The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-08-16
THE PENITENTIARY.
Report Of the Investigating Com
nittee in Full.
FINANCES BADLY MANAGED.
The Treatment of Convicts Al
most Beyond Reproach, the
Condition and Manage
n1ent of the State
n1ent Of the
Farms Commended.

The pcnitentiary investigating COM
p.ittce has filed It's report with Cover
nor McSwccncy |: iSa most inter
eSting public document aud summarizes
the work Of the committee as much as
possible. The report brings out in a
concise manner the niSmauagemcnt IN
business va; that has been found at
this State institution and the farce OF
previous examinations. with limited
scope Of inquiry perhaps, but which,
like the directors, made no calefui re-
searches. but took things on faith or
inquired only into the charges made.
The committee merely summaries the
evidence as taken aud published, which
was all it was expected to DO under
the resolution Of the General Assembly.
The report Of the committee to Gov
ernor McSweeney reads as follows:
To the Hon. NJ. B. NcSweency,
Governor: The General Assembly u
this State at its last session passed a
concurrent resolution to appoint com
mittee Of two Senator'S and three Rep
rcsentativcs "for the purpose Of flnves-
tigating the affairs Of the Penitentiary,
with instructions to report 10 you. The
undersigned we're appointed as said
committee, and organized by elecuDg
". 7. Stevenson chairman. 1t selected
John Taylor as expert bookkeeper and
Miss NJ. T. Gibbes as stenographer.
Meetings were held from time to time,
as it was expedient to do so, as is shown
by the record herewith submitted.
Much testimony was taken bearing on
the condition and management OF the
Penitcntiary.
The matters examined were embraced
under three heads: !. The treatment
of the convicts. , > The condition
and management of the farms and the
disposition of farm products. ). The
general financial affairs of the Peniten-
tiary proper and the use and disposition
made Of the assets Of the Penitentiary
proper including accounts due to the
same.
l. As to the treatment Of the con-
victs. we find that Mr. Neal has always
been an advocate Of humanity ard that
wherever the treatment Of convicts
came under his personal supervision
there is no doubt of their kind and hui
name treatment. One instance Of very
severe whipping is reported as being
given by one subordinate, Nj. j. }.
Cooley, which Mr.. Neal is not response
Bile. We wish to commend the methods
used by Mr.. Mil'c,, manager Of the
Lexington farm, in this particular: His
management has reduced the necessity
for whipping to a minimum, and yet
he gets excellent results. While we
know that the convict must be con-
trollcd, we feel that the dictates Of
humanity require that the unfortunate
who is without character Of legal stand
ing, and without friends or hope Of re-
dress should be treated with all the
consideration which strict discipline
will allow. We are glad to be able to
report that Mr.. Neal has always shown
his desire to do his full duty BY the
convicts from q humanitarian stand
point.
,. We find tie farming property in
fine condition, well stocked and cultl-
waited; large crops are made, and valua-
bic improvements in the way Of build
ings and dykes and ditching and clear
ing have been made during his admin
istration. The superintendent deserves
commentator for the energetic and
skilful management Of the affairs and
improvements made on the property,
both on the farms and at the Peniten-
tiary itself. The DeSaussure and Reid
farms have been paid for under the ad-
ministration of Mr.. Neal. We are not
prepared to say that the farming bust
ness, however, is profitable. There has
been, for instance, for the year Of 1898
an average Of l3S hands used on the
Reid and DeSaussure farms. The evl-
dence is that they will pay $50 per year
per head when hired out, making St, $50
net from their hire. The total products
from these farms for 1898 as reported
by the board was Sil ,0l3.95. The cash
returned from the farm produce, De
Saussure and Reid farms, pages y and
II, is $l2. 77335. 50. and % bales of cot
ton on hand January /, 1899; there was
possiblv on hand at that time under a
liberal estimate, s., 600 worth OF other
produce, making total Of S22 ,2lO.9 80
accounted for, and leaving d balance Of
SIS. so. 80. which must have been con-
sumcd. Now, thiScror cost, therefore,
the hire Of conyicts, 1870: accounts
paid for the two farms so, ,0G9:39; rent
Of land, estimating it at onc.fourth Of
the crop, S10,233. is, aud produce con-
sumed in the making, SIS, S03 10. The
crops cost. therefore, S5G, 016.2,; the
value Of the crop, S+l, ,0l3.93, leaving
a deficit Of Sl5, 062 ;}2 81 From this
should be deducted the value Of perma-
ncnt improvements, claimed as being
made during the year, {see EXHIBIT A)
$1,000, leaving an apparent deficit OF
Sl4.062 81. To this should be added
the interest on the equipment, which IS
valued By the directors at SO, oO0, on
page 21 Of the report of lS91, which ct
{ per cent woul1 be 81. 800, making a
total deficit of So, ,3G22 32. 81 Frem this,
Of course should be deducted the corn
and oats and bacon furnished to tie
PeDitentiary itself, which at liberal
estimate from the testimony before Us,
could not exceed y, 600 from the crop
of 1898, which would necessarily leave
loss Of so, ,:162. 81 from farming oper
atoms on those two farms.
3. As to the general financial affairs
Of the Pcnitcntiary proper and the use
and disposition made Of the assets. etc,
we are constrained toreport that the in
vestigation has brought forth a state Of
affairs which is not crcditablc. Il the
first place it will be found by close ex-
~, &c tho {hct1rOnv toEn0 th1 :