The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 29, 1899, Image 1
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.