Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-01-19
THE STATE pENITENTIARY.
Some Facts and Figures About Our
Criminal Institution.
columbia State.)

the talk about the State losing money
under its contract with }. NJ. Gra-
ham to supply convicts to hosiery
mill. This contract was made 20
years ago and will expire next year.
Under the penitentiary inveStiga-
ton IN 1899 this contract was dis
cussed freely, but it was not vitiated.
superintendent Griffith, testifying
before the court, when asked If the
contract with Mr.. Graham netted the
State a profit, replied: 'No, sir. Some
years ago there was some profit in 1t
because the cost Of living was much
lower at least, and the State did
make some money out of it at that
time. but at this time we do not.
remember one year 1t lacked $11 900
or $4,000 Of paying It's own ex-
penSes.'
Commissioner Watson went in per-
son to the State prison when his in
spectors were examining it. He COM
pliments Superintendent Griffith upon
the successful management of the
State farm. He then shows that
Capt. Griffith Is not responsible for
the condition at the hosiery mill. The
State annually loses several thousand
dollars by the contract, which was
made when labor was more plentiful
and the cost Of living was cheaper.
The State receives 40 cents per day
for the labor which would be worth
$l.1O under present day scale of
wages. There are $50 convicts en-
ployed in this hosiery mill.
The following is the number Of
convicts sent by the State prison to
county chain gangs at 81 per month
each:
Abbeville .. Bamberg 2, Calhoun
3, Chester 2, Clarendon s, Dorchester
3, Edgefeld s, Greenwood 8, Lee 8.
Lexington Z, Pickens |, Saluda 8.
Total 60.
Following Is the statement as to
the distribution Of convicts employed:
In productive labor GO. in prison
duties "a, sick 10, in hosiery mill
$50. in general hospital IL, in tuber-
culosis hospital IS, in machine shops
|, in yard and Office work 20, in
carpenter shops 1, in boot and shoe
shops and clothing and repair work
9. on DeSaussure farm IS, on Reid
farm SO, on Lexington farm II. on
farms in and outside walls OF the
penitentiary As, in blacksmith shops
|, in flour and griSt mills 9, at re-
formatory 90, at Clemson College 33.
Total S93.
There are 10 white males, three
white females: ga negro males and
56 negro females on the roster OF the
State prison.
Under the contract with Capt. Gra-
ham the State receives 40 cents for
men and 80 cents per day for wo-
men. The State clothes the prison.
ers, furnishes medicine and the
guards and cares for the workers in
every way.
Dr.. Butler, prison physician, gave
testimony that the hours Of labor in
the knitting mill are too long. He
also criticised the working Of 200
men on one floor. Although the VEN
tilation is very good. yet the men are
too close together. All convicts are
watched closely for first symptoms of
lung trouble and are then segregated.
superintendent Griffith testified
that the number Of cases of tubercu-
losis has decreased materially since
1899.
The original contract with Capt.
Graham was signed by w. J. Talbert
in 1889, and in 1898 there was
supplementary contract, signed by
w. a. Neal, allowing an increase in
the number employed in the mill
from 80 to 800.
Capt. Griffith maintains that it re-
quires . cents a day for the mere
food OF prisoner. and that clothing,
guard hire, steam heat and other in
cidentals increase this considerably.
However, he testified, the State
itself would have to go into the
hosiery or some other industry, as it
would be unsafe to turn them out on
the public roads. Capt. Griffith stat
ed that aside from paying in addi-
ton to maintenance. and SIS 900 for
permanent improvements. the peni-
tentiary. through the operation Of
its farms. had paid the State $4,000
In ten years.
The busiest and mightiest little
thing that ever was made is Cham
bcrlain's Stomach and Liver Tablets.
They do the work whenever you re-
quire their aid. These tablets change
weakness into strength. listlessness
into energy, gloominess into joyous
ness. Their action is so gentle one
don't realize they have taken a pur-
gative. Sold by Seneca Pharmacy;
l.. G.. Martin, Clemson College.
Man Dynamitcs Himself.
New London, Conn., JAN It,