Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-11-18
w. r. JONES BACK IN UNION

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w. r. JONES BACK IN UNION
Will Be Put to Work on Union coun.
ty Roads.
w. T. Jones, John Henry May, Clyde
May and Arthur Davis, the latter 9
negro, were on Friday Afternoon
brought from the state penitentiary al
Columbia to serve the remainder OF
, their sentence working on the roads OF
Union county. All of them are serv-
ing life sentences for murder. with the
exception Of Davis, who Is serving a
term of fifteen years.
The men were brought from the state
penitentiary as the result Of Governor
Blease abolishing the hosiery mill
there. and after a decision had been
rendered by the attorney general that
counties could have back prisoners
working In the hosiery mill. provided
they paid the state $500 per month per
man, following which many counties
promptly made application for convicts
from their counties, among, them be-
ing Union. fil]t1f : VS. f'ir.a
A short time before the Carolina
Special rolled into the yard here on
Friday afternoon from Columbia It be-
came known to a few persons that the
county board of commissioners had ap-
piled to the penitentiary officials to
have sent back to Union county al
prisoners that had been convicted here
and sent to the penitentiary to serve
their sentence, and that Mr.. w. H.
Howell, clerk Of the board. and Rural
Policeman Thomas Mcdaniel and w.
z Summer had gone down the night
before to bring back the men.
When the train came into the sta
tion the first persons to alight were
Clerk Howell and w. 7. Jones, who
was dressed in neat black business
suit and looked very well, although his
face was not quite so full as in former
years Jones was greeted by num-
ber of persons at the station, and when
he was turned over to Commissioner
Robinson and escorted up Main street,
others spoke to him. He went directly
to the Dixie Cafe, where he had his
dinner then to the Stewart Boarding
house where he had a suit case, and
shortly afterwards was driven to the
county chaingang camp. which Is near
Sedalia on James E. Minter's place.
Jones seemed in very good spirits and
apparently was glad to get back to
Union county.
On the same train were John Hen
ry May. Clyde May and Arthur Davis,
the latter a negro all Of whom wore
stripes and shackles, and were under
guard of the rural policemen. Instead
Of going UP Main street they were TAX
en- by a roundabout way to the Jail
where they spent the night, Captain
Bailey Lawson Of the chaingang, COM
ing In for them on Saturday. 81
When me union county officers went
into the peni.entiary for the men.
Jones, who has been trusty there.
was delivered to them wearing the
black suit he had on when he reached
Union, and IT was not provided at the
suggestion or the consent, It appears,
of any of Union county's officers.
Chairman ]. v. Askew. when spok-
en- to on Saturday morning, said that
when the attorney general rendered
his opinion that convicts would be re-
turned to counties from which they
came, the county commissioners ap-
piled to the penitentiary authorities
for ten colored convicts. This was
done because the people Of Union
county want the roads worked, and
II was cheaper than others. and labor
must be had. The penitentiary Off
cials notified the county board that
they were unable to comply with their
request, saying that they had only
available w. T. Jones, John Henry
May, Clyde May and Arthur Davis, the
latter colored, and declined to return
a negro named Eubanks, who was en-
ployed on the state farm. With this
fact before them the county board de-
cided to have the men named sent to
Union to work on the county roads
When asked the direct question II
these men would be put to manual la
bor such as digging and ditching,
Chairman Askew said that they cer-
tainly would, although at the start they
might not be worked as hard as those
who had been accustomed for a long
time to that kind Of work.
Chairman Askew further stated that
he thought they would have no trouble
with the men, although they We're not
given to permit them being given any
special liberties, and they would have
to work the same as the rest of the
men.
The convicts on the chafngang sleep
in weather-proof and fairly comfort
able tents, though in bad weather they
will probably not be quite so comfort
able as quarters in the state peniten-
tiary.
w. T. Jones, who is the most promi-
nent of the men, as is well known, was
a large and progressive farmer living
at Santuck before he was arrested on
July 8, 1909, charged with having pois-
oned his wife, who died a few nights
before. His case was tried at the Feb
ruary, 1909 term Of court, and he was
convicted of murder, with a recon-
mendation to mercy, the trial being
one of the most sensational of its kind
ever held in Union county. His case
was fought hard through every court
from the time he was arrested until
his commitment to the state peniten-
tiary. which was on June /, 1911. While
at the penitentiary his duty was to
operate the motor in the hosiery mill,
and his work was 80 light that he had
ample time for reading Of which he Is
very fond.
Clerk Howell, when he went to see
Capt. d. ]. Griffith, superintendent Of
the penitentiary, about the men he
was to bring back. was informed by
him that Jones had made a model
prisoner, and that so far as he knew