The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-10-30
A HORRIBLE STORY.
TOLD BY AN ORPHAN GIRL In THE
VAUGHAN TRIAL.
EVIDENCE IS SHOCKING
The Testimony on the Whole is Un-
printable, and Only Characteriza-
ton of the Horrible Recital OF the
Crimes as Told By the Girl is Given

Below.
A pretty 17-year-old orphan girl
OF Graniteville, Aiken county, pros
ecutrix in an Indictment handed
down by the grand jury last Monday
against Thurston U. Vaughn, former
Superintendent Of the South Caro-
lima Odd Fellows oTphanage, assls-
tant superintendent Of the largest
Sunday school in the city and teach
er Of a college for girls Bible class,
took the witness stand in the court
OF general sessions at Greenville Fri
day and for eight hours told a story
that Friday night is upon many
tongues in Greenville and fills twice
as many ears. With one day OF tes-
tifying shifted behind the scenes OF
time not half Of the witnesses sum-
moned in the case have yet been put
on the stand What testimony they
will offer no one knows and the
people stand aghast and wonder what
the morrow will bring.
AS a whole, the testimony offered
is unprintable. A general character
ization of it is, however, permissible.
The witness stated, beginning IN
June, 1908, illicit relations with the
defendant extended over period OF
four years and eded only this spring,
when she was removed from
Vaughn's private home in the city
and sent to her sisters home at
Graniteville. In December, 1908,
she testified, she submitted to an al
legeG criminal operation to relieve
her of her embarrassing condition.
Revolving stories Of harbarous
treatment which she alleges Vaughn
showed her were woven into her tes-
timony. This treatment, she alleg-
ed, consisted Of beatings administer
ed with sticks, boards, switches, his
hand and most anything else" The
last beating which she said Vaughn
gave her was last spring after
Vaughn had resigned at the orphan
age and had brought her to live with
him at his home in the city. On this
occasion, she alleges. the defendant
beat her until she tainted. A ply
sician was sent for, she alleges, and
Vaughn told him that the girl had
received q severe fall, from which
she tainted.
Though the cross-examinatlcn was
grilling, the girls story was unshak-
en- in the main when she was taken
down from the stand.
Two we'll known physicians OF the
city were examined. One gave ex-
pert testimony along the line Of what
would bring about relief for one who
was in the condition which the girl
alleges sheZ found herself. The 9TH
er physician had treated the girl af-
ter the alleged operation had been
performed, but neither took any part
in nor had any knowledge of such an
operation having been performed. He
testified as to the condition In which
he found the child.
A tiny child, sister Of the prosecu-
trix, was the fourth witness called.
The little girl sat on the edge Of the
witness chair, her feet scarcely reach
ing the floor, and told what she
knew. The witness appeared too
oungy to realize what was going on.
She was asked a few simple ques-
tions which she answered in chlld's
vay. She stated that she had slept
with her sister at the orphan home
that sometimes at night her sister
was taken out of the room and car
ried somewhere, that she sometimes
returned the same night and some
times remained out all night. Eyes
g!istened with moistures as they be-
held the pitiful spectacle in the Dim
light of the few Pickering gas Jets
that disturbed the gathering dark
ness in Greenville's crumbl1ng tenn
PIE Of justice.