The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-04-16
SOLDIERS HOME SCANDAL.
con. DICKERT. A MEMBER OF
BOARD, REVIEWS STU
W ALTON.
He Discusses Conditions at Homo and
Quotes Testimony to show That
There WAS Mismanagcment if Not
worso--Discrcpancics Pointed Out.
To the Editor OF The state:

~ hno INC Stdtcs
As was to ne expected. the new
board OF the old soldiers home found
the books all O. X. and the old man
agement Is kept In the service. III
after all that has been done and said,
the taxpayers and old soldiers are
satisfied. no one else has a right to
complain. However. II is a known
fact that men have been known to
be stealing and grating for life
time. yet their books showed up all
right Not meaning that such was
the case with the books at the home,
but merely as a possibility. We will
appeal from one of the board drunk"
as the majority claim to that same
member sober and let the public
Judge.
always contended that the books.
AZ any were kept. would be found
straight Nothing was ever thought OF
said about the system OF bookkeeping;
IL Is a solid, uncontroverted fact. The
people want an itemized accounting
Of the disbursement OF that $4,000
appropriation. They would like to
know. too, why the vast differences
I'm the sworn testimony OF those in
charge. 1t would be rather iar fetched
90 contend that because an old
soldier is an inmate OF the home he
would not tell the truth. Neither
would II be just to say because Maj.
Richardson was an officer in the army
all his assertions should go unchal-
lenged. Some Of his sta ements have
been very careless, to say the least.
The tax payers are entitled to the
whole truth and let the blame fall
where II may. Let us look at some
Of the discrepancy in the statement
made by the two men in control. You
viii find them in pamphlet In which
the legislative investigating commit
tee published their proceedings. On
page 81 Maj. Richardson stated that
the home had 80 nogs and they killed
half. Capt Caldwell says three. Mai
Richardson said bfore he took charge
there were complaints as to feeding
Now. the old soldiers get three sub
stantial meals and lunch every day.
Capt Caldwell and the inmates deny
this.
On page 55 Maj. Richardson says,
II went before the board OF regents
OF tho asylum and cot IL more acres
tthe home Is on the asylum land)
making IL acres In all. i fenced that
with new cedar post. etc. etc. Capt.
Caldwell. who superintended all work
on the place says no such q fence
was ever built" II Mai. Richardson
included that fence In his contract
and paid for II out OF the appropria-
tioon. the State simply didn't get II,
for IL In not there. He claims to have
done many other things. such as ere
pairing the whole roof" Capt Cald-
well says IL was only patched in few
places. Many other OF Mai Richard
SON enumerations. Capt Caldwell
seems to know nothing Of. Mai.
Richardson claims 10 havoc fed 20
inmates daily and sometimes so
or 30. Capt. Caldwell. who kept
an account. says there were only
% as an average. III provisions were
bought for 20 and so. when only SO
ate. why was there a complaint of not
enough to eat or plates for eight, with
food for four"
On oath Mai. Richardson told the
investigating committee that since
March. 1912. he had not been absent
from the home for "a hours Capt
Caldwell and the inmates. on the other
hand. stated chst he was absent two
thirds OF tho time. and when he did
come TO the home II was only for q
few hours.
Upon that hypothesis can these dis
crepancies In the testimony be ac-
counted for, allowing, OF course, 1t is
possible for the commandant and the
inmtaes to tell the truth occasionally.
To show that Maj. Richardson's
statement should not be taken too
seriously, refer the curious to page
~ OF the testimony. Now listen to
the major: III worked there in the
home) four years. without any com
pensation at ALL" AS "a matter of fact
Maj. Richardson has not been con-
nected with the board or home only
for a little more than two years. Dur
ing those two years he had resigned
and gone To Darnwell for several
months. With the exception OF Mai
Mixon's encumbency (six or seven
mOnths) there never was a time that
he was not issuing to- himself payrolls
for 800 per month. The record will