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\ . - PENITENTIARY E WRITES Says It Must Stand By Yir*n a i 1 iifli wui ADiae VY in i Claims Mill is ] "After the most careful consideration the board of directors unanimously conclude that the (hosiery mill) contract is binding upon it, both in morals and in law, and that it is its duty to stand by the contract according to its terms. It will, however, call the matter to the attention of the general assembly when it next convenes and request that body to instruct the board with reference thereto, which instructions will, of course, be followed by the board." In this language the directors of the penitentiary, in a long letter transmitted last Thursday night, out line to Gov. Blease their conclusion upon the demand made by him that the hosiery mill at the State prison be abolished forthwith. The letter was drafted Thursday evening, at the close of a meeting extending over Wednesday and Thursday. The directors exonerate Lessee Graham from all blame, assume for themselves full responsibility for conditions existing in the hosiery mill, maintain that these conditions are "as sanitary, clean and healthful as it is possible to make them;" declare that convicts engaged in the hosiery ^ mill actually work under better health conditions than the thousands of free cotton mill operatives in the State, assert teat tne contract was entered into with the consent of the legislature, and is in their opinion ? binding both in morals and law; and the directors further say that Lessee Graham pays a fair price for the lav bor he receives and has lived up to p his contract. Letter to Governor. The letter follows: His Excellency, Cole L. Blease, Governor?Sir: Your communication of some weeks ago demanding that this board abolish the hosiery mill contract with Mr. J. M. ttraham, because of the .alleged un' satisfactory, unsanitary and unhealthful condition in the hosiery mill, was duly received. In compliance with your request, this board beld a meeting on the 21st of June to fully consider the matter, but not . being able to secure the advice of the attorney general at that time it was continued until the meeting of ? the board held on yesterday, July 12. At this meeting the attorney general and the assistant attorney general were both present, as were all members of the board. The matter was considered in all of its phases and the conclusion of the board was final ly reacted. The board would call it to your attention, that on the 10th day of August, 1910, a formal contract was entered into by the board with Mr. J. M. Graham, to continue for a period of five years, beginning February 1, 1911. Under this contract the board let to Mr. Graham, the labor and services of from 200 to 350 convicts to ^ be used by Mr. Graham in the manufacture of hosiery and other knitted goods of cotton and wool and in the manufacture of the necessary cases and bales for shipping the same. Requirement of Contract. I The contract specifies that these convicts are to be under the guard and control of the board of directors, and the building <in which they are employed, which belongs to, and is t within the walls of the penitentiary, . under the same contract is to be kept in repairs by the board of directors. In other word^ the contract is one f whereby the board of directors agrees to have convicts do certain work, they being under the exclusive control and supervision of the board of t directors, and the place in which they work being likewise under the exclusive control and supervision of /* the board of directors. It is clear, therefore, that if any unsanitary conditions exist in the hosiery mill it is the fault of the i board of directors, and not of Mr. Graham, as the board of directors assumes the duty of supervising the mill and keeping it in repair, as well as controlling the convicts that work therein. i It has never been claimed that Mr. Graham has in anywise failed to strictly comply with his part of the agreement, and the communication from your excellency indicates your rmininn that we should rescind the contract because of the unsatisfactory and unsanitary condition supposed to ir' ' V ' k exist in the mill, chargeable to this board, and not to Mr. Graham. Sanitary Conditions. Strictly in reply to your suggestion, we would respectfully call to your attention that the conditions in and "K around the hosiery mill, as well as M those in all other departments of the penitentiary, are sanitary, clean and as healthful as is possible to make them. In so far as concerns the hosiery mill, all portions of the building f SOARD THE GOVERNOR _____ / Contract Witli Graham, of the Legislature. Sot Unsanitary. ] itself are kept perfectly clean, the j toilet arrangements are sanitary and the "convicts are given plenty of air space. In fact in so far as concerns the health of the laborers, the conditions in the hosiery mill are as good, if not better, than those of any knitting mill or cotton mill in this State or section. So true is this that the board of health itself, in their recent inspection, not only found no fault with these conditions, but declared that they were as good as we had in 1 f ill i ~ - aicatea. 'l/ne nosiery uum is a un^n. building constructed a few years ago. It has large windows close together on each side, kept open at top and bottom for the passage of air through the whole building. The woodwork is kept well painted, the brick walls are regularly whitewashed and the floors and steps kept as clean as soap and water and scrubbing brush can keep them. Tuberculosis Cases. We believe it is a fact as said by a member of the board that the building could not be made more sanitary, j if the present floors were taken up I and new ones put in, if the walls | were washed with carbolic acid or if I the entire building made anew. If | it is necessary that the hosiery mill j be abolished because it is not sanii tary, then every building within the j walls should be torn down and the ! institution destroyed. Instead of tuberculosis being on the increase, the condition with reference to this disease has steadily improved. This is true as to the deaths from this disease among those employed in the hosiery mill as well as in other departments within the'walls. From 1900 to 1905, inclusive, there were j 58 deaths from tuberculosis among the employees of the mill, while from 1906 to 1910, inclusive, after the tuberculosis hospital had been established, the fatality of this disease was reduced to a total of 22. During this period there have been from &00 to 350 convicts employed regularly in the mill. It must be remembered mnntr A# rfho 11 n f nrfll Tl Q tofl PflTI - luat mauj vi tuv uu?.v4 tracted this disease before coming to the penitentiary, and it is a common occurrence for the county chaingang to send in prisoners because they have the ctfsease. A great many also come from the county jails. The tuberculosis hospital, which was highly commended by the board of health is as perfect as could be desired. The convicts suffering from or throa+onort with tuberculosis are im mediately placed in this hospital and given the best treatment that medical science can devise. In their recent inspection of the prisoners, the board of health, in an examination of 70 prisoners, found only one case, in which a bacteriological examination confirmed tubercule bacilli. Health Conditions Better. The great improvement in the health of the inmates of this institute has no doubt been largely due to the new cell building and sleeping quarters completed in 1902. The old building was damp and unheated but even tha board of health makes no complaint as to the new one, excepting to recommend certain changes, especially in the toilet arrangement which will be adopted. During the last year from the prisoners employed in the hosiery mill, which averaged from 3 00 to 3 50, there were three who died of tuberculosis. Of course, it is impossible to say whether these unfortunates contracted the disease while working in the mill or elsewhere, and it is equally unfair to charge their deaths up against the condition existing in the hosiery mill. The only objections to the hosiery mill offered by the board of health in their recent inspection was that the work of the employes is confining, outdoor work being preferable. The board did not find fault with the sanitary or other arrangements in the mill, but merely concluded that the work required of the convicts in the mill was too confining. Work Hours for Convicts. The convicts employed in the hosiery mill work on an average of 10 hours a day, and while the work of some of them requires a close at. tention?attention to the knitting machine?it is no more detrimental to their health than is similar work done by thousands of free white people in the numerous cotton and knitting mills throughout the State, and in this section; in fact we are confident that the sanitary condition and the supervision of the health of the convicts working in this mill is much better than that enjoyed^by employes in private industries of similar character, and that the danger to their health is correspondingly less. We, therefore, respectfully submit that in nowise can the hosiery mill be considered a public nuisance and A ROYAL TRAGEDY. Closing Years of the Mad King of Bavaria. Twenty-five years ago, on June 13, 1886, King Louis II of Bavaria met with his tragic end in Lake Starnberg. With him died the eminent alienist, Dr. von Gudden, and a whole cycle of legends soon afterwards came into existence among the superstitious Bavarian peasantry regarding the manner of their death. During the months preceding his end King Louis had revealed many unmistakable signs of mental derangement; he heard mysterious voices in the air around him, and believed that he was constantly pursued by dangerous enemies. He withdrew entirely from the world; his cabinet ministers were nable to attain ac cess to him, and his aomesuc servants were forbidden to look at his face, being compelled to approach him with averted eyes. The old valet Meir was obliged to don a mask to cover his features whenever he came near the king, and many other strange things happened at the magnificent palaces which Louis had built for himself with reckless extravagance. Wearing his crown and purple royal mantle, with the sceptre of sovereignty in his hand, King Louis would wander through the rooms of his castles at night, conversing with imaginary guests, for the most part with the ghosts of King Louis XIV of France and Queen Marie Antoniette. Frequently places were laid at his table for their disembodied spirits. The king's debts brought matters to a crisis, and necessitated the intervention of the .Bavarian government. Host of the royal liabilities had been contracted through the con ' struction and decoration of the famous three castles, and several creditors threatened to initiate proceedings to recover their money. King Louis requested the government to introduce a bill in the Bavarian legislature granting his property immunity from seizure for debts, and when his ministers refused this unreason' 1 - J J *? ? In'' +/ ? Knrrftw aoie aernauu uc uicu iu uwiiv<> money from all sorts and conditions of people. In April, 1886, the Bavarian chamber refused to sanction the payment of the king's debts from the public treasury and for a few days later the cabinet addressed a respectful petition to Louis to curtail expenditure. King Louis responded by dismissing the whole cabinet and nominating a new ministry, at the head of which he placed his own barber. This irresponsible act brought matters to a head. A commission of medical experts, under the presidency of Dr. von Gudden, pronounced the king to be incurably insane and incapable of ruling, and a deputation under Baron von Crailsheim * ? ? ^ *4- Ka ^OTl 1X1 IIUWIBC (jail it UC tuuoiucivu U.WU gerous to the health of its employes, other prisoners confined in the peni tentiary or the public at large. The contract with Mr. Graham was entered into by this board under the express authorization of the general assembly of this State, and in their last report to the general assembly the legislative committee on penal and charitable institutions expressly found that the price paid by Mr. Graham^ for the services of the convicts, was a just and reasonable one, and there is no reason for the State to make complaint upon this ground. The attorney general and assistant attorney general were both with the board yesterday, and advised us fully as to the law'involved in this matter. The board's conclusion has been reached by applying the law so given it to the facts as it knows them best. Agreement Binding. After the most careful consideration the board of directors unanimously conclude that the contract is binding upon it, both in morals and in law, and that it is its duty to stand by the contract according to its terms. It will, however, calf the matter to the attention of the general assembly when it next convenes J o 4- KaiItt +a ir* of nmf f VlP emu. i cqueoi mat. uuuj iv iuau uvu nxv board with reference thereto, which instructions will, of course, be followed by the board. Looks to Legislature. In conclusion the board calls attention to the fact that citizens are allowed to visit this institution unannounced and inspect all departments, including the hosiery mill. The board encourages such inspection and fee1 s" confident that it has and will convince all who make it that this institution is sanitary, clean and healthful in all of its departments, that the prisoners are treated humanely in every respect, and that in every particular the institution is a model one for the accomplishment of the purpose of its creation and existence. We are most respectfully, A. K. SANDERS, Chairman; W. H. GLENN, J. B. DEAS, JOHN G. MOBLEY, JAarJUlt JM. SMITH, Board of Directors of the South Carolina Penitentiary. /' - - - ' V " - ' ' - / VV ' t WOMAN SHORT IN ACCOUNTS. Lunacy Warrant Sworn Out Following Discovery of Discrepancy. Cincinnati, July 13.?After an examination into the mental condition of Mrs. John D. Gallagher, conducted by alienists of the probate court here this afternoon, Andrew Gallagher, her son, swore out a warrant before Probate Judge Luerdos, charging his mother with insanity. Action on the warrgftit has been postponed until tomorrow. The swearing of the insanity warrant followed the discovery of a discrepancy in the accounts of the home for the incurables in this city, of which Mrs. Gallagher, prominent society and club woman, has been treasurer for a number of years. In the hearing before the alienists this afternoon it was alleged that Mrs. Gallagher's mental condition had become acute and that her family was afraid that she would attempt to take her life. WANTS COTTON TARE REDUCED. Georgia Legislator Wonld Appeal to President and Cabinet. Atlanta, July 6.?A resolution asking President Taft, his cabinet and the United States department of agriculture to take steps to reduce the 6 per cent, "tare" on cotton baled for the market, was introduced in the Georgia house of representatives ! to-day by Representatives Kimbrough and Johnson.' The 6 per cent, "tare" represents the weight of box, bagging canvas, which is deducted from the gross weight. It is pointed out that since the 6 per cent, rule was adopte.d the weight of American cotton bales has increased and the weight of canvas, etc., has decreased. As a result planters declare, the South loses several million dollars each year. , The Lawyer's Waterloo. The railroads of the world, it is estimated annually kill less than onefourth as many people as the mosquitoes. As there is no way of suing the mosquito, there is a great deal of profitable business lost to the lawyers. was dispatched from Munich to the castle where Louis was in residence to inform his majesty of his dethronement. The king had Baron von Crailsheim and all t^ie members of the deputation arrested. Then Dr. von Gudden proceeded to Neuschwanstein castle, where, to all outward appearances, he succeedin norauflrtine' tVlP killfir to Submit I to his dethronement and to retire to Berg castle,, near 'the shores of .Lake Starnberg, where the final tragedy was enacted. The king was escorted to Berg castle by Dr. von Gudden, another man, Dr. Mueller, and several trained attendants, and he seemed to acquiesce in the arrangement that he should remain there for a year under close supervision. Dr. von Gudden, misled by appearances, telegraphed to Munich that his ; royal patient was "as obedient as a child," and at dinner that evening he promised to take the king for a walk in the park. His assistant, Dr! Mueller, warned him that it would be dangerous to go alone with the king and urged him to allow an attendant to accompany them, or at least to follow them at a safe distance hnt. Dr. von Gudden disregard ed the younger man's advice, and paid the penalty with his life. It was a Sunday evening, and a general feeling of uneasiness prevailed among those who had remained at the castle when the king and Dr. von Gudden failed to reappear after an hour had ' elapsed. Search parties were organized, and during the night one of the royal footmen found the king's hat, coat and overcoat close to the bank of the lake, and Dr. von Gudden's umbrella dose by on the ground. The bodies of the king and his physician were found not far from the shore of the lake, in shallow water, both heads projecting above the surface. Dr. von Gudden's face and head bore the marks of heavy blows which the king, a man of immensely powerful buiM, had showered upon him. The position of the bodies'and the articles of clothing found near them made it possible to surmise, with ?1-1 - ? ^oilo rvf f ViD pruuauie cicuuriii;^, mc uciano ui vu.^ tragedy. It is likely that the king intended to escape from his prison? for as such he regarded the castle in which he was kept as a madman? and that he divested himself of overcoat and coat to swim across the lake. Dr. von Gudden, it appears, closed with him at the water's edge | and tried to prevent his flight, but the king killed him and died from heart disease at the moment when he was on the point of beginning his swim for liberty. The post-mortem examination revealed that neither had died from drowning, but the king from heart failure and Dr. von Gudden from the injuries inflicted on him in the struggle.?Berlin correspondence London Evening Standard. H We have been in business in BaAberg for a num- ? 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