Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1906-04-05

Rankin County Farm Run at q
Loss Of 5000 to the State.
GRAVE cHAHoKs PRErx11xr


Jackson. Mis-.-The report OF the pen
itentiary investigating committee eoa-
eerniug the management OF the Rankin
county State farm was submitted to the
house today. and is as folloxs.
To the Hoa-e OF Representative.
We, yOur penitentiarv eommittee.
having had under Investigation the Ran
Kin county state farm submit herewith
our report thereon. We do not cite you
10 the particular pages Of the testimony
wh-reou each charge specifiei IL sus-
tanned becau<e the whole i reeking with
a piteous account of drunkenness. cruel
y and petty forms of graft. We fnd
that the board of control was Negligent
IN the discharge Of its duties in regard
70 tins farm. and the said farm has for
! thi>- among other rea-sns. heen man
aged at a loss 10 the State Of Oyer st0.-
O00 IN nine years
we cannot account for this heavv
los TO the state OF Mississippi on any
other grounds than that Of gross mrs
management No rules or regulations
were ever made BY the board Of con
trol or posted up where the eonviess
could see them as required BY law. in
ssrtiou- 3is5 and 3i-f of the code OF
lsses but drunken subouiinates were
allowed to brutally maltreat the con-
vlets- m some ez<-s at will. or whenever
the unfortunates ran counter to their
inebrists wishes The sergeant OF the
farm. one Capt Dave Puekett. was a
drinking man. ami those under him.
especially his relative. Joe Strong. was
much worse than be. We fnd that pork.
beef and Vegetables in VARYING qrIanti-
ties were sent from the Rankin farm
TO hotel IN Brandon. whieh hotel was
IN charge of n son-in- law Of Capt Puck
ett- Some horses. from ten ta twenty.
were fed for quite . while at the ex :
pen<e OF the state. which stock be-
longed to Capt fuekett. AMI for neither
pork beef. Vegetables nor horse feed
did the State ever receive a cent
Report of wirt Adams.
A. to the heavy lossss sustained By
the state on aerOunt OF thIs farm. We
refeS YOU to the special report Of the
State revenue agent, Writ Adams. from
whirh any one who desires the inform1-
tlon may see for himself that the Rankin
county farm has caused net los to th.
>taSe Of upward OF $4,000 from th,.
year fss6 to the year 1904. inclusive
A. to the cruelty of Capt. Dave Puckett
to the eonvicts under his charge. W..
make NJ report. for the reason that tn.
SAID Pickett IL under indrtment for
hf- conduct there. and wr lesve the mat
ter TO a jury OF his peers. without com
nient
Crockett Murder
TN June = 1905. convict. one Dan
Crockett was brutalIy murdered by an
other convict BY the name of Horace
Wallace, which Wallace afterwards e.
eaped and has not since been reeapture-i
Wallace was acting under the positive
orSisSs Of Joe Strong. ami received the
second order to shoot before he would
fire the fatal shot This Joe Strony i
a relative OF Dave Puekett. and tn.
tale OF cruelty, drunkenness and de-
bauehery shown by this testimony con-
eernlng this man i siekening IN the ex-
trerne- Said Strong. who i now un-
der Indictment and i a fugitive from
Justice, carried his excessive drunken
ness to such an extent that he was for
several weeks in the hospital on the
Rankin county farm under treatment
for delirium tremens. His will seemed
to be law, and he prnishei the unfOr-
tunates without regard to whether they
deserved II or not: taking advantage OF
the position he held which was driver,
afterwards promoted to assistant ser
geant on the farm He would wreak
his vengeance on any one who dared cross
his whims or remonstrste against his