The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-30
CONVICT WORK OUTLINED.
CHAIRMAN A. X. SANDERS MAKES
STATEMENT OF POSITION OF
BOARD.
Prisoners Formerly Employed in
Hosiery Mill will Manufacture
Leather Goods and Furniture
Road Question Still Opcn-Bids
Requested.

Requested.
Convicts now employed in the ho-
sicry mill at the State penitentiary are
to be used for the manufacture of
leather goods and furniture, under
contract, according to a resolution
adopted yesterday at meeting Of the
board of directors.
An advertisement for the employ
mcnt Of 200 to 800 prisoners will be
inserted in the press of the State this
morning and the contract will be let
at meeting called for September 10.
Contract with the management of
the hosiery mill will expire Novem-
ber /.
AT the meeting yesterday the board
discussed the question Of placing some
of the cOnvicts on road work, but
nothing Of a definite nature was de-
cided upon.
Following advertisement will ap-
pear this morning:
THE board Of directors of South
Carolina penitentiary will be pleased
to receive bids for the employment of
200 to 300 cOnvicts within the walls
of the penitentiary for the purpose of
manufacturing leather goods, furni-
ture, chairs, etc. The penitentiary to
furnish buildings, guards, water,
lights and heat. Contract to be let at
their office, Columbia, S. c., on
Wednesday,, September TO-"
There are now 430 prisoners at the
penitentiary. OF this number about
40 are women. There are 22O pris-
oners employed in the hosiery mill
Statistics gathered by the peniten-
tiary officials show that the following
are now employed in the hosiery mill
Eighty-six negro men convicted of
murder and serving life sentences;
nine white men serving life terms for
murder; 13 negroes serving sentences
of three to Is years each for burglary
and larceny; Is white men under sim
liar sentences; three white men and
three negroes serving sentences rang
ing from two to five years each for
assault and battery of a high and ag-
gravated nature; 16 negroes serving
sentences for manslaughter of 10 to
30 years each; seven white men serv-
ing like sentences for manslaughter;
u negroes serving terms of 30 years
to life each for attempted criminal
assault; IL white men and three ne
groes serving terms of from 10 to 80
years each on the charge of arson.
The general policy was decided
upon at a full meeting of the board,
which is composed of the following
a. X. Sanders. Sumter, chairman;
John G.. MObley, Fairfield; w. H.
Glenn, Anderson; j. d. Deas, lClar-
endon; Jasper NJ. Smith, Colleton.
Contract with the management of
the hosiery mill was abolished at the
last session of the general assembly.
Several days ago j. NJ. Graham, who
has held the contract with the State
for prison labor for years, an
nounced that he would give up his
contract without litigation.
A. *. Sanders, chairman, made the
following statement yesterday:
''As there seems to be a great diff
ference of opinion existing all over the
State as to what disp ositiOn should be
made of the cOnvicts now employed
closed on November the 1st next,
beg to give my views on the subject
as widely, perhaps, as they may differ
from a great many. l will say at the
outset that l have been member OF
the board of directors of the State
penitentiary for the last Is years
have attended several sessions of the
American Prison association and have
visited most of the large prisons anL
have q personal acquaintance with
nearly every superintendent anC
warden of prisons in the United
States. Ever since my connection
with the penitentiary l have made /;
study of prison conditions, both a
| home and abroad and have Learned
enough to know that there are tive
sides to the great question: What il
best to do with the man after he be
comes a convict?
The greatest of these questions
which most people seem to ignore en-
trely, is the humanity side of it. A.
soon AZ a man is convicted of a Grim,
they seem to forget that he is a hu
man being and deserves to be treatet
as such. In my judgment, wheneve
a man is convicted of a crime an,
thereby forfeits his liberty to tn
State, the State should never lose it
! coutrO, of him and Should no hel,