Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1914-01-16

above increase more than $500, 100000
per annun, II can be easily ascertained
that this investigation has been of
great benefit in a financial way to the
State Of Mississippi Besides, ON the
bonds alone, more than thrice this
amount will be recovered.
desire to say, In justice to the
guaranty companies who are on the
bonds Of the three trustees and the
secretary of the penitentiary, that two
or the companies, to-wit, The Fidelity
and Deposit Company of Maryland and
the Southwestern of Texas have been
with Mr.. Pagan, the expert, who has
inquired out the shortage of each, and
have offered to pay the amount of their
liability, and the other company, the
U. s. Fidelity and Guaranty Company,
OF Baltimore, has not declined to pay,
but has insisted upon more time and
opportunity and data. This whole mat
ter has been referred by me to tho
Attorney-General with the request
that he give it prompt and immediate
attention, When, it occurs to me, that
the claim of about $38,000.00 can be
recovered, and / am constrained to
believe that when the State is in pos
session of all the facts pertaining to
the sale of its cotton that much
more may be recovered I neglected
to state that the Acknowledgement, act
ing upon my advice, has brought suit
against the firm of Boyce & Co., in the
Chancery Court, and attached all prop
erty that could be located in the State
belonging to them and is claiming
something like $500, 100000 from them
in the sale of this cotton to them: and
it is my purpose through this suit to
force disclosure of the real facts and
truth about the matter | have en-
ployed Hon. Robert B. Mayes, dis
tinguished lawyer of this city, to aid
the Acknowledgement in this litigation,
believing that it is to the best interests
of the State to do SO, and the payment
of his fee in this regard / recommend
to your consideration.
When | began an Investigation of
this matter, was confronted with this
difficulty, that the bond of the secre-
tary, which should have been made for
the year 1908 and renewed each year
thereafter, was simply given for the
year 1908 and never renewed until
1912, and then in 1912 a bond was exc
cuted for four (4) years, instead of
one year. The board of trustees had
the fixing of the amount of the bond
and they fixed it at the ridiculously
low figure of 100000 per year. Con-
sequently the State finds itself with
only 100000 worth of bonds for the
secretary when it should have been
81, 100000, but the board of trustees
are liable on their official bonds for
the shortage of the secretary, over
and above the 100000, and / have re-
quested the Acknowledgement to in
stitute such proceedings as are nee
essary to collect this amount. | find
the bonds of nearly all the sergeants
which they are required to give by
law are not given in the manner as
provided by law for each year but that
some executed bond when they came
in and that is the last of it. 1t occurs
to me that this ought to be given very
careful attention. | am informed by
the new board of trustees that they
are giving this attention.
desire to say to the Legislature
that in making this investigation, 1t
has necessarily involved people who
were strong in politics and in business,
and my motives have been miscons-
trued and attempts have been made
from influential sources to thwart
every effort at ascertaining the facts,
but without regard to politics or any
other personal consideration, | have
fearlessly, faithfully and honestly done
my best in this investigation.
now desire to make some recon-
mendatiops which think would be OF
benefit to the State in the peniten-
the Rankin farm does not pay ex-
penses. They worked 160 acres in
cotton in 1913 and made less than 10
bales, so / am advised. If these con-
victs had been on Delta plantation,
with the same work they have done
for 1913, and with the same care and
treatment they received at Rankin,
they could have produced S100,000.00
profit to the State, whereas they have
been handled at a loss. I would,
therefore, recommend that the Rankin
farm be turned into an experimental
stock farm and only a few convicts
kept there for the purpose OF conduct
ing the experiments and looking after
the stock, the balance be removed to
the Delta where they can farm prof
itably in the raising of cotton, or II
they are to be worked at loss, work
them on the public roads and high
ways of the State.
/ find that the hospital for the treat
ment of negro prisoners is located at
Oakley, and to carry sick patient
from Parchman to Oakley necessitates
two changes of cars, is expensive and
troublesome, and is trying to the sick
patient and works much hardship on
him in addition to the great hardship
worked on the public, and by all means
this hospital should be located at or
near Parchman plantation, and
would recommend that that portion OF
Oakley farm lying south OF the rall'
road be divided off for an insane hos
y,;foI FOR oa1arod no0n7n and that such