Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-11-06

!. 80. X. Mauldin, Esq, uttor- y.
Z, ncy for the prosecution, with !"
!. drew this warrant. Therefore, !.
y. no charges exist against this 10
y. defendant, and he is h~onornbly i.
y. discharged by this court" y.
.s..i..i-.s. .:.y.S.f..!. Observation-Disclosures
SO wrote the venerable Capt.
Stradley yesterday afternoon across
the back OF the warrants issued for
Police Inspector JEFF ID. Gilreath, Pa
trolman A. A. Phillips and Constable
Reuben Gosnell, charging them with
liberating T. U. Vaughn from the
county Jail last June.
THE judgment OF the court was
inscribed on the instruments upon
which these ~well-known and respect
ed citizens were confined In Jail last
Sunday night under the most humil-
iating conditions only after the pros
ecution had requested that the war
ants be withdrawn, as they were
then unable to produce the evidence
necessary to make nj a prima facie
case against the defendants.
The last scene in the rather dra-
matte episode was enacted in the
rooms Of the Board Of Trade, where
Magistrate Stradley was forced to
repair in order to accommodate the
scores of people who crowded in to
hear the proceedings. 1t vas the
hour set for the preliminary hearing
OF the cases against Messrs. Gilreath.
Phillips and Gosnell, but instead Of
a preliminary being gone into the
session resulted in an argument for
and against a postponement Of the
hearing, at which time the prosecu-
ton requested a withdrawal of the
warrants, for the reason hat they
we're unable to produce their wit
nesses and the evidence.
Defense Was Ready.
Upon calling the court to order,
Messrs. Haynsworth & Haynsworth
and Wilton H. Earle, counsel for the
three defendants, stated that they
were ready for a preliminary hear
ing of the charges. 1t was then up
to the prosecution to make known
/, their feelings about the matter.
o. X. Mauldin, having announced
hat the prosecution would withdraw
the warrants, counsel for the deford-
ants objected, saying that the afida-
Wit Of the prosecutor, w. l.. Maui
~, named iour mcu. to VII. Pnc'e,
Egc,ol, Nuua'nLrr nud Wasa1l. as
Tie wjtnasaea ouou which CAe prose
cutioO raltad
"'rb>sr wifNasans arc Mnle. nltrln
me reach OF the court" said counsel.
"The charge is an exceedingly grave
one. The court ought to require
them to be examined, and if they
know anything regarding this mat
ter they ought to tell it; if they do
titled to know it. a charge of this
character when once made is no lon
ger Il private matter, to be withdrawn
at the will Of the prosecutor, but the
court is entitled itself to assume
charge Of the matter and to make
the necessary investigation. We
urge, therefore, that these witnesses
be sworn, and that the investigation
proceed"
When it was seen that the defense
would not consider a postponemcnt
OF the hearing Attorney Mauldin
stated that the warrants would be
withdrawn. Magistrate Stradley
thereupon announced that the war;
rants Withdrawn. and the affair
was ended.
The withdrawing OF the warrants
means that they have been cancelled
altogether. The same mcn cannot be
arrested on these warrants again.
Their bonds are annullcd and the
matter is ended. If the prosecution
wished to renew the case at any flu
ture time new warrants will have to
new bonds given.
j. ID. Gilrcnth'S Statement.
The following signed statement
was issued by EX-Sheriff j. d. Gil
'hli IllIitulalcls llS inc CLOS
ing of the case against himself, Phil
lips and Gosnell:
THE fact OF my arrest ON the
charge OF assisting in the escape of
Vaughn and my treatment at the
hands OF the officer who arrested me
have already been given in detail
before the public.
Knowing that the preliminary in
VcStigatiOn was to he had within a