The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-04-18
DICKERT REVIEWS
AFFAIRS OF THE HOME
Member of the Board of Control of
the Confederate Home Discusses
Conditions There.
To the Editor of The State:

! To the Editor of The State:
AS was to be expected the new
board of the old soldiers home found
the books all o. K, and the old man
agement is kept in the service. II
after all that has been done and said,
the taxpayers and old soldiers are
satisfied, no one else has right to
complain. However, it is a known
fact that men have been known to
be stealing and grating for a 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.
I always contended that the books
il any were kept, would be found
straight. Nothing was ever thought or
said about the system Of bookkeep-
ing; it is a solid, uncontroverted fact.
The people want an itemized account
ing of the disbursement of that $780,
900 appropriation They would like to
know, too, why the vast differences
in the sworn testimony of those in
charge. 1t would be rather far fetched
to contend that because an OLD
soldier is an inmate Of the home he
would not tell the truth. Neither
would it be just to say because Maj,
Richardson was an officer in the army
all his assertions should go unchal-
lenged. Some of his statements have
been very careless, to say the least.
The tax payers are entitled to the
whole truth and let the blame fall
where it may. Let us look at some
of the discrepancy in the statement
made by the two men in control. You
will find them in a pamphlet in which
the legislative investigating commit
tee published their proceedings. On
page 81 Maj. Richardson stated that
the home had 80 hogs and they killed
half. Capt. Caldwell says three. Maj.
Richardson said before 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 SIS Mai. Richardson says:
"I went before the board of regents
of the asylum and got 12 more acres
(the home is on the asylum land)
making II acres in all. I fenced that
with new cedar post, etc., etc. Capt.
Caldwell, who superintended all work
on the place says mo such a fence
was ever built" If Maj. Richardson
included that fence in his contract,
and paid for it out of the approprla-
ton, the State simply didn't get it,
for it is not there. He claims to have
done many other things, such as re
pairing the whole roof" Capt Cald-
well says it was only patched is few
places. Many other of Maj. Richard
sons enumerations Capt Caldwell
seems to know nothing of Maj.
Richardson claims to have fed 70
inmates daily and sometimes 80 or
80. Capt. Caldwell, who kept
an account, says there were only
SO as an average. If provisions were
bought for 70 and 80, when only SO
ate, why was there complaint of not
enough to eat or pilates for eight,
with food for four
On oath Maj. 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 that he was absent
two-thirds of the time, and when he
did come to the home it was only for a
few hours.
Upon that hypothesis can these dis
crepancies in the testimony be ac-
counted for, allowing, Of course, it is
possible for the commandant and the
inmates to tell the truth occasionally.
To show that Maj. Richardson's
statement should not be taken too
seriously, I refer the curious to page
27 of the testimony. Now listen to
the major: tsI worked there Tin the
hor.o) four years, without any COM
pensation at ALL" AS a matter of fact
Mai. Richardson has not been con-
nected with the board or home only
for little more than two years. Dur
+-,o rociCnoH