The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-03-15
COMING TO LIGHT.
The ,Penitentiar" investigation
Shows up Badly for Col. Neal.
WHAT THE STATE is OUT.
Thirty Convicts Worked on the
Farms of Col. Neal for
Which the State has
Not Been Paid.
COMING TO LIGHT.
Shows up Badly for Col. Neal.
WHAT THE STATE is OUT.
Thirty Convicts Worked on the
Not Been Paid.

The committee appointed by the
Legislature to investigate the charges
against COL W. A. Neal, late superin-
tendent Of the Peuitentiary, spent sew
eral days last week on the matter. Ac-
cording to the testimony taken up to
Thursday here is the situation:
In 1896 J. B. Watson and Col. ".
4. Neal made contract whereby the
latter was to redeem or buy back his
farm in Anderson county, which he had
turned over to the former. for debt.
The price was to be Sl4, 900, and this
was to be paid in ihstallments fs2 600
year. At the same time and on the
same day, according to the testimony
of Col. Neal, Mr.. Watson made con-
tract with him as superintendent of the
penitentiary for 30 conyictS who were
to work this farm and another owned
by him (NeaD in Pickens county The
superintendence of the Anderson coun-
ty farm work was to be under B. B.
Ragsdale and the Pickens farm under
C. W. Ragsdale. By this contract for
convict hire J. B. Watson was to be
nominally responsible, while Neal in
reality was to get the benefit of the la
Dor. This was done apparently to get
around the statute which prohibits the
superintendent Of the penitentiary from
employing convicts to work for himself
individually. This contract with Wat
son was not secured by bond as is gen
orally required because Col. Neal con-
sidered him "a responsible man.
Under the instructions Of the board
of directors a note properly endorsed
so that it may be discounted at bank
may be accepted in payment for con-
victs. In the year 1896 j. B. Watson
got 80 conyicts who worked the two
farms of Col. Neal in Anderson and
Pickens counties. These convicts
worked those farms during 1896, 81
and '9S. In payment for their work
the first year B. B. Ragsdale gave his
note for 81, 595.99, endorsed by ". a.
Neal as superintendent. For their
work in 1897 c. W. Ragsdale gave his
note for s2,0l2.45, endorsed in the
same way. The account for 1893 is
still open, though under the head Of
assets. J, B. Watson is charged up
with their hire. These two Ragsdale
notes were placed in the Carolina Ma
tional bank and the money drawn on
them. The B. B. Ragsdale note for
$2, ,595.99 was taken up by the payment
of check given by J. B. Watson. The
check was made payable in five days,
but before that time had expired Mr..
Watson held up the payment. The
bank now demands from the penitentl-
ary the payment Of these two amounts.
W. A. Neal as superintendent having
endorsed the two notes.
This puts the State virtually in the
position Of endorsing notes in order to
get money and. then having to pay the
notes herself, the maker Of the notes
not having paid them. Col. Neal tes-
titled that the two Ragsdales who gave
their notes in payment for this convict
hire for the years had not derived a
ceats benefit from the convicts's work.
1t had been done on his farms and he
had gotten the benefit Of their work,
The State will have to redeem these
two notes and by doing so loses the pay
for SO convicts for the years 1896 and
1897. This amount is in round num-
bers 81 500, to say nothing Of the past
year, which will run the amount up to
about s6, ,O00 All this labor Col. Neal
was using On his farms, though uader
the contract Mr.. ]. B. Watson is the
nominal lessee Of the convicts.
Mr.. Watson's testimony was impor-
taut in that it told Of the contracts
made between himself sAd Col. Neal.
He gave his reason, for refusing to pay
the check taking up the B. B. Rags
dale notes and then went on to say that
under their personal agreement he had
sold the cotton crop from the two farms
made in 1896. After taking out from
the proceeds the first payment on the
farm to himself, he turned over to Col.
Neal 81, 465 S., for which Col. Neal re-
ceipted as superintendent, and which
he understood was to pay the convict
hire for that year. Ithad not been SO
credited and the records gave no evi-
dence CT it having been paid. In 1895
he had also paid draft Of $500 to Col.
Neal. but, as was aftergads shown, ne
was not credited with this IN any WY.
Col. Neal, in reference to the $500
draft. said he had used it for travelling
expenses. About the 81, 465. 5.S5 paid
by Mr.. Watson, he claimed that it had
been paid out to hands and for the ez-
penscs Of making the crop in 1896. Mr..
Stevenson asked the pointed question,
after Col. Neal had stated that he had
paid 200 in 1896 and 1897 to Mr.
Watson. il payment on the farm as per
private contract, il the payment OF
these instalIments were not virtually
using lnvney due the State to pay priv
ate debts. Mr. Burriss testified TO sey.
eral Irregularities involving several
hundred dollars AID showed where only
a part Of draft would be credited to a
mans account, while the remainder
Was placed 70 the personal credit OF ".
4 Neal.
WORSE AND WORSE.
The facts 50 far brought out In the
penitentiary investigation Friday show
that Col. ". \. Neal, the retiring sup
crintendent. is due the State the follow
ing amounts:
Cash collected from Cooley &
Fowler Dec 9. 1885. for con-
vict hire for which no return
was made to the penitentiaryS $4,000
Cash collected from v. Q.
Hammond in the same way
on Nov. 27, 1895 10000