The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-12-31
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Replies to Capt. Sondley in Paris In.
cident. Gives out n Stntement

replies TO Capt. SOndley In Paris In
cfdent. Gives out Statement.
| Columbia, Dec. 23.-Govcrnor Blease
came back today in a statement re-
plying to the indignant denial by
Capt w. II. Sondley, Of the State Pen
itentiary guard, of the charges of
cruelty made against him by a white
convict Raimon Paris, Of Newberry
county" whom the Governor recently
paroled. The Governor, in his state
ment, says that lie has letters from
convicts which he will send to the
General Assembly and h. calls on the
General Assembly for an investiga-
ton of the Penitentiary.
Capt. Sondley arraigncd the Cover
nor, in his statement, for taking the
words of convicts in tieir tales Of
cruelty which the Pen:rcntiary cap
tain denounced as false ana which he
said were "framc-ups."
! Tho Governor charges that Cant.
Sondley has talked very bitterly about
him In several local clubs. His state
mcnt, as given out today, follows:
Since ] parolcd a negro convict
who was brutally whipped because he
spoke to me, during the last session
OF the Legislature, at which time the
committee called the convict and 9TH
ers before them to testify, in the hall
or the House Of Representatives, for
some reason Capt Sondley has been
very bitter against me. 1t has been
repeatedly reported to me by some of
my friends that it is disagreeable to
be In his company at the Elks' Club
or at the Commercial Cmb-that lie
always makes it a point to bring me
up III his conversations and is very
bitter towards mo in his remarks
The action took then was not direct
cd at Mr.. Sondley. but was taken for
the sake Of humanity. presume that
the public will understand his hatred
OF me, and I feel that he can do me
no injury by anything that he says.
am very glad. indeed, that he has
made this outburst, because he puts
on notice those whom he would at
tempt to influence against me next
summer that lie is my political and
personal enemy, and they viii, there
fore, know why it is that he is at
tempting to criticise and injurc me.
"As to the Paris boy, Capt. Press
ley, one of the truest men | have ever
known and one OF the mos, perfect
gentlemen, and who has been connect
ed with the Pcnitentiary for many,
many years possibly twenty or more
sat in my office and heard every
word that Paris said. Capt. PRESLEY
knew Capt Sondley and he knew Col.
Griffith, and after hearing me read
this letter of Paris to him, and af-
ter hearing Parris's statement in full,
Capt. Presley did not open his mouth
in correction or denial Of what Paris
said. believed then, and believe
now, that every word Paris said was
the truth. Had it not been | do not
believe that as honorable a man as
Capt. PRESLEY is would have sat silent
and allowed Col. Griffith and Capt
Sondley to have been misreprcsentcd
by this boy.
There are a good many other in
stances which have come to my atten-
tion, by letters and by statements from
convicts, which. If | were to give them
to the public, might possibly show the
public that Capt. Sondlcy is by no
means the great humanitarian that he
processes to be. Some of these let
ters Will be presented to the General
Assembly at the coming session, when
| hope the General Assembly will
make a proper investigation and not
merely call before them the officials of
the institution"