigation Thursday develop
ed the fact that there was regular
governors mansion account run by
Tillman, Evans and Ellerbe. The ac-
counts seem to be for coal, wood, COW
and horse food and provisions general
ly, including molasses and such things,
w ught by Tillman and others.
Tillman's account has been partially
settled but there is balance against
him, outside of the brick account, OF
S57.O6. No bills seem to have been
sent to him, and the money has not
been collected on the account reported
to be due the farm or the penitentiary.
This, as all other mansion accounts,
was kept in the commissary book.
Governor Evans's account, still due,
is $1S1.14. This was never reported
as an asset of the penitentiary, Neal
saying that he would attend to it.
Governor Ellerbe's commissary &C.
count still due is $2l6.56. Of this
amount, $117.92 is due for oats which
he expected to trade out for horse.
Governor Ellerbe has been paying on
his account.
Colonel Meals commissary account
shows that he owes $553.92. None OF
these items, aggregating $1,000, have
been reported to the board as assets
except the Ellerbe oats.
Manager Cooley, of the Read plan.
tation, testified Thursday that he had
sent Colonel Neal at his Easley planta'
tion 10000 pounds of cotton seed for
which no bill was made nor did he re-
port the shipment for payment.
Among the pigs given away by him
was a pair to Director Garris. Mr..
Garris says that about three weeks
ago he tried to pay for the pigs; but
no one seems TO have known what they
were worth.
The evidence Thursday showed that
in addition to what free furniture has
already been accounted for, that o
number of large pieces were sent to
Tillman, bookcase to Representative
A. C. Latimer and two wardrobes to
Dan Tompkins. No charges have ever
been made for these articles Of furni,
ture.
| Frank Weston testified that be
bought and paid for four tons of soft
coal at 81 per ton. Manager Cooley,
of the Read farm, testified that he
swapped a cow with his son-in-law,
and that the cow which the farm got
died before his son-in-law took bis
swapped cow away but the swap was
made before the cow died.
He treated horse for Miss Ellerbe,
charged and collected $13 for his per-
sonal services but never rendered q
bill for the feed, which has not been
paid.
Captain Westfield testified that Till
man, Evans and Ellerbe all ran small
farms near Columbia, on which they
made their cow, horse and other stock
feed; that these small gubernatorial
farms were worked by convict labor
and ploughed by penitentiary mules,
and that no charges have been made,
or, expected, for the labor or plough
ing.
Tillman rented about a two.aere
plat from Newman, and Ellerbe's farm
seems to have been from Is to 20 acres.
One of Ellerbe's credits is 5000
pounds of peavines sold at $3.50 thou
sand, and the peavines made on the
farm which was worked by free con-
vict labor. Two hundred and twenty
dollars has been paid by the peniten.
tiary for a granite curbing for the man
sion, which has never been taken from
the quarry where made. The peni-
tentiary has paid the bill in labor,
but has never been remunerated. The
penitentiary paid other bills for which
it has not yet been recompensed.
Sergeant Adams, who has been at
the penitentiary for 20 wears, was eX-
amined on Friday. He said that free
wood, coal, vegetables and milk for the
superintendent was the custom started
the latter part of Colonel Lipscomb's
term, and continued since. The gu
bernatorial farms, with free convict la
Dor, started during Tillman's term.
Witness thought that the prisoners
were we'll treated, except when Allen
was captain of the guard. Officers
found it necessary to hang prisoners
by the thumbs for discipline. They
we're sometimes allowed to hang from
two to FIVE minutes.
He gave considerable testimony
about the extent of the free entertain
ment and said that there were as many
as Is or 20 visitors entertained a day
at the penitentiary. State constables
who were on duty here frequently
were guests at the penitentiary. ,
Guard Lykes said that he worked
a gang of fifteen or twenty convicts
spreading guano on the Ellerbe planta-
ton, which he said was l5 or ~ acres:
Chairman Cunningham devoted
much time to explaining the improve
ments made since he has been chair
man of the board. and said that the