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STORY OF JAKE MOORE, CONVICT WARDEN, AND HOW HE “GOT” $40,000 IN REAL ESTATE ON $ 140 A MONTH UNDER COMMISSION’S EYES e Is Now Owner of the Fine Farm That W. B. Hamby Paid Taxes on in 1906. HOME OF CHIEF CONVICT WARDEN JAKE MOORE MOORE AND HAMBY PARTNERS IN BUSINESS Rules Committee Recom mends It As Special Order. Representative Shaw of Clay Introduces Resolution. Startling Disclosures Are Made in The Georgian’s Investigation Into Work- . ings of the Prison Commission Staff, as Based on Gover- nor’s Charges. S' y | If a recommendation which the • house committee on rules will make ! Monday morning Is adopted the con- i vlct lease bill, Introduced by Mr. Holder, of Jackson, will be taken up ; as a special and continuing order of [business at 10:30 o'clock Tuesday : morning. The action of the committee In de leting to make that recommendation jwns taken upon suggestion of Repre sentative Holder, author of the bill ;and chairman of the penitentiary I committee, who appeared before the .committee on rules Friday afternoon and urged that the bill be taken up Tuesday In the lower house. ' The measure was read a second jtlmo Friday and In accordance with Representative Shaw, of Clay, Intro- duced In the house of representatives Saturday morning a resolution calling for an Investigation of the affairs of the Georgia prison commission by a Joint committee of live from the house and senate. Under the rules the measure went over for one day and will, therefore, come up for action when the house meets on Monday. The resolution recites that charges have been made against the conduct of affairs In the commission and that It Is due the people of Georgia and the members of the commission that said charges be Investigated. This Is the first definite action 1 In the legislature following the disclosures made public by the Investigation con* ducted,by The Georgian. '' The resolution of Mr. Shaw follows: Whereas, the eyes of the people of Georgia are turned on the prison com mission on account of certain charges which have been made, and Whereas, this commission has the handling and hire of the convicts of this state, which represents, and should represent, a good portion of the sinews of this state; and, Whereas, nothing less than an in vestigation of this board of commis sioners would seem fair to the com mission or to Georgia's best Interest; Therefore be It resolved by the house of representatives, the senate concur ring. That a committee of three from the house and two from the senaU to be appointed by the speaker of the house and the president of the senate to look Into the charges made and the affairs of the commission. Re It further resolved. That said com. mlttee be required to make a report at All the unsavory disclosures turned up during the ppdf week by Th? Georgian's Investigation of the convict lease^ytKeai-dwridle Into Insignifi cance beside the discoveries made coneprtung 'Chief Warden of the Pen- tentlary Jake C. Moore and his relations with' convict brokers and lessees, out of which relations that state/dmcial blooms now as a wealthy landlord, planter, Investorand genera^apltallst, altho he entered the office "heavily In debt” (tojtS^Yls rnt’JT'wordr.), and has never made a salary of more than $14prf>er momEaurlng all his term. \ IVsrden Moore’s modest little salary of $1,580 per year from the state, paid to him since he was first appointed to the office of chief warden by Chairman Joe Sid Turner of the prison commission, In 1898, when tho prison commission was first organized, muet have boen subjocted to an economy far beyond the capaoity of ony other elate official to imitato, since It has to all outward appearances enabled him to pay off his debts, support his family in good 'style'and accumulate real estate the full extent of which it not yet definitely ascertained, but which appears In part on the 1908 tax books of Fulton, Floyd and Cobb counties as follows! Two-story dwelling, 69 Houston-sL, Atlanta. Two-story dwelling (new), 175 Forrest-eve., Atlanta. Two-story dwelling (new), 179Forreet-ave., Atlanta. Two-story dwelling (new), 181 Forrest-ave., Atlanta. Plantation near Smyrna, Cobb county, with handsome residence, huge barn, numerous outhouses and woven wire fenceei abundantly supplied with live stock, wagons, buggies, etc.; 149 acres of rich land In d high state of cultivation. Real estate in Floyd county, assessed on city of Rome books at $950. Other property In Floyd owned jointly with firms and corporations, which does not appear in individual returns and the amount of which can not therefore be ascertained definitely, WORTH $40,000 IN REAL ESTATE. The Atlanta lax assessors appraise his real estate In Atlanta at $15,500, which Is about 60 per cent of Its market value, and this property, at a con servative estimate, Je easily worth, therefore, 126,000, , The tax collector of Cobb county estimates the Smyrna farm worth easily $10,000 In Its present state of cultivation. Combining these holdings with the Floyd property, which Is said to be Worth $2,000, It will be seen that "Captain" Moore, as he Is called In Cobb county, where he now resides, Is worth In real estate alone nearly $40,000— and 14$ county tax books are yet to be beard from on the subject of "Captain" Moore’s real estate holdings—only three of the state's 146 coun ty tax books having been scanned In this Investigation. . What Is the total amount of the other parts of his fortune, such as cash In bank, property owned Jointly and corporation holdings, probably no one but "Captain” Moore himself can tell. But even with this definitely ascertained total, that modest little salary of $140 per has certainly worked wonders for the chief warden of the pen itentiary—the overseer hired hy the state to guard the poor devils In convict camps from cruelty and starvation by lessees and brokers. In view of what the salary has apparently done for him. or what he has dene for the salary. It would seem that the title of "captain” really belongs to him. He Is a Captain of Industry, viewed In that light; and It would be a motion passed by the house 300 'copies will be printed and placed on the desks of the members Monday. -.rda Bibb County Good Roads Association Petitions the Commission. FARM NEAR 8MYRNA, COBB COUNTY. Thi* farm, with 149 highly cultivated acre*, was transferred two year* ago from Convict Lessee Hamby to Convict Warden Moore, but no deed or transfer is recorded In Cobb county records. The greatest evil in our state today is the convict lease system. Each week two men*go down to their death in convict camps—some whipped to death. It has gone on from year to year, and no one has had the courage to ex pose and tight it. The Georgian has determined to rid the state of this, the vilest disgrace that has ever curled a people. If you love mankind, if you have boys of your own, picture the degradation that is being perpetuated under the seal of the great state of Georgia, and see if you can rest until you have demanded that your people write your representatives in the legislature, and you preach on it Sunday. Another week may be too late. The legislature may act during the coming week. Pass the word on and help us make people think and the end will not be far off. No matter what may be your theme for tomoi’row, I be lieve you will see the need of giving Georgia's convict lease evil p r e f e r e nee over everything. Strike while there is yet time. F. L. SEELY, Publisher. MACON, Qa,, July 11.—Remlutlona were adopted Friday night at a meet ing held by citizen* of Bibb county In- terexted In good road* to a*k the next legislature for more state convict* and a larger appropriation to Improve the road* In thl* county. Bibb I* now allowed forty-three fel ony convict*, and theee, with the prls- oner* »ent up from thl* county, are keeping th* road* In fairly good condl. tlon. The meeting Friday night wa* large ly attended and It I* belloved that In a short time the various road* In Bibb county will he improved, muklng them the best In thl* part of the country. Its. earliest convenience and not lataf than July $5. HOW $140 PER MONTH SALARY GREW INTO $40,000 FORTUNE The following I* a statement of the growth of the tax returns made In three counties by Chief Warden of the Penitentiary Jake C. Moore, show ing how these holding* have grown from $4,115 In 1898. the first year he filled the office, to over $20,000 In 1908, when he resigned—during which time his salary from the state wax never more than $140 per month: Year. T*x Returns. Year. Tax Return*. 1898 $4,125 1904 $ 7,850 1899 3,790 1905 11,650 1900 $.846 1906 10,700 1901 7.750 1907 9.400 1902 8,080 1908 20 800 1903 6,880 Since the value of property Is returned at only about 60 per cent of It* real value, It will be seen that Warden Moore In 1908 possesses about $40 - 000 In real estate In three counties. It is worthy of note that the value of hi* holdings Increased about $4,000 In 1905, the year after the present lease of 600 convicts was made to W. B. Hamby and his partner. It Is said, on high authority, that Moore wa* In the executive session of the commission at which the contracts were awarded, and It Is known that Moore and Hamby were partners in business after that and also that now owns a fine farm In Cobb county formerly owned by Hamby, altho no record of a sale or transfer shows on the Cobb county court records. manifestly unfair for a friend to step up and ask him bluntly: "Where did you get It, Jake?" • But would It be unfair to ask that question bluntly on the assumption that the modest little salary paid "Captain” Moore for guarding the poor devils In convict camps against cruelty and starvation was supplemented by other Incomes—not so modest—from convict lessees and brokers, who might wish him to guard those poor devils less diligently, or to supply more of those poor devils, the Income from whom has run up Into the mil lions for lessees and brokers during “Captain" Moore's term of office? ASK HIM, IF YOU PLEASE. If it is not unfair to ask it on this assumption, then any .citizen who meets Jake Moor* on th* street may etep right up and ask him bluntlyi "WHERE DID YOU GET IT, JAKE?" FOR GOVERNOR HOKE SMITH FILED WITH THE PRISON COM MISSION LAST DECEMBER OR JANUARY CHARGES TO THE EF FECT THAT JAKE MOORE. CHIE ' WARDEN OF THE PENITENTIA RY, HAP BEEN PAID MONEY BY LESSEES OR BROKERS. AND JAKE -MOORE ADMITTED THE CHARGES. AND WAS AL LOWED TO RESIGN HIS OFFICE ON THAT ADMISSION. HE RESIGNED HIS $1.6S0 OFFICE WITH THE STATE, BUT HELD ON TO THE $40,001) REAL ESTATE, THE CASH IN BANK, THE PROP ERTY OWNED JOINTLY AND THE CORPORATION HOI.DING3 AC CUMULATED BY HIM DURING HIS TERM OF OFFICE. ENDOWED WITH THESE WORLDLY GOODE, HE RETIRED TO HIS COBB COUNTY FARM. WHERE HE HAS BEEN LIVING FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS; HIS COBB COUNTY FARM WHICH IN 1905 AND 190C HAD BEEN RETURNED TO THE TAX COLLECTOR OF COBH COUNTY AS THE PROPERTY OF W. B. HAMBY. WHO HOLDS 500 CONVICTS UNDER LEASE FROM THE STATE—THE LARGEST NUMBER AWARDED TO ANY LESSEE UNDER THE PRESENT SYS TEM; THE COBB COUNTY FARM, IT MAY BE REPEATED, WHICH IN 1905 AND 130$ HAD BEEN RETURNED TO THE TAX COLLECTOR AS THE PROPERTY OF W. B. HAMBY. BUT WHICH IN 1907 WAS RE TURNED AS THE PROPERTY OF MOORE & POLLOCK (POLLOCK IS MOORE'S SON-IN-LAW) AND IN 1903 AS THE PROPERTY OF JAKE C. MOORE. WITH NEVER A DEED OR TRANSFER RECORDED ON THE COUNTY CLERK'S BOOK TO SHOW THAT JAKE MOORE PAID ANYTHING FOR IT. "WHAT DID YOU GET IT FORT - / WITH THIS INFORMATION AT HAND. THE SAME CITIZEN WHO . _ Continued on Pago Thre*. Louis D. Yancey, son of Captain Goodin© Yancey, secretary of the prison commission, has for* some time been employed at a lucrative salary by Dr. W. B. Hamby aa bookkeeper of the Calhoun Brick Company. This Is ac cording to the city directory for 1908. This fict Is of Interest to the public In v*ev the disclosure?! made on this page of the Intimate business nnd per- i reunion?* that have existed be-1 tween State Warden Jake Moore and Dr. Hamby. Dr. Hamby Is president of the Cal- i houn Prick company nnd Is the largest individual lessee of Georgia state con- i vlcts. Dr. J. \V, Lee, pastor of the Trinity Methodist church, will deliver a sermon Sunday morning on the subject of the convict lease system now In vogue In Georgia. Dr. Lee had planned and announced another subject fer his sermon, but after reading the article In The Geor J glan Friday of ernoon, showing the '' ‘ FORREST-AVE. HOUSES OF JAKE MOORE. . Landlord Moore built these etylieh dwelling* in 1907, oeteneibli *140 per month eelsry. They are said by tsx siseseer* to be worth $1! I’boto hy Edward* DWELLING AT 69 HOU8TON-8T. Owned by Jaka Moore, who worksd for tho state as chief w.-rdon of penitentiary at a salary of $140 per month, but accumulated $40,009 worth of property. er In the Southern ministry, and hi* sermon on the convict lease system will, without doubt, be heard by a large | and Intensely Interested congregation.' THE WEATHER. Fair tonight and Sunday. Tem peratures for Saturday: 7 a. ro., 72 degrees; 10 a. m.. 81 degreea; 12 noon, 88 degreea; 2 p. m„ 85 de greea. The Atlanta Georgian ./> ' YyA AND NEWS SPOT COTTON. Atlanta, steady; 11*4. Liverpool, dull and easier; «.2*. New Orleans, steady; lie. New York, quiet; 11.20. Savannah, du\ Vf%. Augusta, easy; 11%. Galveston, steady; lie. Moidfe. dull; lie. Wil mington, quiet; Uc. Charleston, qt.; lie. VOL. VI. NO. 292. ATLANTA, GA., SATURDAY, JULY 11,1908. PRTPF. In Atlanta..TWO CENTS. *■ On Trains..FIVE CENTS.