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lje utatcljman emu Soutljron, THK 8UHTEB WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TRUE SO TH&ON, Established jane. 1366 Consolidated Aug. 2, 1881. New Series-Yol. XVIII. No. 35 He Wt ftmm w Smt nm Poblislidd Erery Wednesday, -BY 3>ar. Gk Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. TERMS I $1.50 per aoounr-in advance. " ADVIBTISXSCKKT: Ooo Sonare 5rst insertion.............$1 00 Svery subsequent insertion-. ......... 50 Contracts for three months, or longer wil be made at reduced rates. All comm anica tiona which subserve private interests will be charged for as ad versements. Obituaries and tributes of respects will be charged for. GENERAL GOMEZ'S ESTIMATE REDUCED. On? Commanders Give Census of Caban Troops. Habana, March 21.-The Coban army baa 13,219 meo, ali told. This number includes corporals and ear gents bot excludes commissioned o S cers, Tbe figores ate tbe resolt of too official inquiry instituted ander the direction of tbe department com mandera for tbe ose of the military administration. Tbe reports of the governors of pro vinces are as fellows : Santiago, 0 ; Paerto Prioeipe. 300 ; Santa Clara, 4,769 ; Matanzas, 2.200 ; Habana province, 2,450, wbicb includes 375 io the city of Habana ; in Pinar del Rio, 3,500. Gen. Gomez originally reported that there were over 42,000 privates and non-commissioned officers. Geo. Roloff, inspector general of the Coban army was to have presented an acca rate muster roll to Gov. Gen. Brooke, bat be bas not done so As a creature of the Coban military assembly, be bad joined with it against Gomez. His 'muster roils,, in whatever form they may be, have been giveo to Seoor Rafael Portoeodo, president of the executive committee of tbe assembly, bat the governor general bas assurances (bat they will soon be turned over to bim. Brig. Geo Ernest will assist the military administration io distributing the $3.000,000. It has oot yet been decided whether the whole ami int is to :o be distributed pro rata or$lf0 giveo to each mao, aod tbe balance ietaioed by the Uoited States goveromeD;.. Thc statement that there are no Cuban soldiers io the province of - Santiago, has caused considerable surprise here, as it was supposed that . there were many Cubans still in arms there. Nevertheless, this is the report of Maj. Geo. Wood, military goveroor. At to-day's sesssion of the Coban assembly a motioo was'made io fa*or of disbanding she Coban army and dissolving thc assembly, with per mission to the Cuban soldiers to accept gifts of money from the United States if they so desired. After considerable argo meat, the gist of which was that the assembly could not discuss matters of such importance without previous consideration on the part of individual members, it was decided to postpone the public discussion of tbe motioo until Friday. Another motion was introduced io favor of changes and improvements io tbe organization of tbs Cuban army, bot the discussion of this was postponed until to-morrow. s a matter of fact, to-day's session was devoted almost en tirely to questions of order arising out of the various motions made . Senor Fedendo Mora, civil goveroor of Habaoa, bas issued a document io which be summarizes the laws regulat ing public gatherings and parades and attempts to show that he acted witbio tbe law io the course he took regardiog the parade of March 12tb in honor o Gen. Gomez, a course which was pri marily responsible for the ill feeling be tweeo the police and people that cul minated in the bloody affrays of last Sunday and yesterday. Senor Mora says that if the law is bsd, it should be repealed, but that so loog ss it is io force, it should be observed. Maj. F. Martinez, of the Cobao forces, who was shot last evening at the Hotel Inglaterra by Police Lieu ten ac: Emil Cassie, the former tromp eter of the Rough Riders, is not expected to live. Cassie bas been placed io jail. His actioo is generally condemned as onwarranted and as due to bis excitable temperament. Ex-Senator 'Edmunds in a letter to the New York World says thar, "a republic cao bave DO subjects. Its people most be either citizens, slaves or al eos." ANY PERSON Wishing to know the truth in regard to fheit health should not fail to send for a valuable and new 64-page Booklet which will be sent FREE for a short time to those who mention this paper. This book is published by the celebrated physi cians and specialists-Dr. Hathaway aid Co. of 22*4 S. Broad St. Atlanta, Ga whom you should address. Write to-day. The Penitentiary Investi gating Committee Fit ds an Apparent Discrep ancy of About S4,000 on Account of Oats. Colombia, March 22-The Neal investigating committee resumed its work to day. Colonel Neal was not present, it being stated tbat be was unwell. Mr. Boggs, his counsel, was, however, on hand. Ali mem bers of the committee were present. Chairman Stevenson announced that President Clark, of the Carolina bank, had furnished a list of all notes endorsed by Colonel Neal with the bank since be became superiaten^ent. These papers were put in as evi dence. Mr Garr s, a director, was the first witness. He referred to some cor respondence and an editorial in the State newspaper He stated that in 1896 the penitentiary and Colonel Lipscomb made brick. During that year the directors visited the brick yard In looking around be saw j quite an accumulation of brick which seemed to bave been rejected He asked Colonel Neal what was done with them, and he replied that they were worth nothing Witness said to bim he wouid like to get about 3,000 of them if the State did not want them Neal said he could get them if be would pay the freight. He said to Neal if they cost more than $1.60 a thousand be didn't want them If not be remarked that he would take 5,000. Witness went to Branchville, but he didn't see tbe railroad agent to ask him about the freight rates At the next meeting of the board he asked Captain * Westfield to see what it would cost and if it was not more than $1.60 to ship 5..000 The brick were not shipped up to the time of the next meeting. In March he re ceived notice from the agent at Branchville that there was a carload of brick at the depot for him, and that the freight was"$18.50 This was more than he expected to pay, but he paid the freight and took the brick He never got any other brick from the penitentiary and he would not have received them bad they been worth anything to the State Mr. Stevenson then questioned him about the sale of 5,120 bushels of oats. Mr. Garr s said the board got its information from superintendent's reports as to sale of products and prices brought That with the books, skipping receipts, etc , was the only source from which the directors got their information So far as the board is concerned the oats were sold Mr. Stevenson called his attention to the fact that about $5 495 70 worth of oats were sold But the superin tendent's report shows only $1,499 - 65 as cash received from the sale of oats, showing a discrepancy of nearly $3,900. Mr Garr s said that the bookkeeper and the superintendent could best testify as to that The board got its information from them Mr Patton asked him whether the cash from this sale of oats bas been placed as assets, and the witness replied that it ought to have been He said as a director he never made an examination into the matter. He said that the board examined the books He never bad discovered or suspected the difference before. Mr. Patton asked him whether he did not conceive it his duty as a director to he 60 posted as to be able to know such things ? Mr. Boggs at first objected to the question, but it was put. Mr. Garrie said he bad never been educated as a bookkeeper, and depended upon iepo:t8 made to the board. The board bad perfeot confidence in the superintendent, and he never marie a close investigation of these matters. In reply to Mr Stevenson be said that on the DeSaussure farm he would put in from 2 to 3 J bushels per acre for seed. He thought about the same would answer for the Reed and Lexing ton farms. He said he didn't know bow many acres were sown on the farms, and he didn't know whether there are any records as to it. Bat he j euppoeed it would be easy to get at by consulting the farm superintendent. He said that oats were fed to stock, be supposed, as it was required. Bu* he didn't know whether any record was kept. Mr. Steveoson asked bim a number of questions as to how muon grain, oats and corn should be fed to a mule in a month. Referring to the cotton crop report, Mr. Stevenson showed that 675 bales, worth 11,315 25, had been returned in the directors report But the superintendent's report shows that 739 bales had been gold, a difference of 64 bales. The explanation given wa9 that it was old cotton from the year before. The Superintendent reported for the sale of cotton $11,690.13. leaving as the amount tor 64 baies $374 90. Witness said that ordinarily sixty-four bales ought to bring more than that. The ootton may have been bad, but there was evidently some mistake Mr. Bnrris8 thought it the result of a typographical error, and a recount showed it was. The committee theo took a recess. Before dispersiog Mr. Boggs stated that Colonel Neal was sick and could not be present, but he would like to have him present. He also stated that Col P H. Nelson had been employed by Colonel Neal as assistant counsel. Mr. Burriss was called, and said the assets of the penitentiary, so far as oats are concerned, for 1898 amounted to $962.99, which represented open accounts. After deducting this $962 27 from the apparent shortage of $2,695 05 there is left 2,032.76 from the sale of oats yet unaccounted for. Capt. Westfield of the penitentiary guards was called to the stand at the afternoon session to testify about the brickbats shipped Mr. Garr s He said that Mr. Garr s* statement was correct, aod added that he perhaps sent him more tbao 5,000 brickbats, as it was easier to get rid of them by loading into a ear than to haul off from the yard and throw away as would otherwise had to have been done. As an employe of the penitentiary for the past 10 years and captain of the guard for the last four years, Mr. West field was in a position to know much of the internal workings of that institution Hence he was closely interrogated on many questions of domestic economy, so to speak. His answers were to the point. He testified that Supt Neal was sup plied with coal, wood, lard, kerosene, milk, vegetables and bands by the pen itentiary, and bad the clothes of himself and family laundried at the penitentiary. He had numerous articles ef furniture made for himself and friends at the pen iteotiary Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Garris of the board of directors, had furniture made there also, as did Secretary of State Tompkins and others Mr. Gar rie says he paid for the furniture be ob tai oed, bnt there is no record that any of the others paid a cent to the penitentiary. * Gov. Ellerbe received coal and wood, kerosene, hams, etc, from the peniten tiary and had all bis laundry done there No charge was made of the "laundry, and Capt. Westfield could go no farther than to state that the Gov eroor waa "expected" to pay for the supplies he obtained. The bams that were so freely dis tributed were brought from the State farms or from the bogs raised at the penitentiary, and were suppased to be used ss food at the penitentiary Capt Westfield stated also that the directors were always entertained at the penitentiary aod that there have been many more visitors since Co1. Neal bas been superintendent than ever before. Convicts have beens sent to the superintendent's residence and the governor's mansion to do work for them quite frequently. In reference to the brick be stated that he was confident that the acooaot was correct as far as it went and that the brick unaccounted for were either used at the penitentiary or sent to the State farms. % When cross examined by Mr. Patton, Capt, Westfield statod that some of the things that the various parties mentioned got were charged and some of these were paid for, but some of them were not paid for, and it was pretty well understood when they went out that they were not to be paid for. Thsre were some things that I didn't mueh think would be paid for." How Many Penitentiary Ben ificiaries Have We? Columbia, March 23.-Captain Westfield was again on the stand this morning. In reply, to a question by Mr McDow be said that Senator Tillman had got a book case about two years ago. He didn't know whether it bad been paid for or not, but be didn't think so. Gongressmau Latimer also got a book case. Sev eral crokinole boards bad been made at the penitentiary, but he could not tell how many were made or who got all of them. Co). Neal got one or two. The witness had the commissary book with him. He said he took charge of the book in 1894 Refer ring to he account of the governor's mansion, he said be did not think any such account was kept before. Till man was governor in 1894 and ac cording to the books the account against the mansion for that year was 57.60. It was mostly fur wood and coal. Some of the other items were for hay, lime, paint and some nails. He could not say that it had been paid. If it baa been it ought to show on the bookkeeper's book. Mr. Stevenson remarked as a matter of fact there was no record of its payment. In 1895 Evans was governor. West field's books had charged against the mansion for that year $206.44 For 1896 the total was 96 50- Witness thinks the 1895 account was paid in part at least. It was mostly for lum ber to rebuild fences. The other items for these years were coal aod wood and horse feed and they were the largest accounts. In 1897 Ellerbe was governor. There is charged up agaiust the mansion for that yeal $268 71. There ought to be a credit of $36 65, which would make the balance $232 06. For 1897-1898 the total is $458 52, with a credit oi $337 54, leaving a balance of 120. 98. There has been $33.13 worth ol stuff gotten since then. The present governor then owes $154.11. When Governor KIerbe first came to Columbia be had his meat shipped from home. He had no way to keep it at the mansion and be made ar rangements to store it at the peni tentiary. He sent for it as he needed it. He sent up some more from his farm in 1898. After what he had there had been used up he got meat from the penitentiary, which was charged against him. The penitentiary also bought meat from the governor. In justice to the gov ernor the witness said that reports that he had been getting meat from the penitentiary originated from the governor sending for his own meat. He said that he did not mean in his testimony that hams had been fur nished the governor's mansion for six years. He knew nothing about it previous to his keeping the books From 1896 to the present, Col. Neal is properly charged for supplies amounting to $577.29. This was for general family supplies. They were charged up generally at cost price. In reply to Mr. Boggs . said that a prisoner kept the commissary de partment uoder his direct supervi sion. He saw the book every day Coi Neal instructed him to keep the books. Mr. W. D Evans testified as to some Jersey cattle he get from the state farm. Governor Evans had told him that he had a Jersey cow and calf ot the state farm. Governor Evans was at his house, and looking at witness' cow said witness ought to have a better cow than that. The governor said he would make the witness a present of the cow. Later the witness saw the cow at the farm, and still later asked the governor whether he meant for the witness to take the cow. The reply was "yes." and the cow and two calves belong ing to Gov. Evans were shipped to him at Koilock's station The cow had been given to Gov Evans by \ Senator Tillman The whole trans action was a purely personal one be tween him and Gov. Evans Mr. J. J Cooley, superintendent of the Reed farm, was next witness He stated that in 98 4,608 bushels o oats were shipped and sold 'from the farm to various parties through out the state. One hundred bushels were sold at the farm, the price being 45 cents a bushel, the proceeds being paid to Col. Neal on October 5. The other shipments were made cn order from the penitentiary Witness* statement as to the number of bushels shipped did not agree with the amount in the penitentiary report He explained that be had found last night that he hab made a mistake in his addition of over 500 bushels In 1867 a carload was shipped to W. A. Neal. None were shipped in 1898 to the penitentiary. In 1896 there was a small crop and nc record was kept What was left after feed ing and planting was put in a car and shipped to Colombia. As to cotton seed, four cars were shipped to Darlington in 1897. He didn't remember whether any mora were shipped or not. In January, 1898, he shipped 700 bushels of seed to Col. Neal's farm in Andereon. He thinks they were worth aboot 45 cents a hundred, or 15 cents a bushel. Mr. Stevenson directed a number of questions to the witness as to bow much corn was necessary to feed a hog, in order to show that it jost more than the meat product was worth. He said much of the cotton was of a low grade owing to the weather. He gave ooo viots a task to pick from 100 to 150 or 175 pounds. If they didn't come no toit, be gave them a "little brush." This was done with a leather thong. The usual number of lashes was about fifteen. Their band? were tied and be usually whipped them himself. They were whipped on the bare back. Fie gave one 100 lashes, once, for ruoniog away. No conviot wa9 wbipped for complaining of bad treatment He couldn't say how many he bad whipped during the week, but there were some weeks when none were lashed. The strap is three ioches wide and fifteen ioohes long Mr. Stevenson asked bim whether he could bit a spirited horse like he hit convicta did he suppose be could bold bim. Witness said be didn't think be could. The man be gave 100 licks to could work next day. His name is Wallace Vv iliiams, but be bas been out two years. He said it was false that a conviot had been whipped until be was bruised from bead to foot Ile had unintentionally, io a few instances, broken the skio of convicts when whip ping them. Witness said that ordinarily he bad from fifty to sixty coovicts OD tbe farm. They would average about forty-five throughout tbe year. There were six guards. Besides them he aod his family coDsistiog of three perseus boarded at the farm. lie denied the report that duriog hog killing time the neighbor fared sumptuously on spare ribs, sausages, eto. As to his son io law getting a cow he said he swapped one with him, but bis son-in-law's cow died just about the time the penitentiary eow was taken away. Mr F. H. Weston was the next witness. As to an account against him for $60 87 he said it was for 150 bushels of cats and some hams, whieb he paid for. He produced his checks as receipts. As to coal he said Dir. Weston had attended some convicts on the absence of Dr. Pope. He bought coal for about $4 a ton from the penitentiary. Through his brother he bought five tons, which he paid for. He bought the hams from Captain Westfield. Tbe oats were bought from Col. Neal. Dr. Weston stated that he bought some coal from the penitentiary and paid for it. Col. Neal said they bad more than they needed. Moat of the day was spent trying to account for the oats, brick and meat, about whieh the published reports give such unsatisfactory conclusions The committee is trying to have explained the apparent discrepancy in the pork account, the apparent loss of oats of the 1898 crop and the wide difference in brick accounts. The directors seem to have accepted the reports of the super intendents of the farms and these reports were misleading and incorrect, this specially as to the oats, and by publishing the incorrect reports the summaries would not work out It appears that Governors Tillman, Evans and Ellerbe have been running accounts with the commissary depart ment of the Penitentiary. The acoouots have not been settled up and seem not to have been reported to the Penitentiary as assets, nor has anyone seemed to worry about their collection. The bills are uncollected, in fact have not been asked for. Governor Tillman's unpaid account is $57 06 ; Gov Evan's unpaid balance is $181 14, and Gov. Ellerbe balance is $216 56, of whioh amoant $117 92 is charged for oats. With the exception of the oats none of these items have been report ed to the bookkeeper for charging or collection. The charges are mostly for horse food, and it Tillman's time molasses, grist and other articles are charged. Capt. Westfield testified that Tillman rented about a seven or eight acre plat on which he raised cow aod horse food It was cultivated by convict labor and ploughed with penitentiary animals No charge was made ; no bill was rendered so far as he knew. Gov Evans, he said, did the same thing, as far a9 he knew. Gov Ellerbe, .it seems, bas had a larger tract. He bad the place worked by convict labor and ploughed by penitentiary mules. Capt. Westfield said he had never heard of aoy charge being made or expected for the labor or ploughing. It was stated that Gov. Ellerbe had from this Columbia place sold the peniientiary eight thousand pounds of peaviae bay at $8 50 per thousand. The oats account of Gov. Eilerbe was expected to be settled with a horse which the penitentiary thought of buying Gov. Ellerbe had asked for his bill and paid most of it, and wished to pay the remainder. Superintendent Cooley, of the Reed plantation, testified that be bad under instructions given away three sets of Berkshire pigs, one set to Director Garr s. Mr. Garr s stated that he had asked a month ago to settle for the pigs, but bad been unable to do so Mr. Cooley stated that he had shipped, under instructions, a carload of twenty thousand pounds of cotton seed to Ea8 ey, for Col. Neal's farm-. No bill was ever made for the ootton seed, and he did not expect it to be made. Mr. Cooley seems to have taken care of lame horses on the Reed plantation Amone the horses cared for was coe of Miss|El!erbe. He charged $13, which was for his personal service, be treating the horse, but oo charge was ever made for feed of horse while on the State farm. More furniture from the penitentiary workshop was accounted for to day Sen ator Tillman, Col. D. H. Tompkins and Congressman Latimer, it was stated, got furniture of which there is~oo re cord of payments. The penitentiary has paid $250 for granite curbing ordered by Gov. Till man to be put around the Mansion, but the penitentiary bas oever been paid for the curbing, for which it paid by a credit on the labor account of the StewartJ Coa'ncciog Company Th ^ ABSOLUTELY Makes the food, more de ROYAL 3AKINQ POW granite carbiog has never been used nor banled from the quarry, where it has been for years. The penitentiary has paid out other money which has never been returned. Governor Ellerbe Expected to Pay for Washing. Gov. Eiierbe yesterday gave out the following statement in regard to his name being into the penitentiary scan dal. "In the testimony of Capt. West field the public would think I have been getticg my laundering done free at the penitentiary. 4*Some time ago our washwoman left the city and we could not get one to do our work satisfactorily. I told Col. Neal about the matter and he told me be had a good laundry at the penitentiary and that he could do my laundering for me. I sent a part of it only, and am to pay 3 per mooth. " bout a month ago I succeeded in getting a washwoman and have not had any laundering done at the peniten tiary since."-The State. Extravagance as Weil as I_ Chairman Cunningham Tells What he Knows About Penitentiary Affairs. Coiumbia, March 24 -The investi gation was continued to-day, and, while no startling disclosures were made, all the evidence tends to confirm and strengthen the proof that the peniten tiary was managsd in a very slipshod and extravagant manner, that Col. Neal, Governors Tillman, Evans, EN lerbe and numerous other men in touch with them made free with penitentiary supplies and no effort was made to col lect from them Chairman Cunningham, of the Board of Directors was the most important witness of the day, and as he occupied a responsible position in rela tion to the institution and should know more about its affairs than others, his testimony is given ic full. The other witnesses were peniteniary guards, who testified in reference to the treatment of convicts, the cultivation of the gubernatorial farm, the enter tainment of people at the penitentiary and other minor irregularities. Chairman Cunningham's testimony was as follows : Chairman T J. Cunningham was put on the stand and his attention called to the form of contract used, j which is contrary to a legislature enactment of 1882 in that it only provides that a penalty of $50 shall be paid by a contractor when a convict escapes, whereas thelaw deolares that a penalty of $50 for each year of the unexpired term of snob escaped convict shall be paid. For instance, if a con vict, with five years to serve should esoape the contractor would be liable for $250. Mr. Cunningham stated that the form of contract in use was furnished by the attorney gen aral's office. He was not sure, but he thought Justice Pope was then attorney general and drew up this form of contract. His attention had never before been direct ed to this law. The chairman briefly reviewed the things 'done for the betterment of the penitentiary. The hosiery miii bad been built, sewerage put io, an electric light plant established, quarters fdr convicts overhauled, oew barns put up new machinery bought and a number of other improvements made sinee Col. Neal had come superintendent. About the brick, be said as a prac tical man be was sure every brick had been satisfactorily accounted for by the improvements made on the State farms and at the penitentiary, j The treatment of the convicts was j humane, the chairman stated. In 1899 it was reported to bim that the maoager of the Reed farm as treating the convicts cruelly. He went there and bad the coovicts lined up.and asked about the mistreatment. There were no complaints from them and he told them that if they were ever badly used they could complain without fear of punishment. Mr. Boggs asked about the oats, Chairman Cunningham answered that he was sure the oats had properly been accounted for The figures in the directors reports were furcished by the superintendents of the two farms. There wa9 considerable rivalry bstween them and be thought when he saw the oats that they had been overestimated. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE. BAKING POWDER URE licious and wholesome > R CO.. HEW YORK._^^^^^^ Rascality.