THE BANK OF MOUNT GILEAD
MOUNT GILEAD, N.C.

July 1st, 1919.

Hon. T. W. Bickett,
Raleigh, N.C.

My dear Governor:-

Several days ago there appeared in one of the daily papers an item under a Washington, D.C. date line which made extended reference to prison conditions in our state, referring to the activities of the so called "Prison Relief Association", and which boiled down to its essence was nothing more nor less than a recountal of an attack being made by this association upon the North Carolina penitentiary management and upon yourself. This appeals to me as simply another of those periodical outbreaks on the part of certain would be reformers who far many years have sought to "overtrade" their territory. It is indeed unfortunate that we of the south must continue to be harrased, lectured, admonished, and dictated to by a lot of long haired men and short haired women- men and women whose motives are not at all times unquestionable, and whose interest in the persons and affairs they attempt to assist and regulate can be nothing more than academic. It is beyond the power of my imagination to figure out how it can be possible for even a sincere reformer to intelligently enter into the task of real welfare work in a field so far removed from their native environs as is our state from the usual home and headquarters of the usual run of these breeds.

I am in instances like these, moved to copy the remarks, express the sentiments, of our forfathers, "For God's sake, let us alone; let us work out our own salvation".

But I didnt commence this in order to read a lecture nor yet to chronicle my individual sentiments. In the communication from Washington, Montgomery county and Mt. Gilead town came in for quite a bit of mention. The whole thing is misleading and evidently intended to be so. It was stated that Lacy McRae, Clay Smith, Sam. Thomson, Eddie Roberts, and Jno. Armstrong, had each and all received most cruel and inhumane treatment while serving sentences, presumably at the hands of the state prison authorities, when as a matter of fact and of record not one of the above named have ever been in state prison. Each, however, was sometime during last year tried and found guilty of the offense of blockading and sentenced to the county roads for terms ranging from four to twelve months. Montgomery county having no organized road force, these parties were transferred to Stanly county to serve sentence, you later pardoning two of them in order that they might enlist and join the army. Whether they were mistreated while working on Stanly county roads or not, I have no means of ascertaining. Certain it is that if they were, the state prison had nothing whatever do do with the matter, for none of these men were at anytime worked under a penitentiary guard.

The relief association sees to have gained its misinformation as to this case through the medium of a report, written from Mt. Gilead under date of Apr. 14th last and signed J. P. Dules. No such person lives here and this is either a plain forgery or else the Dules party is a representative of said prison reform bunch. In either case the principals are culpable in that they have given credence to a report reeking with inaccuraces and untruths.

Now as a climax to these operations, comes Sam. Thomson, Clay Smith, and Lacy McRae, making extended affidavits which set forth that each has been manhandled and in various ways been caused to suffer at the hands of one Cranford, supt. of the Stanly county chain gang. These have been sworn to before Lewis Dorsett, Notary Public, and these parties have stated that affidavits are to be forwarded to Washington.

All of which is chronicled and reported simply in order that you may be in possession of information to show something of the underhanded methods being pursued. It is hardly necessary to add that all intelligent and well informed persons of this section, and I believe of the state as well, are perfectly satisfied that an honest and impartial investigation of penitentiary matters has already been made and that by no hook nor crook can any just criticism lie either at the door of Supt. Collie or yourself. Pardon the length of this communication, please.

With much respect, I beg to remain,

Yours very truly,

Jim G. Steed

The information as refers to the affidavits above mentioned comes to me from Mr. Lewis Dorsett and it is at his request that I am sending the information to you. Mr. Dorsett will be glad to furnish you with any additional information concerning these which may be desired. --Steed