The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-16

dllN ~ -oSSLiio Aii1pOoSiOi0E " hScp up
with them, however, there are but
few men who have not towels of
their own. TO show that try to
supply towels. will say that /
bought $4,000 worth in August.
As to the discipline the board
says: After carefully consider
ing the testimony OF a number of
prisoners, of officials at the peni-
tentiary, Of dismissed prisoners and
outside visitors. we have come to
the conclusion that the discipline
Of the penitentiary is largely based
upon the. personal likes and dis
likes Of the captain of. the guards
and is extremely severe and tends
toeno reformation Of the prisoners. .
have no doubt but what this
part Of the report was based large
ly on the testimony of a. number
of prisoners who were examined by
members ofsthe board at an inves-
tigation. held behind closed doors
without allowing any prison Off
Gals to be present.
made personal appeal to be
allowed to be present but it was
denied. However, gave the board
every assistance / could and had
every man whose name they had
on the list brought before them. I
knew at the time it was doing the
officials a great wrong and injus-
tice to take the testimony Of the
convicts without giving the man
agement a hearing.
The investigation was star
chamber affair and the men who
were brought before the board
were some of the worst and most
dangerous men in the penitentiary,
who would not hesitate to. testify
to anything that would bring an
official into bad repute and parti-
cular1y the one whose duty it is to
manage them. The vilest crimi-
nal is entitled to a fair and impair
tial hearing in any court Of justice.
That the prison official did not get
at the hands of the Board Of Public
Welfare who ought to be fair and
just in allef their acts
The conclusion that the board
reached when they said 4tthat the
discipline is largely based on the
personal likes and dislikes Of the
captain of the guard is as absurd
as it is false. It has the earmarks
of convict testimony, from those
who have violated the rules and
had been punished. You never
hear it from the class OF prisoners
who behave themselves and OBJ
serve the rules.
wonder if there is a man in
South Carolina who knows me
who for one moment would think
that I would retain a man In a re-
sponsible position like captain OF
the guard and allow him to- punish
a prisoner simply on account Of his
likes and dis1ikes. I have never
known a prisoner to be punished
without cause, and I would not
allow it or stand for it. It must be
remembered that we now have in
the penitentiay more white men
than was ever known in its history,
and some OF the most dangerous
and desperate characters. who can
not be fed On milk and honey and
handled with kid gloves. 1t
takes man OF courage and firm
ness. to do so.
I have been criticised by some
for being too lenient and easy on
the prisoners and for allowing
them toe many privileges. When
ever I have heard the charge I have
pleaded guilty to it, and as long as
am here / viii noe stand for brl-
taIity and inhumanity. During the
years Of my administration / have
had three captains Of the guard
aud with each Of them have had
a thorough understanding as to
what my policies were concerning
the handling Of prisoners. :.
For two years I have not missed
a day from my Office except when
absent on account of business and
a few days vacation IN the sum-
mer. 1 keep in touch III the time
with what is going on. and if there
has ever been a man unjustly pun
ished or too severely punished I
have never heard Of it, I am sure
that no complaint from any prison
er has ever been made to me as to
harsh treatment. Prisoners are
punished it is true. There is a
certain class among them that
will always have to be punished in
order to preserve discipline. but
as God is my judge do not know
of single person who has been
bruta1ly or inhumanly treated.
The mutiny which occurred here
last May was just one Of those un-
fortunate things that will happen
or is liable to happen in any pris-
on. No one regrets it more than
I do. The coroner's jury of Rich
land county held an inquest over
the body of the man that was kill
ed; they went into the case thor
oughly, and after a searching ex-
animation the prison authorities
were exonerated from all blame.
The Board of Public Welfare seem
to think the the officers were too
hasty in firing when they did. They
did not fire until the rush started
on them by the prisoners who were
armed with iron rods, sticks, ham
mers. knives. etc. What else were
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