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1.5 OXA N . W iL. XA ANI N G4 S. C., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16,%89) 8EVERE iIUmRAE Millions in Property and Hundreds of Lives Lost. PORTO RICO SUFFERS MOST. Large Number of Towns Wrecked and American Soldiers Killed. Many Other Islands Suffer Severely. A dispatch from :San Juan. Porto Rico, says a hurricance broke over the south coast of Porto llec on Tuesday morning and swept northeast. There was no abatement for nine hours, the greatest damage heing done tbetween and 10 o'clock a. Im. At San Juan four natives were drowned in the harbor. eighty houscs were demolished and hundred, were un roofed. The damage to property is es timated at $500.000: coimissary stores to the value of $50.001) were destroyed. A dispatch by cable from Ponce says the town was almost destroyed. Al most all the frame buildings are down. the bridge is swept away, and there is no communication between the port and the city proper. The damage to the port is estimated at $250.00o. Two na tives are known to have been drowned. The records and property of tile custom house are ruined, and all the vessels are ashore. At Albenito very little remains standing except the cathedral and the barracks. Four natives perished and three United States soldiers were badly injured. As the town is without food. government relief hr.s been dispatched thither. Elcayey was levelled, to the ground. 200 houses being demolished. Two United States soldiers were in jured there and many cavalry horses killed. At Catano the entire plant of the Standard Oil company was ruined. The loss on the property is $200,000. At Bayamon a majority of the houses were destroyed and the rest were flooded. Two hundred cattle were killed, and the railway seriously damaged. The village of Carolina was literally razed. At Ca gas four persons were killed. A courier who has just arrived from Humaco, capital of the province of that name, on the eastern coast of the island, reports awful destruction there. The loss of property is estimated at $00.000. but this is the least item in the disaster. The courier brought an official report from Capt. Eben Swift of Fifth United States cavalry, who says: "Humaco was totally destroyed by the hurricane. Forty- six bodies have been recovered, and there are many more in he debri.. Eight privates of Troop C injured; two fatally. Sergt. King of the Eleventh infantry was injured. North, a discharged private, is missing. At the port of Humaco IS bodies have been recovered. Eight hundred peo:plc are starving here. Three persons cre killed at Las Pie dras and five at Junco. Couriers from the other districts are anxiously expect ed at the palace. The steamer Slocum, Capt. Thomas, en route from Mayaguez to San Juan, was caught in the storm. but her passengers and crew were saved through the heroism of MIr. Sin gle, first officer. The coffee crop 15 ruined, and the loss will reach millions. Very great injury has ibeen done also to the orange crop. No definite returns have yet been received from the south ern section of the island apart from Pence. It is certain, however. that the food supplies in the stricken districts have been destroyed and in these '1uar ters the quantity of goxcrnment stores on hand is small. Relief wagons will be sent out in various directions. G en. Geo. W. Davis. the governor general. has cabled to the war department an appeal for assistance. The secretary of wvar Thursday re ceived the following report from Glen. Davis, commandinr at Puterto lieo, on the cyclone of last Tuesday: San Juan, Puerto Ri-u. Aug. P. Hurricane of extreme violence passed over Puerto Rico yesterday. The prin cipal military loss at San .Juani one temn polary company barrack wholly de stroyed, some quartermaster prope rty damaged. No personal imjyries vet re ported, but all wires are down. No in jury to snipping here save two small local schooners aunk. two sailors drowned. San Juan lights temporarily disabled. Cable reports from P'oue say all shipping is ashore. Custom house here badly damaged and goods stored therein. Messengers from tyo interior posts tell of barracks nnarooled and personal and public property dam aged. The losses by the inhabitants is very great and extreme suffering must result. The last hurricane as severe as this was in 1S7t;, owiuz to loss of houses, fruit and provisions there was a famine. I would suggest public no tice in the United States to the ellect that contributions of food. elothings and money for the destitute will be received with the greatest gratituce aio wiul be applied strictly to relief of destitute. Have appointed a board to sarcrvise destitution. There are many thousancus of families who are entirely homeless and very great distress must follow. Davis, ComtaningD. MANY LIV& EU oS The governor of the Leeward islanuds, Sir Francis Fleming, confirms the dis patch from St. Tihomas, D~anish West Indies, to the Associated Press an nouncing the devastation caused by the hurricane at the island of Mcin trat, says 74 deaths arc already kniown adds that 21 persons were killed: a the island of Nevis. The hurricane was not So sevee , Antigua. One death is reportedtee but mlany persons have been rendered homeless. The other presidereso the Leeward island- have nout reporte'i the damage done. As later advices come~ in fromn *ont serrat, it is seen tha the first re 'rts conveyed only a faiht idea of tie sutter ings of the people -anditheir deplorablie condition. Thke aUtLimstratonape) for help. In the Islanrd of St. Croi. the largest of the Virgin islands, the c:tu";on was appalli'ng. It was chiegy wrought at the west end, where the amadier houses are a tangled mass of wreckage. Thirty persons were killed and the in j'l . 1* it IIIF E I :-l'i l ida tk prom pt measures for the r lief th hurricane sufferers in IPutert 0 Rico. W n .-ress dispatches ndG . Kviadvcesmade knowni the extent i h da:-ter stswere imn nediatelv taken t< sen: suppllcs. and the trans pon Me l'herson was orderedi put in readiness to sail from New York Mon day. She will carry rations and other neessaries. Seeretary of War Boot Fridav aiter'anon :.ent an appeal to the mayors of all cities of more t .an 150. 000 nopulation aking them to call upon the public ..piri ed and humane ieople of their city for supplies of food. In the absenc fi any apropriation the deparztmeti u rel upon pri\aie enn trIutios, and it is expecod that the apeal of ecetar lv ot w.-i nmeet with a prompt awllbea reone. A dispatcho Pnceu-" says: A hiur riane -truck here it oclock Tuisday riv.--s vertiswed. S ie- i ste o n I is estimated that ' ., lersons were drow~ned. Thle town and port -are total wrek.It s livcd th. nagdone w ill aumnt to over ,.?O.000. No newA hia h een receved frtm the ite roir sin ce the atorm- brke. Th sa l 1 tc- erat,! 11. W . .,e was comple'Itely deva-tated by a hiurri ean 3Iondav. I.l the churches. es tate Ind vilaes were destroyed and near~ 1o) t 'rsons were kile. In al d : iwere in urd and rende-red b o 1.E terrible cistress ex'5ts amo re the dierers. DEVASTATION IN GUADALOUPiE. Villages in Ruins and Valuable Crops Completely Destroyed. A dispatch from Fort de France. Iartnijue. 5ais the authorities of the Island of Guadaloupe are still without news from the interior owing to the in terruption of telegraph comimunicaitonl as a yesult of the recent hurricane. But other advices which have reached La P'oint-A-Pitre say the coffee and cocoa rops have been nearly totally destroy ed. At La Pointe A-Pitre seven per sors were intjured and at oule the dam ate done was considerable and several iersonis were killed and wounded. At letit canal and Port Louis several per sons were killed and a number injured. The villaesof rippen and Lamontin have been entirely destroyed and the lieit-houses of Ionroux and Foseilloz hve been overturned. The town of St. Louis de atie G a lante has sutered conwiderably. Gov. iorachiini arrived at Point-A Pitre on the French cruiser Cecile and soon afterwards left for Saintes. News which has reached The Associ ated Press correspondent here from the British Antillles says the island of onicra has not suffered much from the hurricane: that St. Thomas andC St. Croix Auercd ightly, that Antigua was seriously hit and that at St. Kitts 2m houses were destroyed. The hurricne passed over Puseerto lata and appears to have ravaged the north of the Dominiean repunlic. All comnuication between Puerto 'ata and the interior, not including Santo Domino. is interrupted, and itis i possible to obtain a correct account of the damage done, although it is thought to be ivoortant. The railroad from Puerto Plata to San Domingo is no long er working. Eventually the hurricane swept over Cape oaitien with less violence and correspondingly light damage. Advices from La Pouir,t-A-I'tre. is land of Guadaloupe, says the cyclone did enormous damage in the irterior of that island. a number of coce and serea estates being devastated. Le hourie, a suburb, was half destroyed. There were a number of fatalities. A t La Pointe-A-Pitre. Islan d of Gi ua daloupe, immense damage was wrought an according to a report not yet eon fired. 1u2 persos were killed. When Will it Turn Up. A dispatch from Washington under date of Agst 1 says the West India hurricane. which has been racing since early in the week. has been lost for the tie being in the waters to thle north of the eastern extremity of Cuba, where the weather buireai o&iieials report it this mornine. If ir keeps in it resent course the stormi will reac Na sai, in the Blaha tans. tomtorrow murai g. Its progress has been very 2law a veraging- about five mles an hour, w ith a dliainet r approx iumating probably~ $J00 iles. Warnines hiave been sent to cities on the South'Atlantie coast, on the north rn e(wat of C.ub' and1 the Bahamas ad vising that all shipping re main in their harbors until the storm has pass ed. _ _ _ _ _ An A wful Death. A disp~ateh from Walhialla to The State says: On :atturday morning last persons cime here for the burial otit of Waler Bynum,. who tmet with a mot;1 violetnt death on the afternoon be ore Y oune Bynum lives just aeross the rv er in Gecorgia and left hi, home to ci for a sister who was teaching a ew~ milesI away. lle rode one mule and id'aother, and in some way lie was thro..n from the mrule. one of his f~et h'an'ine in the stirrup. IIe wa r red for a mn~le or muore in that conirtion by the mulnte. Ili i body was trrily nman led, is clothiine wit- tor-n of. the rowl beitig rou-h, narrow ,ana ro:k. Beorec his bd was foung it was draggred aero-s Chattooga river prhas before l ie was extimet. Yon . 1.' ntuml was a very tempe1'rate young~ 'in --in fact : teetotler -and his ea.th was a severe 5hoek to his ' a frietnds a the ncehboriec coim b.unit'C. Fig-hting in Hot Weather. illpatches from M1anila says details of M n 31rthur's advarnce beyond San Fenad now that tihe Aericans cert., n , les in i he irst aive hours. an. a-t.......e ha adancd si\ miles alon therailay. tre"thin on each sie f t ortw~mle and resting at nichtthreemile fro Angieles, which wil N adet nrthern. ase of oper a arri n 'f iu na has been left. T~e Filitina c were sxrprised. exp*etting the American fore:s r. movec against Tieo. They followed their usual tac tis of hiolding their trenches until they became too warm and then retreating in disorder. They are now falling back T E E N1 T E NAR Y. Report of the Investigating Com mittee in Full. FINANCES BADLY MANAGED. The Treatment of Convicts Al most Beyond Reproach, the Condition and Manage ment of the State Farms Comnended. The Penitentiry invvigating coml n.ittee has ilci its report with Gover nor I-Sweency. : iS a mlost inter II!tinllubli douwent and, aamrzes the % -o.('k Of th1 con. itte as much as poibe. Thle report brings out in a colneize man-r the nisnagement in a business. sa that has beeni found at this Sate instiit(in and the farce of 'ritou examinat i ris. with limited Scope of inuiry. perhaps, but which, like the director. iaie no en eful re sereCes. hat tirk thines on faith or inquired only into the chares :uale. Tihe committee merely sulnunuarizes the v idence as taken and pulhhed, which Vas a! it wa- expectcd to do under the reolutin of the G- eneral A.ssembly. The report ,f the committee to Gov ernor McSweeney reads as follows: To the lion. M. B. NeMSweeney. Governor: Ti General .\senbly ofl this state at its last session passed a concurrent resolution to appoint a com mittee of two Senators and three Elep resentatives "for the purpose of inves tizatinc thc affairs of the l'cnitentiary," with in ,rations to report to you. The unders gneo d were appointed as said committee, and organized by eiecting W. F. Stevenson chairman. It selected John Taylor as expert bookkeeper and Miss )1. F. Gibbes as stenographer. Mcetings were held from time to time, as it was expedient to do so, as is shown by the record herewith submitted. 3iuch testimony was taken bearing on the condition and nanagement of the Penitentiary. The matters ex:atined were embraced under three heads: 1. The trcatment of the convicts. 2. The condition and management of the farms and the disposition of farm products. 3. The eneral financial affairs of the Peniten tiary 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 con viets, we find that Mr. Neal has always been an advocate of humanity and that wherever the treatment of convicts came under his personal supervision there is no doubt of thcir kind and hu mane treatment. One instance of very severe whipping is reported as being given by one subordinate, M. .1. J. Cooley, which 31r. Neal is not responsi ble. We wish to comniend the methods used by Mr. Mileci, 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 con trolled, we feel that the dictates of humanity rcquire that the unfortunate who is without character of legal stand ing, and without friends or hope of re dress should be treated with all the consideration which strict discipline will allow. We are glad to be able to report that MIr. Neal has always shown his desire to do his full duty by the convicts from a humnanitarian stand point. 2. We find the faraming property in ine condition, well stocked and culti vated: large crops are made, and valua ble improvements in the way of build incs and dykes and ditching and clear ing have been made during his admin istration. The superintendent deserves commendation for the energetic and skiful management of the affairs and improvements made on the property. both on the farms arnd at the Peniten tiary itself. The DleSaussure and lleid farms have been laid for under the ad minstration of M1r. Neal. We are not prepared to say that the farming busi ness, hiovever, is profitable. There has been, for instance, for the year of la9 an average of 1:S hands used on the Reid and D~eSaussure farms. The e'i detce is that they will pay $50 per year per head when hired out, making uiel950 net from their hire. The total products from these farms for 1% as reported by the board was 811.013.95. The e*uh returned from the farm produce. 14e Saussure and ileid farms. pages 21 and 11, is S12.7:5.55. and 99bales of cot ton on hand .January 1, 1%;:t there was possibly on hand at that time under a liberal estima~te, I700 w ) orth of ot her produce. making a total of 820-)'. 55 accounted for. and leaving a halan-ce of l.>i:.4I. whih musti have been con sumd. No, tit.er op z t tefre, the ire of~ co-es hO.50 accounts pai for the tvo farms s-N),069~::i rent of land, estimating it at one-fourth of the crop, 31t,25:2.48. and produce con samed in the making . 1.:1 440. The ros cost, therefore, 85;.o7t.27; the value of tie erop, 811,01::.95. leaving a delici t ofI 15.00i:i i 2.-rm this sould be deducted~ the. value of permal uent impjrovemtents. claimed as beingm mae durnng tihe yer, (ee Exhibi: A.) 81.041), leaving aui apparent dell-it of 814.0Il:2 T' o th~ishuld be ad~ded he interest onl the C cWimet, whih is vaI: by the direc-tors i atl.l0 on i-ce cenit would' be 81.0 making a total detit of~ 81.5 :0 Fro th of course shold e ded ucted: the corn an oat and baeon furnishedi to tote Pentetarv itself w'hicdt a liberal esi ier' the tetimn beor us. could notC excee -500 from I tie crop a ns on thI' two arms : sto the cencral -in-'cial atfairs o the P eittiary proper -ad theC use and di-p .--ition made of thet a5sts ec., we are eon-trained to report that theO int vestigation has t bou'ht forth ao stat of aairs wic iu not 'reitale I the firt phlace it w~ill be found by a ~cle ex amation of the testimon:. taken that the directors knew too little of the af fairs of the institution. and were too subservint to the will of the superin tendent. The fact that there were about 8j,600 of Rlagsdale notes in the an th t he enitentiary's endorse ment representag convict hire for two years on Mr. Neal's place, while the di rectors thought the hire had been paid, shows that their knowledge of the af fairs of the institution was entirely su perficial. The fact that they paid him .D1 a month stable rent for six years and two months fur allowing Peniten tiary 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 ev idence of the somnolence 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 paying it, they were deliberately yielding to Mr. Neal's de sire for money, to which he was not entitled, and were therefore culpable, or, if they didn't knor: it, they were approving and paying an item monthly for several years which was wrong and rever found out. Either supposition is su"1iciently humiliating. We would note here that we know of no law au thorizing the directors to keep a lot of horses and carriages for the use of the superintendent's family, and we regard it asan 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 superinten dent's family. The evidence is that there was stable room for these horses at the penitentiary. The custom of entertaining largely at the penitentiary grew up also under Mr. Neal. Crowds ate thcre free .t the bounty of the S:ate, making the taxpayers their .otel keepers, and exarcising a thrifty in vtinct to get all they could at the pub lie credit." Uufortunately the board of directors set the example by boarding themselves there thus aiding to the pay allowed by-law the further provis ion of hotel bills. In justice to the nard, however we will say that after this investigation was begun and that matter was I rought out they decided to discontinue that practice and pay their own board. 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. t The result has been that the institution came to be considered as a place where I any acconiodation 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. Cunning ham and S. P. J. Garris, directors, and Senator Tillman, who also got a carload of brick, which he says Neal gave him. but which Neal says he sold him. t ot of these articles Neal now pro fesses to be ready to pay for, although t lie had never charged himself with f them up to the institution of this in- r vestigtion. Mr. Garris also got a carload of brickbats and some pigs arrl turnips, for which Mr. Neal does not think he should pay. Mr. Garris had been anxious to settle the pig bill, but could not ge. 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 pres ents from the ;'enitentiary. If M1r. Neal had paid for these things when he gaveI them away it is a questionable prac tie for an officer to be making pres ents to public men, but when he fails to pay for them and takes the State's property and gives it to public men he does two wrongs, he misappropriates public property and attempts. appar ently, to control the influence of public men by the use of it. Further than that, lie has allowed the goyernors of the State during his administration all to get such things as they desired from the penitentiary, and has neither pre sented 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 ujli,hed in the list of accounts due 1 is hereto attached. He has himself, also, taken supplies to a large amountI at a very low price and has never paid for thecm. an account of them being also sot or :h in this report. We find also that there has been a rule that the superintendent shall he furnished with wood anld e al free. This is not war ranted by law. and is merely another device to increase the salary of the su perintendent contrary to law. Again, the rovernors have been allowed the ume of enmviets, touls and stock to cul tivae hmi near the city, and this has not been charged to them. This is cx used by 31r. Neal on the plea that the governor is ex officio chairman of the board of dir-eetors and has in conse juence always gotten what lhe asked ir. If that is correct, it is time that the znvernor should be taken off the bard. We do not refer in speaking of thec altivating of land to the patch around the grovernor's mansion, which is ulie property and properly culti-1 vated by conviets, but to independent farms outside. Again, the board had a steam laundry established in the peni tentiery and operated by the convicts. Mr. Neal and Governor Ellerbe have both had their family washing done there ever since free. until the termin ation of M1r. Neal's term of offie. Now. while it is disagreeable to refer to these matters, we deem it our duty to call them to the attention of the gen eral assembly. If the gover-nor's salary is too small it should be increased by the general assembly, not supplemented by I the penitentiary. If not too small the I eovrnor should oc satisfied therewith.t 'he same remarks apply to the other lers mentioned. It should be a leasuec to those gcntlemen who have 1 received these things from the State toC muake reparation, and the lesson should be learned once for all that a public of- I tier, because he is a public officer, has! no more right to tne property of the I State than the humblest citizen, and when he atten~pts to give it away to , oroinent nwen the inference properly - deducible is that he is bartering it forI their influence, and they should be! bove suspicion and keep themselves I o by declining such presents. Any oler course breeds distrust in the peo pie in their rulers, and when that thor oughly permeates the masses respect -for law and orler perishes and it be ome 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 )>oceed at >nee to ascertain the value >f the a sets thu's given away and pre ents bills for them to the parties who -eceived them, many of whom have )rcfessed willingness and desire to pay or them, and if possible save all such tens. This should by no means pre rent their holding the bond of the su merintendent liable for such things as Lre not settled for. He has misappro )riated the assets and should account or them. There is another matter vhich deserves attention in our general 'emarks. The managements. it seems, Aas been receiving favors and granting hem in return. It should pay for all ssistance it gets and then charge for 11 matters rendered. The case of Ion I. W. Ashley is in point. He furnished ransportation for the officials, making io charge; in return his horse was >oarded at the penitentiary during the ession of 1898 of the legislature. Yhile this may be very convenient, it s not business. If Mr. Ashley's favors vere worth receiving they should be vorth paying for, and likewise the board >f the horse is worth paying for. This ren and easy method of balancing one Lgainst the other will render it impos ible to ascertain at any given time the iabilities of the penitentiary. No one vill be able to ascertain what the unre urned favors received at the hands f the friends of the superin endent are worth, nor w acn the insti ution will be called upon to board man r horse in return. It amounts to a re iprocity treaty between the superin endent and his friends, which may in olve the institution in endless liabili y and expense. It should be stopped. nother unbusinesslike feature of the nanagement is the contract of the in titution with the knitting mill compa y in the penitentiary. They give the ill a 25 horse power motor and pay the lectrical company for 25 horse power nd are to charge the mill only what ower it uses. They have not settled n five years and haven't even put in meter to be able to tell how much ower has been used. Now, the mill ompany wants to settle at 10 horse ower. The directors don't know what vas used and have paid for 23 horse >ower. This is unbusinesslike and tegligent, in our opinion. Now, as to dr. Neal's financial transactions and Lis moral obhquity in the matter. In he first place, in the face of the plain pirit of the law he arranged as soon as ie became superintendent to have his :insman and creditor, J. Belton Wat on, take charge of his plantation in Lnderson county and procured for him onvicts to work it and agreed that the Let proceeds, after paying for the con ict labor and the farm expenses, should e applied to his debt to Watson, and Le was thus to get advantage of all rofits made by the convict labor, indi ectly hiring them to himself. The law njoit:s upon him the duty of- watching hose who hire convicts preventing op ression and enforcing the rule that hey shall be humanely treated, care ully attended by physicians and not equired to labor more than ten hours a ay, nor on Sundays and holidays. ections 566 and 5W;, Vol. 2, Rev. tats. of 1893. The plain intent of the law is that Le shall hire them to himself, directly r indirectly, or be personally interest d in the amount of work done. The et proceeds being his, the tendency rould be to give Watson the best labor, rork it over time and report as much ost time as possible. Having run un er this contract for the years 1893, 894, 1893, he had his debt reduced as ,result from $17,000 to $14,000 (See xhibit H). Then he took a contract rom Watson (Ex. II) whereby cxclu ive control was returned to him, but he convicts were hired to Mr. Watson See Ex. G), and no bond was taken rom Watson. This was plainly done o mislead the board of diretors as he rankly admits that they would not ave hired them to him. Thus he be ame the master, the contractor in fact, rith Watson as a stalking horse. All he profits inured to his benefit. In tead of paying the State for the con ict hire for 1896 he took a worthless ote of his foreman, one Rlagsdale, and ndorsed it as superintendent of the enitentiary, borrowed money on it nd returned it as cash received. The ote has never been paid and the bank hreatens the penitentiary -rith suit for t. T':.e same thing occurred in 1897 rith another Ragsdale note and in 98 no pretence of payment has been asde. The net proceeds of the farmiing perations for 1S96 and 1897 were paid o Mr. Watson on Mr. Neal's debt to im, except $1,41;5.S5, for which Mr. eal gave Watson & receipt as super ntendent, and which was not turned nto the treasury, but which is covered y one of the Ragsdale notes. The tate has been left out for the entire hree years and in 1S98 neither Watson or the State has been paid anything. n November, 1895, Mr. Neal collected f W. Q. Hamumond $500 on convict ire, which he kej: and used. In De ember, W5,3 lie ::ollected from Cooley ' Fowler $500 convict hire, which he iso used. in February, 1897, he col eeted from these two firms over $l13. 00 and deposited to his own credit and sed $539.95 of' the same. He collect d from J. J. F'retwell $387.17 for oats Ex. M) and failed to pay it in. H~e ave a check to the bc'kkeeper for $172 o balance his account for ca:,h in c . d there was nothing in bank to pay it *nd it has not been paid. Hec took a ote of W. *W. Riussel for $600 for his 'wn accommodation and endorsed it as uperintendent of the peritentiary and laced it in bank. and it has never been >aid the bank is after the penitentiary or the money, and Mr. Neal admits hat he is liable therefor. He collected 740 stable rent, which was unauthor zed, but which he claims was allowed >y the board of directors, which they Leny, and which appears to have been .pproved in the prison pay roll. H~e las gotten supplies from the penitent ia y for which he has not paid, amount g to sb:%.29. His family washing ias not been paid for and he got a car oad of cotton seed to plant. which he hould pay for. All these matters, ta en with his presents of State property ,o his friends and his having his super ntendent. Rlagsdale, to furnish the ows to the penitentiary at a big profit. hich profit Mr. Neal got, his keeping >pea house for his friends at the peni entiary at the State's expense. stamp um as being utterly deficient in the 'acuty of distinguishing between what s his and what is the: State's, acom ~anied with a remarkable faculty of f Continued on Fourth Page.1 TIE COTTON CROP. in Poorer Condition Aug. I Than at Same Date in Years. BIG STATES SHOW LOSSES. Georgia. Alabama and Texas Crops Decline 6 Points Dur ing 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 S, as compared with S7.8 on July 1, 91.2 on August 1, 1899, 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 Caro lina. 1 in South Carolina, G 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, Okla homa and Indian Territory. points in l'lorida.and Nlississippi and 4 points in Arkansas. The average of the different States on August 1 were as follows: Virginia588: North Carolina 80: outh Carolina 7S: Georgia 79; Florida 93; Alabama 82; 31ississippi. Missouri, Ar kansas, Louisiana 8; Texas S7; Ten nessee 84; Oklahoma S0; Indian Terri tory 93. The Texas report includes the con dition in the recently submerged re gion. a special rep rt on which is al most ready for publication. Corn 89.9: spring wheat o{.: oats 90.8; barley 93.1; spring rye 89.0; buck wheat 93.2; potatoes 93.0; timothy hay S6.7. The average condition of corn im proved 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 or, August 1, 1899, and 3.2 points above the mean of Au. gust 1, 1897, and 3.2 points above the mean of the August averages for th3 last ten vears. The averages in the principal States :.rc as follows: Ohio 90; Indiana 94: Illinois 91; Iowa S2; Missouri S8; Kansas 106; Nebraska 99. The average condition of spring wheat declined S.1 points during July, and on August 1 it was 12.9 points lower than on the corresponding date last year, 3.1 lower than on August 1, 1S97, and 3 points lower than the mean of the Au gust averages for the last ten years. The condition in the principal States is as follows: Minnesota 90; Iowa S9; Nebraska GG: South Dakota S4; North Dakota S6; Washington S5; Oregon 81. The average condition of oats im proved 0.S points during July, and on August 1 it was 6.6 points higher than at the corresponding date last year, 4 8 points higher than on August 1, 1897, and 8.3 points above the mean of the August averages for the last ten years. The averages in the principal States are as follows: New York 90; Penn sylvania 9S: Ohio and 31innesota 95: owa 94; Kansas S5, and Nebraska 92. The proportion of the oat crop of last year 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 1897 in farmers' hands one year ago, and 10.1 per cent. of the crop of 189t; in farmers' hands two years ago. The average condition of barley im proved 1 66 points during July, and on Agst 1 it was 14.:3 points higher than t the corresponding date last year, 6.1 points higher than on August 1, 1997, and 8.6 points above the meaL of the August averages for the last ten years. The condition in the principal States is s follows: New Yord and M1innesota 90; \\ isconsin 96: Iowa and North Da kota 94: South Dakota 89: California The average condition of spring rye elined .7 point during July and on August 1 was 4.7 lower than at the :orresponding date last year and .8 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 -\ugust 1 was 93. Preliminary returns indicate an in rease of seven eights of 1 per cent. in the acreage in buckwheat as comiparcd with last year. There is an apparent increase of 5 per cent. in New York and f 2 per cent. in Pennsylvania. The verare condition of buckwheat is 6 points higher than at the corresp;onding date last year, and 1.7 points lower than on August 1, 1897, and 2 2 points above the mecar of the .\ugust averages for the last ten years. The average condition of potatoes de clined .8 point during .July, but is st'll .1 points higher than don August 1. 18%' 15.1 points highcr than on the corres ponding date in 1897 and 6.9 points above th~e mecan of the August averages for the last ten yec~rs. 0f the 13~ principal sweet p )tato States. S report a decliric during Jiuly and 4 an improvement. while in one. North Carolina. the condition remains about the same. Preliminary returns indicate a redue tion of :-.4 per cent. in the hay aereage. Of the States mowing one million acres r upward last year. only 3Missouri. Kansas, Nebraska. Sonth Dakota arid California showed an icreased acreare. The condition of timothy hay is 12.; points below that of last year. The average condition of tobaceo has eclined 11 points in Kentucky. 6 in Tennessee and MIissouri. 3 in Virginia ad Pennsylvania, 2 in M1assachusetts. I in Ohio and Wisconsin and in In diana. ( ) the other hand it has im jrovd 5 p)oints in North Carolina and M~aryland. 5 points in New York. anl has about held its own in Connecticut. There are but few States from which the repor s as to the apple crop arc not even more unfavorable than they were last month. There his bzen a i-rked improve met in the condition of pastures throughout the New England States and also in New York and PennLsylvania. with some improvement also in Ohio, Kansas, MIichigan and Texas. On the other hand, there has been a falling off in condition in Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa THE SOUTHERN EXPOSITIONS. A Chance for South Carolina to Dis play Her Resources. The Southern Exposition will be held in New York at the Grand Cen tral Palace from the 31st of October to the 25th 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 cen tury in agriculture, mining and manu facturing and in educational science. The advisory committee consists of meu prominent in all the walks of life from Texas to New York. The mem bers of the committee from South Car olina are: Gov. McSweeney, Mayor Smyth. of Charleston, lion. A. C. Lati mer. of Belton, i1on. James Norton, of Mulhlns, and Capt. W. A. Courtenay, Newry, S. C. Col. John J. Garnett is the director of the exhibition. Among others on the aavisory committee are: Gen. Wheeler, Gov. Candler, of Georgia, Gov. Bradley, of Kentucky, Mayor Watkins. of Chattanooga, Roger A. Pryor, Assistant District Attorney -James L. Gordon and Collis P. Hunt ington. The exposition will have depart ments of fine arts, history, commerce and manufactures, agriculture, horti culture and farm implements, machin ery. geology, minerals and mining, for estry r-nd forest products, women s, educational and Negro departments. For the forestry exhibit it is inten ded that each species of tree shall be renresented by several specimens of all the commercials forms into which it is maufactured, and every shipping grade of each species and variety will be represented by two or three speci mens. Every effort will be made to arrange a complete line of samples, so 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 the Negro race in America from the old plantation day to the present. Ex hibits of work done by Negroes in all walks of life will be found in this de partment, while in the educational ex hibit the advancement of the Negro race in cducatioa will be shown. The promoters of the exposition ex pect to have every industry in all the Southern States represented. The enterprise has the'support of the Mayors in the leading Southern cities and is endorsed by the Governors of all the Southern States. PERISHED IN ALASKa. hirty Half Dead Survivors of Edmon ton Expedition Reach Wrangle. A dispatch from Wrangle, Alaska, says: The Stickeen river steamer Stratheona arrived here Thursday with 30 survivors of the Edmonton trail. They are weston men, except about 10. All these came in with thepack train ent out from Telegraph Creek and Laketon by the various trading com panies last spring. The unfortunates tell heartrending stories of hardships endured and com rades lost and abandoned, and strongly denounce the trading and transporta tion companies as well as the Canadian officials and newspapers that so pro fusely advertised this route as a feas ible one to the Klondike gold fields. To outward appearances these men certainly give evidence of the awful suffering undergone since leaving Ed mnton 1S months ago. 3Most of them are sickly looking, with unkept beards and greasy cloths-pictures of physical and financial wrecks. Several have grown gray and bear marks of scurvy. A few have just enough money to reach Seattle or Victoria, but the ma jority arc without funds. The citizens of Wrangle have ap plied to the United States government a~t Washington, but up to this time no aid had been received. It is admitted that there are more than 100) men scat tered along the trail between Laird Post and the Pelly banks and relief parties have been sent out by the Ilud son Bay company. The last reports brought to Laird Post are that many were dying of seurvy and hunger. It is estimated there are :30 of 40 sufferers it Telegraph creak awaiting the next :rip of the boat. Tlhe sick that had to be carried on strztchecrs had not yet eahed Glenora when the Stratheona sailed. Several starvation ca-es are reported. bout 20) miles ahove Devil's Portage, wo unknown men were found frozen :o death last winter. A man named Johnson from Newv York was found lead in a tent near the source of the uda river lat fall. ____ A Wet Place. thrapueji. in Assam. northeast of 'alcutta, has the reputation of being he wettest place on the earth, the averaae annual rainfall being 493.15 nies, while it has the record of one nonth in which 147.17 inches fell. This year it seems bound to beat all rrevious records, 217. S4 inches of rain avina fallen between January 1 and re n iddle of June. live months and a ral', while 7:;. 7: inches. over six feet A water. fell in a week. Number of Lives Lost. The MIontreal fast express to Ottawa, whilch left Ottawa over the Canadian tlanth- at ::0 Wednesday morning, jumped the traa near St. Policarpe. S rseven persons lost their lives. So far as known the dead arc: Jos. Rochelau and daughter of MIontreal. Wils'on O' Connor of Ottawa. Ned Stairs afOttawa,Gorrc MIejuaig. fireman. > Ottawva. T he~ fat-ally injured are: ellie Ryan, Bridget Ryan and Ella M Dounl ii' r aniwarke, nebec, and Mr . Joser'h RI acheleau ot M1ontreal. Seeking a New Home. Thle British North Borneo Company as rece~ived a re.;uest fr the Philip pines asingi the company to lease or Iel to I li~irrs Bangucy Islhud, just -.ut f l'alawan Island. It is only arel ibited by natives. The 1 lripin'. who are engineering the deal say th l. case of their defeat Aguin aldo and other leaders, with a large se~ctionl of the l'ilipinos, may settle at Banguey, und.er British protection and company's rule. The board is now con idering the question, but it is under stood the company is not averse to leas ing the island on very favorable terms QUARANTINE RAISED Yellow 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: The, yellow fever epidemic is practical ly at an end. The quarantine - estab lished by this city against Hampton and vicinity was raised Thursday, fol-. lowing a conference between the health boards of Newpurt News, Richmond, Norfolk and Hampton, with the State board of health and representatives of the Marine Hospital service. The lo cal quarantine against Norfolk remains in force, but will be raised Saturday evening. The record of the scoarge to this date shows a total of 43 cases, of which 11 resulted fatally. Twelve cases were discharged as cured and 20 convales cents remain in hospital at the Soldi ers' Home. An interesting episode of the dread malady was the uprising of of the business men of the city against Norfolk, because of the quarantine of that city against Newport News, which was regarded as premature and unnecessary. The action of the Norfolk health authorities was de nounced at a public meeting, and the majority of the business men pledged themselves to transfer their patronage to Richmond, providing the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway would grant satisfac tory rates. Killed by a Live Wire. Four firemen lost their lives Wednes day night in a blaze on an upper floor of the Mercer Chemical company's building at Eleventh and Harney a.reets, Omaha, Neb. The fire in itself was insignificant, the fatalities result ing from contact with a live wire. The dead firemen are: Jos. Adams, lieutenant; Otto Geiseke, tillerman; Gco. Benson, pipeman, Charles Hop per. relief driver. Fireman Geo. Farmer and Albert Livingston of the Chemical company also suffered severely from the shock. When the fire had been brought under control, the firemen set to work to lower the big extension truck upon which they had been working. Suddenly there was a sputtering and succession of flashes. The men who were working at the crank lowering the ladder, writhed in agony a moment and then fell to the pavement limp and apparent ly lifeless. In lowering the ladder it had come in contact with a live wire carrying a current of 2,000 volts. The injured men were at once carried into an adjoining building and doctors who were present used every means known to revive them. Hopper revived in a few minutes, and saying he was all right started to walk away. He had only gone about 50 feet when he dropped dead. Geiseke showed signs of reviving, but when only partially rallied sank back and expired. The other two never at any time showed any signs of animation, and were doubtless dead when picked up. - Unfit For Commnand. A special dispatch from Victoria, B. C., says: Capt. St. John, of the British cruiser Peacock, who arrived here from Manila declares that Gen. Otis is utter ly ignorant of the necessities or respon sibilities of a campaign in the tropics. He has 5,000 dead to his account, the British officer declares, and his hesita tion has already shown his forces that he has no grasp on the situation. Otis' field transport service is declared to be wretchedly insufficient and his hospital corps a farce; and his plan of campaign calculated to advance the enemy's inter est as no other could. A serious breach is declared to exist between the United States army and navy at the front, and Commander St. John says the "first thing the United States gov ernment should do is to recall this man. It is really pitiful to see the sacrifice of the splendid men of his ar my." incidentally Commander St. John says that the press censorship is carried to the extreme in Manila to save Otis from being swept down in a flood of popular indignation. Our Terrible Army. The report of Commissioner of Pen sions Evans for the fiscal year ending June 30, last, shows a total disburse mcnt of $138,253, 923, leaving a bal ance of $1,857,188 in the treasury out of the $140,000,000 appropriated. The total number of pensioners on the roll June 30 was 991,519, a decrease of 2,195. There were 40,991 names added to tia roll and 43,186 dropped. The report shows the pension roll is decrea ing. Of those dropped 34,345 were be cause of death and 8,841 because of re marriage, minors attaining their ma jority, failure to claim pension and other causes. The war with Spain brought a total of 16,986 claims, of which number but 295 have been al lowed. ______ Famine in Russia. The state department has received a report from Consul Hleenan, at Odessa, llussia, stating that the failure of the crops in many of the provinces of En ropine Russia is a much more serious affair than is generally admitted. The famine districts are divided up, and government aid is being given accord ing to the extent of the failure in the several districts. Employment is being given to a large number of peasants on special lines of work, such as road making. __________ Our Tobacco All Right. The news that the Japanese govern ment will continue to buy its tobacco in this country will be especially grati fying to South Carolina growers, for much of the American tobacco consum ed in Japan is the product of this State. The report was recently current that the tobacco trust, in order to prevent Japanese competition, had secured con trol of the firms in that country which had been its competitors in our market; but not even the American Tobacco company can buy up the government of Japan, and with that in the field for South Carolina leaf the desired compe