The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-03-29


captain of the penitentiary guard.
was the first witness called. Ine
work on that farm, he said, was done
by six or eight mules, which, when
NOT in use there, with the exception
Of one pair. are kept at the peniten
tiasy The corn and grain not used
for feeding and planting were hauled
20 the penitentiary, bus be kept nc
account of the qusntity carried there.
He supposed such an account was
kept BY the captain of the guard.
When the management was turned
over 10 Sups. Griffith there were l25
bushels of corn on hand On the farm.
Corn was gathered about the lst oi
October and fed to the stock from
then until now.
How much of the 1,7e0 bushels
of corn did you use on the farm 2"
We didn's make any LOO bushels
Of corn."
ri see in the penitentiary report
that It IS put down as i,tVo bushels.
ssThat must be mistake /"
The witness then asked Capt
Wes,6eId If he didn't have the slip
of paper on which he had made the
estimate. Capt. Westfeld said that
he didn't have the paper referred to.
bat his estimate, as be remembered,
was l,400 bushels
Mr. Miller then went on to say that
he had hauled So big loads of corn in
racks When the directors came to
the farm to make their estimate and
saw she pile Mr.. Wharton said there
we're 800 bushels in that pile alone,
bat he did not think SO and said so.
About 200 bushels we're used up to
that time in feeding mules and hogs
He had never said there were over
I,40e bushels all together made, and
had told the directors that they were
placing too big an estimate on it
when they put it all at l,7oo bushels
When asked about bow much it
took TO fatten hogs the witness
answered that he did not think it
required over seven bushels He
had fat,ened last winter IA hogs
weighing 1900 pounds on that guam.
tity of corn. The pork so made was
turned over to the peniientiary.
About the cctton seed, be said he
had about 1000 bushels on hand now
and the others had been used as
fertilizers under oats last fall
The quantity of oats and the
disposition OF them was satisfactorily
explained.
CoNVlCTs WELL TREATED
Mr.. Nelson-"How ere the con-
victs treated 2"
"Humaneiy /; that's Col. Nesl's
orders y
Chow are they fed ?''
nAll they can eas."
s.What do they get p
vegetables. sweet potatoes, bread
and moiasses, aud three and one half
pounds Of meat to the man every
week.
The witness went on to say that
soon after he took charge of the
camp in Lexington, getting out rock.
i, was reported by a, ''lady who
knows every thing" to the superin
sendent, that the convicts were being
cruelty treated. He received a letter
from Col. Neal in which he said:
Il know you will do your duty
only write to let you know that all
the world is watching the convict
camps. and, therefore. we will all
have to be careful that we treat
the prisoners humanely, kindly bu:
firmly"
Mr.. Hay-"How do you punish
them Z"
sGenerally whip them with a
strap
"How many lashes you do give
them
"We have no certain amount l
think 25 is a pretty severe whipping.
Deyer more than once or twice went
over it. My way of managing the
prisoners may be little different. |
get fellow up for bad conduct and
commence whipping him. and when
/ hit him four or five licks and he
makes a good promise l tell MIN ]
will try him If he's all right | say
all right, go ahead If you do all |
want you to do I amt going to whip
you. The punishment on that farm
is very light | worked eight p'ow
hands last year and there wasn': q
lick on them during that time |
had linen digging stumps and they
broke my shovel up badly. The
consain of the guard told me to 60 to
Lorick & Lowrance and get the best
new shevels / could | did 80 /
sold them now the first one that will
!. ona oS fhoso pnfs q