Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-03-29
THR'PENITENTIARY SCANDAL.
Review Of the Whole De-
plorable Transaction.

plorable Transaction.
August Kohn in The News and Courier.
The Penitentiary Investigating COM
mittee has done enough already to
Justify the legislation necessary for the
existence of the committee. If moth
ing should ever be done with refer
ence to the back accounts aud short
ages, as has been the custom, great
deal has already been accomplished in
stopping "customs" that were neither
warranted by law, necessity or right.
For one thing, it is said that the MEM
bers of the board of directors have
stopped taking their meals and board
ing at the .penitentiary, and have
sought other homes. This is very
proper, as the members of the board
are paid ample during their stay here,
and if they do not get sufficient pay,
then the general assembly ought to
pay more. Of course, this change
may be purely voluntary on the part
of the members of the board. Then
it is said that Captain Griffith, with his
views of what a superintendent is en-
titled to, has brought his own COW
along and will supply himself with
milk and butter, and 80 all along the
line.
The evidence as far as developed
has emphasized one thing: There
never has been such an easy creditor
as the state penitentiary. 1t seems to
have been almost an offence to have
sent man statement for balance
due, as the penitentiary was state
institution. Balances on convict hire
were run from year to year, and every
other kind of account was run just as
/ if the state did not want the money,
and all the while money was being
borrowed from the bank and interest
being paid on discounts. Checks, to
make fine showings to the general as
sembly, were paid with borrowed
money at s per cent. when the state
has in the sinking fund money which
would have been gladly lent at 5 per
cent. had it been known that the pen
itentiary wanted to discount notes so
as to have money with which to meet
and stand q check for $1O,0 900 paid on
the eve of the session of the general
assembly.
Another striking illustration of the
carelessness of the board of directors
is that for six long years, Colonel Neal
has been getting SO month for stable
rent, and yetin all that time the board
knew absolutely nothing about Colonel
Meals getting this extra $40 month,
when by simply looking at the month
ly prison.roll for any month since 1894,
the item of $40 to Colonel Neal for
stable rent might have been discover
ed. The board, it was stated, aver
ages two or three days here month
for its monthly meetings.
The investigation will have ten
dency to make the special committees
of the general assembly worth some
thing besides drawing the per diem
and mileage allowed. Every year
special committee is appointed to ex-
anime the dispensary accounts and al
fairs, another is appointed to look into
the penal and charitable institutions,
and another the state treasurer's books.
These committees have amounted TO
nothing up to this time, and possibly
the penitentiary stir up will make the
committees more active and watchful
and perhaps lead to improvements in
management.
The committee will meet here on
the 18th of June, and will 90 to the
state farms to see what has been done
and at what expense. The committee
is not inclined to take anything on
faith, there having been too much of
that sort of thing already.
The question has been asked wheth-
er there would be any prosecutions,
and if there were, who would take the
initiative. This is not said with a
view to encouraging prosecutions or
suits, but due inquiry has been made
and it has been stated that the board
of directors of the penitentiary are the
proper authorities to bring suit or in
dicLment; that the board is Immediate
ly charged with the conduct of the