Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-10-30
vAUGHN's SECOND CONFESSION.
Causes Arrest of EX-Sherlff, EX-
Jailer and IL Magistrates Constable.
(Greenville News, 2Sth.) }

YaushH, ana at tne mSt1gatiOn OF
Governor Cole l.. Blease, Ex-Sheriff
JeT5 D. Gilreath, inspector of police;
EX-Jailer A. A. Phillips, Of the city
police, and Reuben Gosnell, magis-
trate's constable, were arrested last
night on warrants charging them
With assisting Vaughn to escape from
the county jail last June.
The three men were taken tn ron 9Th
the streets Of Greenville to the iail,
Where they were incarcerated for an
hour or more. Five substantial bus
mess men, commanding more than q
mulion dollars cash, later rushed to
the jail from their respective
churches, together with hundreds Of
other citizens who crowded about the
prison, and clamored as to who
SHOULD be the first to sign bonds of
one thousand dollars for each of the
parties. Feeling was intense and eX-
element ran higher than 1t had at
any time during the past few days of
sensational happenings in Greenville.
81 Runlor spread like wildfire on the
streets about noon that arrests were
tokbe made In connection with the
escape Of Vaughn from Greenville
jaM some months ago. Warrants
We're drawn up late in the afternoon,
and Just before night were signed by
Magistrate Samuel Stradley and
placed in the hands Of Sheriff-elect
Hendrix Rector for service. The dep
uty set out to apprehend his men,
and first located Policeman Phillips
at Greene avenue and Pendleton
street as the officer was going from
h1sbhome to the police station. Ho
was arrested and conveyed to the
jail and locked In a cell. Rector
then set about to locate Mr.. Gilreath,
finding him near the Grand Opera
House. Both got in a hack and
started toward the jail. AS the two
came through Mali, street a tremend-
GUS throng gathered and raced be-
hind the vehicle, shouting and MAX
Ing the night ring with their cries.
Mn Gilreath was placed in a cell
With the common prisoners, after
Whieh the deputy set about to find
hist tthiEd ma s. u f Sf s. IS. i3 *. l9
;ssns S{ils meantime news OF the lsrra
rests spread through several OF the
churches of Greenville, and many Of
the most prominent men of the city
left theira:pews and rushed for the
jail. They insisted on Magistrate
Stradley being sent for so that he
could take bond for the prisoners. A
messenger went to church after the
magistrate and brought him to the
prison. By the time he arrived the
deputy had returned with Reuben
Gosnell, his third prisoner Bonds
were drawn up and signed by Avery
Patton, Henry p. McGee, J. NJ. Geer,
Alester G. Furman and G.. o. Allen.
The prisoners we"c released and left
the Jail at once, while the crowd that
jammed the street in front Of the
prison dispersed. Some believe that
political animosity of years stand
ing, famed into flame again by the
incidents Of the past few days, is at
the bottom Of the trouble, while 9TH
ers who claim to be on the inside
declare that there is no truth in the
allegations.
Last night at the county Jail, in
the presence Of the prisoners and a
score or more of prominent citizens
of the city, Sheriff J. Perry Poole
gave out statement in regard to
the alleged confession of Vaughn.
he stated that as he, Deputy Sheriff
Hunsinger, Sheriff-elect Rector and
j. B. Watson we're carrying Vaughn
from the court house to the train
late Saturday afternoon for the pur-
pose Of taking him to Columb the
prisoner made an open confession as
to how he escaped from the jail last
June. Sheriff Poole said:
We were going along Hudson
street when Vaughn made his con-
fession. He said that his brother
gave Jailer Phillips $40 to transfer
L. U. Vaughn from the main cells to
cell used for women, which has q
barred window opening on the jail
yard. The night before he escaped,
vaughn said, Reuben Gosnell came
to the jail window for the purpose Of
saving the bars, but that conditions
were unfavorable for the Job, and he
went away. The following night, he
said, Mr.. Gilreath came to the win
dow and did the actual saving of the
bars, handing the saw through the
window to the prisoner just before
the last bar was severed. Vaughn
further said that he would sit in the
electric chair itself and make the
same confession as to who helped
him escape"
must have reached the ears Of Gov
ernor Blease, for the officers stated
last night that the Chief Executive
telephoned here yesterday and or
dered the warrants sworn out at
once and served. 1t was repeatedly
stated at the jail last night by the
arresting officers, the prosecutor and
others interested in the case that
Governor Blease had ordered the ar
rests to be made that day.
The three warrants were sworn
out by Dr.. w. l.. Mauldin, and each
one charges the respective defend
ants with aiding a prisoner to es-
cape" The specific charges in the
warrants against Gosnell and Phil
lips are that they did aid and as