The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-10-10
act, then recourse win be had to the

act, then recourse will be had to thu
courts.
1t is an open secret that the Mis-.
sissippi penitentiary is a vast politi.
cal machine, or had been until Gov
Bilbo took the reins of government
Noel paid off political debts by his
appointments; SO did Brewer, and
Gov. Bilbo's friends are going to in
sist that they be taken arr of for
their loyalty.
Very few men employed at Parch-
man r friendly to the present ad-
m~inistration, as they were named last
year when the Brewer influence on
trolled, and efforts will be made to
direct the appointments again this
year unless O'Keefe is removed. For
this reason, it is said that he must
go, and unless he accepts the alterna-
tive and resigns before the first OF
the year steps will be taken to have
him removed.
Friends Of Trustees Stone and
Montgomery have taken the matter
up with these officials and efforts are
being made to prevent a general up
heaval. 1t is said quiet efforts will
be made to have O'Keefe step down
and out before making his appoint
ments for another year. Col. Mont
gomery and Mr.. Stone are expected
to lend their aid to the movement, in
that they are familiar with the man.
agement of the penitentiary and will
be relied upon as material witnesses
if charges of incompetency r made
against the superintendent.
It is possible the superintendent
will comply with the demand and re-
sign, and things have taken place I'M
der his administration that would not
look we'll in print, much less as spe-
cifc charges in an action in court.
One incident that shows how the
farm is being conducted was the kill
ing of John Barry on the Lection place
last Sunday night. Barry was a life
termer. He was sent up from this
county and Vas known to be a dan
gerous man. He was under Sergeant
Cain, a Brewer friend; was an expert
gambler and was allowed to visit the
other camps and ply his trade. Last
Sunday he "a dressed in citizens
clothes, according to authentic re-
ports, and sent to another camp un-
der guard, to gamble. He passed in
and kept right on through the build
ing and out the back way. As he
not wearing the prison garb no
effort was made to stop him. He
made his way to the Lection place,
where he was shot down as an "es-
CAPE" the alarm having been sent
out.
Some time during the present year
Gilbert got drunk and insulted a lady,
the wife of a well-known business
man at Parchman. For this offense
he was removed to a camp back from
the station, where he is still working
for the state, although the law on
this offense is very plain.
Other offenses of a like nature have
been committed at Parchman fire.
quently, but they have always been
overlooked, because the offenders were
politically right with the controlling
interests.
Under O'Keefe's management the
oenitentiary farms have not been the
financial success they were under his
predecessor, J. c. Gathings. He is
lot, it is charged, the real head of
he ~penitentiary system, but is un-
Ter orders from political opponents
# the administration.
Mr.. Stone, who is president Of the
'oard of trustees, was the storm CEN
er of a hot fight for election. He
vas opposed by Mr.. Matthews, a
Brewer appointee, who was after
appointed a sergeant at Parch-
nan. Every effort was made to de-
eat Mr.. Stone, who was given the
Import Of Gov. Bilbo and his friends.
'ergeants at Parchman left their po-
itions to campaign for Matthews,
some of them came to Clarks-
.ale and worked at the polls in his
Bilbo's friends lined up for Stone.
fought hard to elect him, and
vow feel that he should do what he
an to reward them for their services.