Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-02-02
THAT CONVICT FARn
Mr.. rlurphy Exposes Gov. Davis
Hand in the flatter.

ty, came as agent for Mr. Altheimer,
to sell it. and that he sent for Mr.
Altheimer, told him not to have any
middle man or agent, but to give the
state the benefit of the commission,
and had induced him to offer the place
at 100000, which he thought a good
offer. He also said that he would see
him again and get him to take still
told us that he had induced him to
fall to $500.
On the 18th of October, 1901, the
governor called Mr. Altheimer before
the board and asked him if he could
not take less than $S7 800 for his farm
Mr. Atheimer replied that he could
not. The governor then moved that
the board purchase it at that price.
Th!s motion was voted down by ma
sority of one, which angered the gov
eihor to such an extent that he said
that it was his administrati ton, his
opposing members to task for not act
| ing in accordance with his wish.
| had learned beforehand that Mr.
Caldwell had stated to one or more
| members of the board that he had
authority to sell the land, which con-
sisted of some five or six thousand
acres, at $40 per acre, and was unable
to see where the governor had secured
the alleged reduction in price.
When these matters are taken into
consideration together with the gov
ernor's necessary knowltdgt that this
farm was lower, wetter and more sub
ject to overflow than the Beakley
farm which he says was unfit for
convict farm, the question comes,
why Vas he SO urgent in his efforts
to purchase it, By his motion he /
hmiteu the consideration of a pur-
chase to that and the Beakley farm |
and then at the next meeting had |
witnesses on hand to disparage the !
Beakley farm and show it unsuitable !
BY this he thought to force the board |
to buy the Altheimer farm. And why |
'id lie fall out with the members who |
were unwilling to buy it? 1t was eight |
CT ten miles away, twelve. am in |
formed from the Arkansas river, the |
nj oh no
drained, if. indeed, it could be drained |
al ALL The work of crawfish was plain
l. visible upon it. even in summer, |
the Gry season. That it was unhealth |
ful and could not be drained or sew |
cred. except at enormous expense. if at |
all, was plain. To locate upon it |
" large body Of convicts under these |
conditions necessarily meant disease. |
Those of us who had been in the army |
and seen the effects of camp life when
the same camp was long continued |
knew this, and SO stated in board |
meeting, giving cur experience. Still
the governor stuck to his purpose of |
buying this farm-stuck to it to the
very day whom the present convict |
farm was purchased, and persistently |
refused to examine or consider any |
ether
1t may be we'll to say here that no |
mcmhc- Of the board ever at any time |
introduced a proposition to buy the |
Beaklcy farm.
The governor says in his so-called |
message that it has always been one |
OF the expressed policies Of his admin
istration 10 purchase convict farm |
accessible to the city of Little Rock, |
i'll such {. healthful district that the |
walls and penitentiary buildings
might be erected upon it. "and an |
ideal farm maintained, where the con-
victs would be self-supporting, their |
heath protected. and, at the same |
time, accessible to the board Of con
troll"
If ;hia be true, why did he go with |
the Whole board to the southeastern |
county of the state, in the Mississippi |
pi river bottom. more than $50 miles |
from Little Rock, to inspect the Red |
Leaf plantation. Why did he not op- |
pose that expensive movement, that |
waste Of time. The fact is that his |
statement is untrue, and is made un- |
der the hope that it may work up |
some sentiment against the action of |