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v-' . VOL LIV: WINNSBORO. S, C., WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 16, 1899. NO. 1 1 -?-^r,AnTH.TAVI< T ATT ? T\ 1 AT rp T \T 17 Ti i TOri\ Severe hurricane k Millions in Property and Hundred; IS of Lives Lost. PORTO RICO SUFFERS MOST H fc Number of Towns Wrecket H ^American Soldiers Killed. Other Islands Suffer |f Severely. H dispatch from San Juan, Port* 8 Mko, says a hnrricance broke over th< Isouth coast of Porto Kico on Tuesday Bnorning and swept northeast. Ther< Has no abatement for nine hours, th< 8 ^katest damage being done between $ 10 o'clock a. m. BHBkt San Juan four natives wer< 9 wned in the harbor. eighty house; 9 B demolished and hundreds were un H Bred. T! mage to property is es 9 Bated at ,000; commissary store: Kthe value of $50,000 were destroyed H bA dispatch by cable from Ponce sayKe town was almost destroyed. AI ? l rmost all the frame buildings are down the bridge is swept away, and there i: . no communication between the port anc the city proper. The damage to th< j port is estimated at $250,000. Two na j tives are known to have been drowned The records and property of the custou house are ruined, and all the vessel: are ashore. At Albenito very Jattle remainstanding except the cathedral and the barracks. Four natives perished anc ^ * three United States soldiers werebadlv injured. As the town is without food government relief hr,s been dispatchec thither. Elcayey was levelled to th< ground. 200 houses being demolished ! Two United States soldiers were in jured there and many cavalry horse: killed. At Oatano the entire plant of th< I Standard Oil company was ruined. Th< loss on the property is $200,000. A Bayamon a majority of the houses wer< destroyed and the rest were flooded Two hundred cattle were killed, and th< ^ railway seriously damaged. The villag< of Carolina was literally razed. At Ca gas four persons were killed. A courier who has just arrived fron Humaco, capital of the province o: that name, on the eastern coast of th< i island, reports awful destruction there The loss of property is estimated ai $500,000, but this is the least item ii ' the disaster. The courier brought.ai official report from Capt. Eben Swift o: Fifth United States cavalry, who says "Humaco was totally destroyed by th< hurricane. Forty-sis bodies have beei f ' recovered, and there are many more ir 1 - 3-1-? - -rvfj-rrrtt^c r>? T" TAnn ( ft il6 ueon.^ JLJi^Uli V4 **vv^ V V injured; two fatally. Sergt. King o I the Eleventh infantry was injured North, a discharged private, is missing ft At the port of Humaco IS bodies hav< jni been recovered. Eight hundred peo?I< S are starving here." - Three persons were killed at Las Pie H&as and five at Junco. Couriers fron ^^^he other districts are anxiously expect r' ed at the palace. The steamer Slocum ft Capt. Thomas, en route from Mayague; r to San Juan, was caught in the storm i but her passengers and crew wer< f saved through the heroism of Mr. Sin -C?TVia onffpp fTfm i< f iiiSL Ulli^CA. JLUV. W-WN, v _. rained, and the loss will reach millions Very great injury has been done als< to the orange crop, ^'o definite returns ' have yet bet:n received from the south era section of the island apart froa Ponce. It is certain, however, that th< food supplies in the stricken districthave been destroyed and in these quar ters the quantity of government store: on hand is small. Relief wagons wil be sent out in various directions. Gen Geo. W. Davis, the governor gene al has cabled to the war department ai 1 r ? ? appear iur itssisuiu^c. HELP NEEDED. The secretary of war Thursday re ceived the following report from Gen Davis, commanding at Puerto Rico, 01 the cyclone of last Tuesday: San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 9. Hurricane of extreme violence passec over Puerto Rico yesterday. The prin cipal military loss at San Juan one tern poiary company barrack wholly de stroyed, some quartermaster property i damaged. No personal injuries yet re V ported, but all wires are down. No in fn oViinninc lipri? s&Vfi two Smal JU-J.J w 5 local schooners sunk, tvro sailor: drowned. San Juan lights temporarily disabled. Cable reports from Ponce say all shipping is ashore. Custon house here badly damaged and good: stored therein. Messengers from t^< I interior posts tell of barracks unroofec ?^and personal and public property dam ^ aged. The losses by the inhabitants i: very great and extreme suffering mus result. The last hurricane as s<;vere a: this was in 1S7G, owing to loss o: houses, fruit and provision there wa: ^ a famine. I would suggest public no tice in the United States to the effec i that contributions of food, clothing anc money for the destitute will be receive< [ with the greatest gratitude and will b< ' applied strictly to relief of destitute Have appointed a board to supervisi destitution. There are many thousand: of families who are entirely homeles: ' and very great distress must follow Davis, Commanding. 31 ANY T.IVES LOST. The governor of the Leeward islands Sir Francis Fleming, confirms the dis patch from St. Thomas, Danish Wcs Bftfelndies, to the Associated Press an - ^ j _j^^ruouncing tne ue\u^L<n.ivu vauo^u. uj *,u< | hurricane at the island of Montserrat says 74 deaths are already known. IL adds that 21 persons were killed at th< ^ a n VorK ^ The hurricane was not so severe a Antigua. One death is reported there but many persons have been rendere< homeless. The other presidencies o the Leeward islands have not reporte* the damage done. As later advices come in from Mont serrat, it is seen that the first report conveyed only a faiat idea of the suffer ings of the people and their deplorabL condition. The administration appeal for help. In the Island of St. Croix, the larges of the Virgin islands, the destructioi was appalling. It was chiefly wrough at the west end, where the smalle houses are a tangled mass of wreckage Thirty persons were killed and the in habitants arc in great distress. 1 RELIEF FOR THE SUFFERERS. ' The war department at Washington Friday took prompt measures for the relief of the hurricane sufferers in Puerto ' Kico. When press dispatches and Geo. Davis' advices made known the extent of the disaster steps were immediately taken to s*end supplies, and the trans x "\T ~ T>L nrnd TM1 f in pOrt xUCT XICl&ULL V> UD |/mv A** i readiness to sail from New York Monday. She wiil*carry rations and other j necessaries. Secretary of War Koot Friday afternoon sent an appeal to the mayors of all cities of more than 150. 000 population asking them 10 call upon the public spirited and humane people of their city for supplies of food. In the absence of any appropriation the department must rely upon private con> tributions, and it is expected that the j appeal of Secretary lloot will meet with , a prompt and liberal response. ^ WORSE AND "WORSE. A dispatch from Ponce says: A hur2 ricane struck here at S o'clock Tuesday > morning \nd lasted until 3 p. m. The rivers overflowed, flooding the town. ? It is estimated that 200 persons were > mi A J ? 3 drowned, me tcwu auu pun. ait" luiai | - wrecks. It is believed the damage done - will amount to over $500,000. No 5 news has been received from the inte. rior since the storm broke. s The island of Montserrat, D. W. I., - was complete!}- devastated by a hurri, cane Monday. All the churches, es> tates and villages were destroyed and 1 nearly 100 jersons were killed. In adi ditii-i- many were injured and rendered - hoiiidvss, and'terrible distress exists . amt-nsr the sufferers. 1" DEVASTATION IN GT7ADAL0UPE. 5 ; Villages in Suins^'and Valuable Crops r Completely Destroyed. | _ A dispatch from Fort de Franco, 4 Martonique, says the authorities of tha Island of Guadaloupe are still without ' news from the interior owing to the in, terruption of telegraph communication 5 as a result of the recent hurricane. But 4 other advices which have reached La I Point-A-Pitre say the coffee and cocoa ? crops have been nearly totally destroy> ed. At La Pointe A-Pitre seven persons were injured and at Moule the damncrp was considerable and several I persons were killed and wounded, At Petit canal and Port Louis several persons were killed and a number injured, j The villages of Grippen and Lamentin j? have been entirely destroyed and the > light-houses of Monroux and Fosciiloz have been overturned. 't The town of St. Louis de Mane Gaj lante has suffered considerably, j Gov. Morachini arrived at Point-Ac Pitre on the French cruiser Cecile and . soon alterwaras ic;: xor oamtes. ? News which Lis r' iched The Associj ated Press correspondent here from j the British Antillles says the Island of -i MoDicia has not suffered much from the p hurricane; that St. Thomas and St. Croix suffered lightly, that Antigua was | seriously hit and that at Sc. Kitts 200 1 houses weie destroyed. ^ The hurricane passed over Puerto Plata and appears to have ravaged the north of the Dominican republic. All j communication between Puerto Plata and the interior, not including Santo Domingo, is interrupted, and it is :mj possible to obtain a correct account of the damage done, although it is thought I to be important. The railroad from ' Puerto Plata to San Domingo is no long3 er working. Eventually the hurricane swept over j Cape JEaitien with less violence and 5 correspondingly light damage. Advices from La Poiot-A-Pitre, is1 land of Guadaloupe, says the cyclone (innrmmi; damage in the interior of 3 ? O 5 that island, a number of coffee and . cocoa estates being devastated. Le 5 Mourie, a suburb, was half destroyed. J There were a number of fatalities. At La Pointe-A-Pitre, Island ofGuadaloupe, immense damage was wrought j and according to a report not yet confirmed, 102 persons were killed. When "Will it Turn Up. A dispatch from "Washington under . date of August 10 says the West India i hurricane, which has been raging since early in the week, has been lost for the time being in the waters to the north of 1 the eastern extremity of Cuba, where . the weather bureau officials report it . this morning. If it keeps in its present course the j storm will reach Nassau, in the Baha. mas, tomorrow morning. Its progress - has been very slow, averaging about five 1 miles an hour, with a diameter anproxi imating probably 500 miles. Warnings have been sent to cities on j the South Atlantic coast, on the northi eru coast of Cuba and the Bahamas 3 advising that all shipping remain in ) their harbors until the storm has pass i ed. An Awful Death. A dispatch from Walhalla to The State says: On Saturday morning last ! persons came here for the burial outfit of Waller Bynurn, who met with a most violent death on ihc afternoon before. Young Bynum lives just across the river in Georgia and left his home to go for a sister who was teaching a few miles away. He rode one mule " and led another, and in some way he * was thrown from the mule, ODe of his ' feet hanging in the stirrup. He * was dragged for a mile or more in that 3 condition by the mule. His body was terribly mangled, his clothing was torn off, the road being rough, narrow and rocky. Before his body was found it , was dragged across Chattooga river - perhaps before Me was extinct, t xoung ISynum was a very temperate - young man?in fact a teetotlcr?and e his death was a severe shock to his , many friends and the neighboring corue munities. 2 ? TT.4 TTT?-t-T, .cignting juu xioi vycawici. t Dispatches from Manila; says details , o? Gen. McArthurVadvance beyond San 3 Fernando show that the Americans f covered five miles in the first five hours, i and at 2 o'clock had advanced six miles along the railway, stretching on each - side of it for two miles and resting at s night three miles from Angeles, which - will be made the northern base of opers ations, instead of San Fernando, where s a garrison of 600 men has been left. t.i_ . 1.: v.,oa o-,1 .in i.ae casuajuus an; uemwu .jv uuu t The Filipinos were surprised, expecting i the American forces to move against t Tico. They followed their usual tacr tics of holding their trenches until they . became too warm and then retreating - in disorder. They are now falling back | westward t )ward I'oric. THE PENITENTIARY. Report of the Investigating Committee in Fuil. FINANCES BADLY MANAGED. Tl-.o Trpa+ment of Convicts Al* most Beyond Reproach, the Condition and Management of the State Farms Commended. The Penitentiary investigating committee has filed its report with Governor McSweeney. It is a most interesting public document and summarizes the work of the committee as much as possible. The report brings out in a concise manner tile mismanagement in a business way that has been found at - - J iL . V this State lnstiiuuon ana me iaiuu ui previous examioations, with limited scope of inquiry, perhaps, but which, like the directors, made no caieful researches. but took things on faith cr inquired only into the charges made. The committee merely summarizes the evidence as taken and published, which was ail it was expected to do under the resolution of the General Assembly. The report of the committee to Governor McSweeney roads as follows: To the Hon. M. L>. McSweeney, Governor: The General Assembly of this State at its last session passed a concurrent resuiuuuu w a^uiai uwiu mittev of two Senators and three liepreffentatives. "for the purpose of investigating the affairs of the Penitentiary," with inductions to report to you. Th j undersigned were appointed as said committee, and organized by electing W. F. Stevenson chairman. It selected John Taylor as expert bookkeeper and Miss M. F. Gibbes as stenographer. Meetings were held from time to time, as it was expedient to do so, as is shown by the record herewith submitted. Much testimony was taken bearing on the condition and management of the Penitentiary. The matters examined were embraced under three heads: 1. The treatment - # * ?TU J _ of the convicts. ine conuiuuu and management of the farms and the disposition of farm products. 3. The general financial affairs of the Penitentiary proper and the use and disposition made of the assets of the Penitentiary proper including accounts due to the same. 1. As to the treatment of the convicts, we find that Mr. Xeal has always been an advocate of humanity and that wherever the treatment of convicts came under his personal supervision there is no doubt of their kind and humane treatment. One instance of very severe whipping is reported as being given by one subordinate, Mr. J. J. Cooley, which Mr. Xeal is not responsible. \Ve wish to commend the methods used by Mr. Millei, manager of the Lexington farm, in this particular: His management has reduced the necessity for whipping to a minimum, and yet he gets excellent results. While we know that the convict must be controlled, we feel that the dictates of hnmanitv reauire that the unfortunate who is without character of legal standing, and without friends or hope of redress should be treated with all the consideration which strict discipline will allow. "We are glad to be able to report that Mr. Meal has always shown his desire to do his full duty by the convicts from a humanitarian standpoint. 2. We find the farming property in fine condition, well stocked and cultivated; large crops are.made, and valuable improvements in the way of buildings and dykes and ditching and clearing have been made during his administration. The superintendent deserves commendation for the energetic and skilful management of the affairs and improvements made on the property, both on the farms and at the Penitentiary itself. The DeSaussure and Keid farms have been paid for under the administration of Mr. Neal. We are not prepared to say that the farming business, however, is profitable. There has been, for instance, for the year of 1S9S an average of 13S hands used on the Pieid and DeSaussure farms. The evidence is that they will pay $50 per year per head when hired out, making $<3,950 net from iheir hire. The total products from these farms forlS9Sas reported by the board was $41,013.95. The cash returned from the farm produce, DeSaussure and Keid farms, pages 24 and 11, is $12,735.55, and 99 bales of cotton on hand January 1,1899; there was possibly on hand at that time under a liberal estimate, $7,000 worth of other produce, making a total of $22,210.53 accounted for, and leaving a balance of $18,803.40. which must have been consumed. Now. this crop cost, therefore, the hire of convicts, $0,930; accounts paid for the two farms $20,000.39; rent of land, estimating it at one-fourth of the crop, $10,253.48, and produce consumed in the making, $18,803.40. The crops cost, therefore. $50,076.27; the value of the crop, ?41,013.95, leaving a deficit of $15,062.32. From this should be deduoted the value of permanent improvements, claimed as being made during the year, (see Exhibit A.) SI,000, leaving an apparent deficit of $14,0()2.32. To this should be added the interest on the equipment, which is valued by the directors at 825,000. on page 21 of the report of 1SD7, which at (I ner cent would be 81,500, making a total deficit of S15,562.32. From this, of course should be deducted the corn and oats and bacon furnished to tue Penitentiary itself, which at a liberal estimate from the testimony before us, could not exceed $5,000 from the crop of 131*3, which would necessarily leave a loss of $10,502.32 from farming oper ations on those two farms. 3. As to the general financial affairs of the Penitentiary proper and the use am] disoosition made of the assets, etc., w? are constrained to report that the investigation has brought forth a state of affairs which is not creditable. Ij the first place it will be found by a close examination of the testimony taken that the directors knew too little of the affairs of the institution, and were too subservient to the will of the superintendent. The fact that there were about $4,<J0U of Kagsdale notes in the bank with the Penitentiary's endorse ruent representing convict hire for two I years on Mr. Xeal's place, while the dij rectors thought the hire had been paid, shows that their knowledge of the affairs of the institution wis entirely superficial. The fact that they paid him $10 a month stable rent for six years and two months for allowing Penitentiary horses to stand in his stables, where they were kept purely for his convenience, and now profess not to know they were paying it, is another evidence of the somnolenee of their facul ties when approving accounts. They either knew that such was the case, or they did not know it. If they knew they were payiDg it, they were deliberately yielding to Mr. Neal's desire for money, to which he was not entitled, and were therefore culpable, or, if they didn't know it, they were approving and payiDg an item monthly for several years which was wrong and Eever found out. Either supposition is sufficiently humiliating. We would Dote here that we know of no law authorizing the directors to keep a lot of horses and carriages for the use of the sunerintendent's family, and we regard it as an unwarranted extravagance. The evidence here is that the bookkeeper had to use his horse on penitentiary business, for which the State fed him in part, while the horses for whose stable rent we were paying handsomely were being used by the superintendent's family. The evidence is that there was stable ro<5m for these horses at the penitentiary. The custom of entertaining largely at the penitentiary grew up also under Mr. Xeal. Crowds ate there free at the bounty of the S:ate, making the taxpayers their iotel keepers, and exercising a thrifty instinct to get all they could at the pub lie credit. Unfortunately the board of directors set the example by boarding themselves there thus adding to the pay allowed by-law the further provision of hotel bills. In justice to the board, however we will say that after this investigation was begun and that matter was brought out they decided to discontinue that practice and pay their nam This is as it should be. The lavish entertainment there, though, was such as should not be tolerated again. Politicians, contractors, State constables, and personal friends all found a welcome and good cheer there. ' The result has been that the institution came to be considered as a place where any accomodation desired could be had, and as a result we find many things to report as wrong. We find that he has given away many articles produced by the penitentiary to prominent men, such as a bookcase to Congressmen Latimer, furniture to D. H. Tompkins, secretary of State, and T. J. Cunningham-and S. P.J. Garris, directors, and Senator Tillman, who also got a carload of brick, whioh he says Xeal gave him. but which Neal says he sold him. Most of these articles Neal now professes to be ready to pay for, although he had never charged himself with them up to the institution of this investigation. Mr. Garris also got a carload of brickbats and some pigs and turnips, for which Mr. Neal does not think he should pay. Mr. Garris had been anxiou? to settle the pig bill, but could not get it made out, and the other items were presents and they contend were worthless. We do not think it wise, though, for directors to be accepting even valueless presents from the '.penitentiary. If Mr. Neal had paid for these things when he gave them away it is a questionable practice for an officer to be making presents to public men, but when he fails to pay for them and takes the State's property and giyes it to public men he does two wrongs, he misappropriates public property and attempts, apparently, to control the influence of public men by the use of it. Further than that, he has allowed the governors of the State during his administration all to get such things as they desired from the penitentiary, and has neither presented the bills for them nor placed them in the assets and on the regular books. A list of their accounts which he should have presented and collected or published in the list of accounts due is hereto attached. He has himself, also, taken supplies to a large amount at a very low price and has never paid for thenn, an account of them being - ? TIT ! _ J also set torch in this report, we nnu also that there has been a rale that the superintendent shall be furnished with wood and coal free. This is not warranted by law, and is merely another device to increase the salary of the superintendent contrary to law. Again, the governors have been allowed the use of convicts, tools and stock to cultivate land near the city, and this has not been charged to them. This is excused by Mr. Neal on the plea that the governor is ex officio chairman of the board of directors and has in consequence always "otten what he asked for. If that is correct, it is time that the governor should be taken off the board. Wc do not refer in speaking of the cultivating of land to the patch around the governors mansion, which is public property and properly culti vated by convicts, but to independent farms outside. A^ain, the board had a steam laundry established in the penitentiery and operated by the convicts. Mr. Xeal and Governor PJllerbe have both had their family washing done there ever since free, until the termination of Mr. Xeal's term of office. Xow, while it is disagreeable to refer to these matters, we deem it our duty to call them to the attention of the general assembly. If the governor's salary is too small it should be increased by the general assembly, not supplemented by the penitentiary. If not too small the governor should De satisfied therewith. The same remarks apply to the other officers mentioned. It should be a pleasure to those gentlemen who have received these things from the State to make reparation, and the lesson should be learned once for all that a public officer, because he is a public officer, has f-nrrtnerfcv of the LIU illUIS Il.i-iu wv vu? t x j State than the humblest citizen, and when he attempts to give it away to prominent men the inference properly deducible is that he is bartering it for their influence, and they should be above suspicion and keep themselves ?0 by declining such presents. Any other course breeds distrust in the people in their rulers, and when that thoroughly permeates the masses respect for law and order perishes and it become a question of who can get the most out of the government, and high office is sought not from motives of patriotism, but of plunder. We think the!3penitentiary authorities should ! proceed at once to ascertain the valuo of the a sets thu'i given away and presents bills for them to the parties who received them, many of whom have professed willingness and desire to pay for them, and if possible save all such items. This'; should by no means prevent their holding the bond of the superintendent liable for such things as are not settled for. He has misappropriated the assets and should account for them. There is another matter which deserves attention in our general remarks. The managements, it seems, has been receiving favors and granting them in return. It should pay for all assistance it gets and then charge for all matters rendered. The case of-Hon J. W. Ashley is in point. He furnished transportation for the officials, making no charge; in return his horse was boarded at the penitentiary during the session of 1S98 of the legislature'. "While this may he very convenient, it is not business. If Mr. Ashley's favors were worth receiving they should be worth paying for, and likewise the board of the horse is worth paying for." This free and easy "method of balancing one against the other will render it impossible to ascertain at any given time the liabilities of the penitentiary. No one.. will be able to ascertain what the unreturned favors received at the hands of the friends of the superin tenctent are wortn, nor waen tne institution will be called upon to board man or horse in return. It amounts to a reciprocity treaty between the superintendent and his friends, which may involve the institution in endless liability and expense. It should be stopped. Another unbusinesslike feature of the management is the contract of the institution with the knitting mill company in the penitentiary. They give the mill a 25 horse power motor and pay the electrical company for 25 horse power < and are to charge the mill only what j nnuror if- Thev have not settled in five yeara and haven't oven put .in a meter to be able to tell how much ! power has been used. Now, the mill company wants to settle at 10 horse 1 power. The directors don't know what i was used and have paid for 25 horse power. This is unbusinesslike and negligent, in our opinion. Now, as to ; Mr. Neal's financial transactions and his moral obliquity in the matter. In : the first place, in the face of the plain j spirit of the law he arranged as soon as : he became superintendent to have his ! kinsman and creditor, J. Belton Watson, take charge of his plantation in ! Anderson county and procured for him . convicts to work it and agreed that the net proceeds, after paying for the con- i vict labor and the farm expenses, should . be applied to his debt to Watson, and 1 he was thus to get advantage of all I profits made by the convict labor, indirectly hiring them to himself. The law j enjoins upon him the dutv of watching ' those who hire convicts preventing op- : pression .and enforcing the rule that . they shall be humanely treated, care- " fully attested by physicians and not required to labor more than ten hours a ; day, nor on Sundays and holidays. Sections otib" and yuy, \ 01. nev. Stats, of 1893. The plain intent of the law is that he shall hire them to himself, dircctly or indirectly, or be personally interested in the amount of work done. The net proceeds being his, the tendency would be to give Watson the best labor, work it over time and report as much lost time as possible. Having run un der this contract for the years 1893, 1 1894, 1895, he had his debt reduced as , a result from $17,000 to $14,000 (See ; exhibit H). Then he took a contract i from Watson (Ex. H) whereby exclu- ' sive control was returned to him, but the convicts were hired to Mr. Watson 1 (See Ex. G), and no bond was taken ; from Watson. This was plainly done j to mislead the board of directors as he | ; frankly admits that they would not j have hired the^ to him. Thus he be- ; came the master, the contractor iu fact, with Watson as a stalking horse. All j the profits inured to his benefit. In- ] stead of paying the State for the con- ] vict hire for 1896 he took a worthless ' noto of his foreman, one llagsdale, and if oc onnoriTit^n^Ant nf the < AU penitentiary, borrowed money on it and returned it as cash received. The ? note has never been paid and the bank ] threatens the penitentiary xith suit for 1 it. T'-.e same thing occurred in 1S97 with another Ragsdale note and in 1898 no pretence of payment has been i made. The net proceeds of the farming ] operations for 1896 and 1S97 were paid 1 to Mr. Watson on Mr. Neal's debt to him, except $1,465.85, for which Mr. < "V"r - 1 liT*. ~ ?.A/?Ainf r%a eilrtrtr. 1 x>eai gave yratsuu a ictcipu ?.-> intendent, and which was not turned ] into the treasury, but which is covered i by one of the R<igsda!e notes. The < State has been left out for the entire > three years and in 1808 neither Watson ] nor the State has been paid anything. < In November, 1895, Mr. Xeal collected l of W. Q. Hammond $500 on convict i hire, which he kept and used. In Pe- i cember, 1895, he collected from Cooley & Fowler $500 convict hire, which he < also used. In February, 1897, he col- 1 lectedfrom these two firms over $13, 000 and deposited to his own credit ana ] used $539.:)5 of the same. He collect- i ed from J. J. Fretwell $3S7.17 for oats i (Ex. M) and failed to pay it in. He gave a check to the bookkeeper for $172 f to balance his account for cash in hand : and there was nothing in bank to pay it ; and it has not been paid. He took a i note of TV. TV. llussel for $600 for his own accommodation and endorsed it as j superintendent of the penitentiary and | placed it in bank, and it has never been ( paid the bank is after the penitentiary J for the money, and Mr. Neal admits < that he is liable therefor. He collected ' $740 stable rent, which was unauthor- ] ized, but which he claims was allowed by the board of directors, which they < deny, and which appears to have been approved in the prison pay roll. He i has gotten supplies from the penitent ia- ' ry for which he has not paid, amount- < ing to $63S.29. His family washing ] 1 ? ~ t- Vsvsxv-t J o-n/3 Via OTA f O Ofl Tm nab JUUL L'CCU L'cliU 1U1 auu 11V u V/U.A. load of cotton seed to plant, which he i should pay for. All these matters, taken with his presents of State property i to his friends and his having his super- < intendent, Ragsdale, to furnish the I cows to the penitentiary at a big profit, which profit Mr. Neal got, his keeping open house for his friends at the peni- : tentiary at the State's expense, stamp ; him as being utterly deficient in the faculty of distinguishing between what is his and what is therState's, accom- , panied with a remarkable faculty of [Continued on Fourth Page-] THE COTTON CROP. In Poorer Condition Aug. I Than at Same Date in Years. I BIG STATES SHOW LOSSES. Georgia. Alabama and Texas Crops Decline 6 Points During Month. Corn, Wheat and Other Crops. The monthly report of the statistician of the department of agriculture shows the average condition of cotton on August 1 to have been Si, as compared with S7.S on July 1, 91.2 on August 1, 1S99, 86.9 at the corresponding date in 1897 and 85.8 the mean of the August averages for the last ten years. There was a decline during July amounting to 5 points in North Carolina, 1 in South Carolina. 6 in Georgia, Alabama and Texas. 4 in Tennessee and 2 in Missouri. On the other hand, there was an improvement of 1 point in Louisiana, 2 points in Virginia, Oklahoma and Indian Territory, 3 points in Florida and Mississippi and 4 points in Arkansas. The average of the different States on August 1 were as follows: VirginiaSS; North Carolina S3: South Carolina 78; Georgia 70; Florida 03? Alabama 82; Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas. Louisiana 8t>; Texas 87; Tennessee 84; Oklahoma 80; Indian Territory 03. The Texas report includes the condition in the recently submerged region. a special report on which is almost ready for publication. SO Q- onrinrr trlipaf ft?, fir fiats I WiU WC/.V, .. <UW? w v J 90.8: barley 93.6; spring ryeS9.0; buckwheat 93.2; potatoes 93.0; timothy hay 36.7. The average condition of corn improved 3.4 points during July, and on August 1 it was 2.9 points higher than at the corresponding date last year, 5.7 points higher than on August 1, 1899, and 3.2 "points above the mean of August 1, 1897?arid 3.2 points above the mean of the-'August averages for the last ten vears. 'The averages in the principal States t.re as follows: Ohio " ~ - tii r\ 1 t r?n yU; Indiana 'J4; Illinois m; lowa o.s: Missouri 8S; Kansas 106;.Nebraska 99. The average condition of spring wheat declined 8.1 points during July, and on August 1 it was 12 9 points lower than oh the corresponding date last year, 3.1 lower than on August 1, 1S97, and 3 points lower than the mean of the August averages for the last ten years. The condition in the principal States is is follows: Minnesota 90; Iowa 89; Nebraska 66; South Dakota S4; North Dakota S6; Washington' S5; Oregon 81. The average condition of oats im proved U.S points during duiy, anu on August 1 it was 6.6 points higher than at the corresponding date last year, 4 S points higher than on August 1, 185J7, and S.3 points above the mean of the August averages for the last ten years, rhe averages in the principal States are as follows: New York 90; Pennsylvania 98: Ohio and Minnesota 95; Iowa 94; Kansas 85, and Nebraska 92. The proportion of the oat crop of last pear still in the hands of farmers is es timated at 6.9 per cent, as compared with 6.4 per cent, of the crop of 1S97 in farmers' hands one yearago, and 10.1 per cent, of the crop of 1S9G in farmers' bands two years ago. The average condition of barley improved 1.66 poiDts during July, and on August 1 it ^vas 14.3 points higher than it the corresponding date last year, 6.1 - ?i.? "LI?A r/rncf 1 1 SNQT PUILUS LUgllUl kudu uu iLUgUb a , ) md 8.6 points above the meau of the August averages for the last ten years. The condition in the principal States is is follows: Xew Yord and Minnesota 30; Wisconsin DC; Iowa and North Dakota 94; South Dakota 89: California d7. The average condition of spring rye declined .7 point during July and on August 1 was 4.7 lower than at the corresponding date last year and .S point lower than on August 1, 1897, but still 1.5 above the mean of the August averages for the last ten years, [n Wisconsin, which State produces more than one-half of the entire spring rye crop, the condition on August 1 rras 93. Preliminary returns indicate an in" -j-t-i.. i ;n irease or seven-eigats ui 1 i'ci i^-uu iu ihe acreage in buckwheat as compared with last year. There ia an apparent increase of o per cent, in Xew Yorkand jf 2 per cent, in Pennsylvania. The ivcrage condition of buckwheat is (I nnint.fi hiVhnr than at the corresponding iate last year, and 1.7 points lower :han on August 1. 1897. and 2.2 points ibove the mean of the August averages ,?or the last ten year*. The average condition of potatoes defined .8 point during July, but is st;ll . 1 points higher than on August 1,1S!>S 15.1 points higher than on thq corresponding date in ISO 7 and G*.0 points ibove the mean of the August averages ?or the last ten yeirs. Of the 13 principal sweet potato States, S report a decline during July ind 4 an improvement, while in one, North Carolina, the condition remains iboutthe same. Preliminary returns indicate a redue.ion of 3.4 per cent, in the hay acreage. Jf the States mowing one million acres .ir upward last year, only Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South- Dakota and Jalifornia showed an mcrcascaacrea.ee. The condition of timothy hay is 12.G points below that of last year. The average condition of tobacco has ieclined 11 points in Kentucky, 6 in Tennessee and Missouri, 3 in Virginia ind Pennsylvania, 2 in Massachusetts, I in Ohio and Wisconsin and S in Indiana. On the other hand it has improved .") poiDts in North Carolina and Maryland, 5 points in New York, and has about held its own in Connecticut. There are but few States from which the repor s as to the apple crop are not sven more unfavorable than they were last month. There hrs been a m:rked improve dent in the condition ot pastures throughout the New England States and also in New York and Pennsylvania, with some improvement also in Ohio, Kansas, Michigan and Texas. On the other hand, there has been a falling off in condition in Kentucky. Illinois, Iowa Missouri and throughout the northwest. TJtLJ? SU UTJ??ixtiM JiArusiXJ.ua.ni3. | A Chance for South Carolina to Dis> play Her Resources. The Southern Exposition will be held in >*ew York at the Grand Central Palace from the 31st of October to the 23th of November. The object of the exposition is to advertise the South and show to the country at large | what wonderful progress has been made during the past quarter of a centurv in agriculture, mining and manu ? i "i 1'acturing and in eaucauooai suieuue. The advisory committee consists of men prominent in all the walks of life from Texas to New York. The members of the committee from South Carolina are: Gov. McSweeney, Mayor j Smyth, of Charleston. Hon. A. C. Lati- J mer, of Belton, Hon. James Norton, of * Mulling, and Capt. W. A. Courtenay, f N'ewry, S. C. Col. John J. Garnett is the director J; of the exhibition. Among others on ? the advisory committee are: Gen. ^ Wheeler, Gov. Candler, of Georgia, * Gov. Bradley, of Kentucky, Mayor ? Watkins, of' Chattanooga, Roger A. 1 Prvor. Assistant District Attorney e James L. Gordon and Collis P. Huntington. s The exposition will have- depart- * ments of fine arts, history, commerce ? and manufactures, agriculture, horti- c culture and farm implements, machin- e ery. geology, minerals and mining, for- ^ cstry and forest products, women's, 0 educational and Negro departments. a For the forestry exhibit it is inten- ^ dcd that each species of tree shall be i represented by several specimens of all ? the commercials forms into which it is x maufaetured. and every shipping 13 grade of each species and variety will ? be represented by two or three speci- ? mens. Everv effort will be made to * arrange a complete line of samples, so a as to present an intelligent idea at a * glance to the expert as well as to the casual observer. It will be the purpose of the Negro . department to show the progress of d the Negro race in America from the ? old plantation day to the present. Ex- ? hibits of work done by Negroes in all s' walks of life will be found in this de- 7 partment, while in the educational ex- 15 hibit the advancement of the Negro .. race in education will be shown. -1 The promoters of the exposition ex- " nect to have every industry in ali the P Southern States represented. y The enterprise has the'snpport of the Mayors in the leading Southern cities and is endorsed by the Governors of all the-Southern States. ^ PERISHED DT ALASKA. t] - t] o Thirty Half Dead Survivors of Edmon- a; w ton Expedition Beach. "Wrangle. f( A dispg-teh from Wrangle, Alaska, h says: The Stickeen ~'river steamer h Strathcona arrived here Thursday with 30 survivors of the Edmonton trail. " They are weston men. except about 10. a' All these came in with the pack train ^ sent out from Telegraph Creek and t< Laketon by the various trading com- f< panics last spring. r]' The unfortunates tell heartrending 0' stories of hardships endured and comrades lost and abandoned, and strongly 1 i ^? -_'J A. rt denounce me irauing auu uauapuita- ? tion companies as well as the Canadian ?' officials and newspapers that so pro- a: fusely advertised this route as a feasible one to the Klondike gold fields. To outward appearances these men certainly give evidence of the awful suffering undergone since leaving Ed- C monton IS months ago. Most of them ci are sickly looking, with unkept beards ^ and greasy cloths?pictures of physical and financial wrecks. Several have S1 n grown gray and bear marts oi scurvy. ^ A few have just enough money to ? reach Seattle or Victoria, but the majority are without funds. The citizens of Wrangle have ap- & plied to the United States government w at Washington, but up to this time no c< aid had been received. It is admitted C? that there are more than 100 men scattcred along the trail between Laird Post and the Pelly banks and relief parties have been sent out by the Hudson Bay company. The last reports " brought to Laird Post are that many ei were dvinz of scurvy and hunger. It m is estimated there are 30 of 40 sufferers ei at Telegraph creek avraiting the next 113 trip of the boat. The sick that had to be carried on stntchers had not yet reached Glcnora when the Strathcona ^ sailed. Several starvation cases are reported. About 20 miles above Devil's Portage, two unknown men were found frozen to death last winter. A man named I1 Johnson from Xew York was found ^ dead in a tent near the source of the 11 Mudd river last fall. a] o! A Wet Flace. t< Cherapunji, in Assam, northeast of J Calcutta, has the reputation of being 2, the wettest place on the earth, the tc avcrace annual rainfall being 493.15 re ' ~ ?i M- l i-L. J locnes, winic il uas mu iuuuiu ui uuc ii month in which 147.17 inches fell, a This year it seems bound to beat all m previous records, 2G7.84 inches of rain j< having fallen between January l.and ol the middle of June, five months and a b: half, while 73.70 inches, over six feet w of water, fell in a week. lc Number cf Lives Lost. The Montreal fast express to Ottawa, which left Ottawa oyer the Canadian r< Atlantic at 0:30 Wednesdav morning, R jumped the track near St. Policarpe. ci Six or seven persons lost their lives, rc So far as known the dead are: Jos. ai Kocheleau and daughter of Montreal, fj Wilson O'Connor of Ottawa, Xed Stairs g< of Ottawa. George McGuaig, fireman, ii of Ottawa. The fatally injured are: s( Nellie Kyan, Bridget Ryan and Ella g: McDougall, of Maniwake, Quebec, and sj Mrs. Joseph Kocheleau of Montreal. a Seeking a New Home. The British North Borneo Company has received a request from the Philip- a pines asking the company to lease or it sell to Filipinos Banguey Island, just fj south of Palawan Island. Tt is only ir sparsely inhabited by natives. The e< Filipinos, who are engineering ttie deal. I say that in case of their defeat Aguin- tl aldo and other leaders, with a large J section of the Filipinos, may settle at ti Banguey. under British protection and h company's rule. The board is now con- b sidering the question, but it is under- c< stood the company is not averse to leas- J ing the island on very favorable terms S being offered. ti * j U Atf AIM 11\? HA 1 SLU bellow Fever Epidemic Practically Stamped Out. NORFOLK DENOUNCED. Her Merchants Will Transfer Their Business to Rich % ' mond. Fever Record to Date. A dispatch from Newport News says: ?hc yellow fever epidemic is practicaly at an end. The quarantine estabished by this city against Hampton ,nd vicinity was raised Thursday, fol- * owing a conference between the health ioards of Newport News, Richmond, s'orfolk and Hampton, with the State ioard of health and representatives of he Marine Hospital service. The loal quarantine against Norfolk remains ? ^ V ?x Iva miaaJ v II JLUrCS, UUl Will JJC 191DCU uawitivutj veilingThe record of the scourge to this date hows a total of 43 cases, of which 11 esulted fatally. Twelve cases were lischarged as cured and 20 convaleaents remain in hospital at the Soldirs' Home. An interesting episode of he dread malady was the uprising of f the business men of the city gainst Norfolk, because of the iuarantine of that city against Newport v'ews, which, was regarded as premature nd unnecessary. The action of the Norfolk health authorities was delounced at a public meeting, and the aajority of the business men pledged hemselves to transfer their patronage o Richmond, providing the Chesapeake nd Ohio Railway would grant satisfacory rates. Killed by a Liye Wire. - > Four firemen lost their lives Wednesay night in a blaze on an upper floor f the Mercer Chemical company's uilding at Eleventh and Harney ucvu}) v/iiiduaj uiv xu AIWVAA -as insignificant the fatalities resultDg from contact with a live wire. The dead firemen are: Jos. Adams, eutenant; Otto Geiseke, tillerman; reo. Benson, pipeman, Charles Hoper, relief driver. Fireman Geo. Farmer and Albert (ivingston of the Chemical company > Iso sufiered severely from the shock. 7hen the fire had been bronght under ontrol, the firemen set to work to lower tie big extension truck upon which hey had been working. Suddenly lere was a sputtering and succession f flashes. The men who were working t the crank lowering the ladder. Tithed in agony a moment and then ill to the pavement limp and apparent7 lifeless. In lowering the ladder it ad come in contact with a- live wire ariying a current of 2,000 volts. - The ljured men were at once carried into q adjoining building and doctors who ere present used every means known , ) revive them. Hopper reviyed in a jw minutes, and saying he was all ght started to walk away. He had nly gone about 50 feet when he ropped dead. Geiseke showed signs f reviving, but when only partially illied sank back and expired. The fcher two never at any time showed ay signs of animation, and were oubtless dead when picked up. Unfit For Command. A special dispatch trom v ictoria, s>. ., says: Capt. St. John, of the British ruiser Peacock, who arrived here from [anila declares that Gen. Otis is utterr ignorant of the necessities or responbilities of a campaign in the tropics. Lre has 5,000 dead to his account, the British officer declares, and his hesitaon has already shown his forces that e has no grasp on the situation. Otis' sld transport service is declared to be retchedly insufficient and his hospital )rps a farce; and his plan of campaign ilculated to advance the enemv's interit as no other could, -a. serious reach is declared to exist between the nited States army and navy at the ont, and Commander St. John says . _ ?ill! iL . TT,:i..J le iirst luiag tae uiiiuju. ouica guv nment should do is to recall this an. It is really pitiful to see the icrifice of the splendid men of his ariy." Incidentally Commander St. ohn says that the press censorship is irried to the extreme in Manila to save tis from being swept down in a flood i popular indignation. Our Terrible ArmyThe report of Commissioner of Penons Evans for the fiscal year ending une 30, last, shows a total disbursetent of $138,253,923, leaving a bailee of SI.857.188 in the treasury out ? the $140,000,000 appropriated. The )tal number of pensioners on the roll une 30 was 991,519, a decrease of ,195. There were 40,991 names added ) the roll and 43,186 dropped. The sport shows the pension roll is decreaig. Of those dropped 34,345 were beiuse of death and 8,841 because of relarriage, minors attaining their ma>rity, failure to claim pension and ther causes. The war with Spain rought a total of 16,986 claims, of hich number but 295 have been al > n cu? Famine in RussiaThe state department has received a iport from Consul Heenan, at Odessa, ussia, stating that the failure of the ops in many of the provinces of Eu>pine Russia is a much more serious lair than is generally admitted. The imine districts are divided up, and Dvernment aid is being given accordlg to the extent of the failure in the >veral districts. Employment is being iven to a large number of peasants on Decial lines of work, such as road- . iakin^. '' Our Tobacco All Eight. - The Dews that the Japanese governtent will continue to buy its tobacco 1 this country will be especially gratifying to South Carolina growers, for iuch of the American tobacco consum1 in Japan is the product of this State, he report was recently current that le tobacco trust, in order to prevent* apanese competition, had securedconr ol of the firms in that country which ad been its competitors in our market; ut not even the American Tobacco Dmpany can buy up the government of apan, and with that in the field for outh Carolina leaf the desired competion will continue.?State.