The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-21
THE NEAL INVESTIGATION.
REPORT OF JOINT COMMkTTEE.

~0% NtS%AN AN v A$S AAUAA AONo o
REPORT OF JOINT CoMMkrTEE.
The Attorney Generals Concise and
Comprehensive Summary Of the
Results.
The report OF the Joint committee
"tO investigate the affairs OF the State
penitentiary," appointed ut the last
session OF the general assembly. has
just been Issued from the presses OF
the State printers, and is being sent to
tho members OF the general assembly,
who are esked to preserve their copies.
Tho volume contains 458 pages. Pre-
limfnary to the report Of the committee e,
which has already been published in
The State, and the transcript OF the
vOluminous testimony is q message
from the Governor transmitting the
whole to the general assembly. In
this message the governor quotes the
resolution, all correspondence between
his Office and the attorney generals
office. Then the message concludes
thus:
The whole matter was then placed
entirely ii the hands Of the attorney
general, with full power to act, and
protect, as for as possible, the in
terests Of the State. He set to work
diligently to ascertain tho liability of
the bondsmel OF the late superintend.
ent Of, the penitentiary and to collect
the several amounts due the State.
Criminal action was also brought
against the detaulting superintendent
in the sessions CT IT for R:chland
county, under three separate indict-
ments. These cases will come up for
trial at the spring tenn, 1900, Of tho
criminal courG for Richland county.
As soon as the attorney general de-
termined thessliability Of the bondsmen
Of the late superintendent, they came
forward and paid the amounts for
which they were liable, as will be seen
from the following communication
from the attorney general:
Executive D partment,
Office OF the Attorney General.
Columbia, S. c., Oct 2d, 1899.
TO His Excellency, the Governor, Co.
lumbia, S. G.
Sir: Upon the coming In OF the re-.
port Of the committee OF the general
assembly appointed 10 Investigate the
affairs of the penitentiary, your excel
such action as would protect the inter.
ests Of the State, 3nd-I at once pro-
ceeded TO give the matter attention.
The committee has divided the late
superintendent's liabilities into swo
classes, viz: First, as shortage sd-
mitted by himself, items aggreRsting
1854 Al and, second, liabilities con-
tested by him." composed of "convict
hire on the Watson contract for the
years 1896, 1897 and 1898. OF, 400, and
stable rent, S74O, aggregating SO, ,14O /"
beg to call your attention, first, to
the second class OF Liabilities, eo.called.
In ioo T Ro1 khok
superintendent, for the years 1895 and
1897, accepted in payment for convict
hire two notes, which he, discounted at
the Carolina National bank and placed
the proceeds to the credit of the peni-
tentiary. The State received she
money arising from these discounts,
and, consequently, cannot count this
as q loss. The bank must suffer on this
account, unless the general aRsemb y
gives 1t relief.
For the payment OF tho hire OF con-
victs for the year 1893, j. B. Watson,
the contractor, gave to the board Of d.
rectors OF the penitentiary his check
ON an Anderson bank for A2, 900, which
check was transferred to the Oar Dina
National bank, and ono of the notes
above mentioned (for 1907 MAS bhere-
with taken up, and 10 now In the pos.
session OF the penitentiary authorities.
1nasmuch as this check was credited
to the penitentiary account, being ex.
changed for the note taken up, 10 fol.
lows that this cannot be alleged as
loss ohargeable against Meals official
bond.
AS to the last item, s7Ao, referred &c
as "sta6le rent" it soems shat ID wsi
allowed by the board OF directors a,
an Item OF expense, and is:not charge
able ss breach OF the official bond.
am, therefore, OF the opinion shnt n
tho present time mono Of the oharoe,
contained In the second class OF IIahi
lities could be made tine basin of a Az I,
against the bOndsmen OF the late an
intendent OF the penltentiary. II vii
be noticed that on the account OF In,
lease OF convicts for the three wear,
mentioned, the State has lost 92, 600
but know of no legal steps which car
be taken to recoves this amount.
Among the first items OF the Ara
class OF liabilities (S3. .58441), there or,
two which were deducted whom de
mand was made upon the bondsmen
The report charged up "cheok unpsit
and carried by Burriss, ora" UpoJ
! investigation I find this paid bsfor,
\ the report was referred to this offlce
There is also charged, wv. w. Russell
] note for $780," for which the ponisen
x tiary received the money, which IL ha
I uevar raturned IN tho haolr dio.on. .