The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-30
VARIANTS SWORN OUT FOR OF
flCERS ALLEGED TO HAVE
ASSISTED VAUGHAN IN
ESCAPE.
EX-Slicrf GiIrcath, Ex-JaiIor Phil
lips and Constable GosneIl Arrested
on Serious Chargc-An Well Known
Grecnyilc Men.

"A. Phillips, Of the city police. and
reuben Gosnell, magistrates con-
stable, were arrested tonight on war
rants charging them with assisting
Vaughan to escape from the county
Jail last June. The three men were
hauled through the streets of Green
vile to the Jail where they were in
| carcerated for an hour or more.
Five substantial business men. com
manding more than S1,O0O,OOO cash,
later rushed to the Jail from their re-
spective churches together with hun
dreds OF other citizens who crowded
/ about the prison and clamored as to
VINO should be the first to sign bonds
! OF $1,000 for each Of the parties.
Feeling is intense tonight and ex-
cltement is running higher than it has
at any time during the past few DAYS
of sensational happenings in Green
VILE
Rumor spread like wildfre on the
streets about noon that arrests were
to be made in connection with the es-
cape of Vaughan from GreenviIle's
Jail some time ago. Warrants were
| drawn up late in the afternoon and
| just before night were signed by Mag
istrate Samuel Stradley and placed in
the hands of sheriff elect, Hendrix
| Rector, for service. The deputy set
out to apprehend his men and locat-
ed Policeman Philips first at Green
avenue and Pendleton streets as the
| ofhcer was going from his home to
the police station. He was arrested
and conveyed to the Jail and locked
| in cell.
Rector then set about to locate Mr.
Gilreath, finding him at the point near
the grand opera house. Both got in a
hack and started toward the Jail. AS
the two came through Main street a
tremendous throng gathered and raced
| behind the vehicle shouting and max
ing the night ring with their cries.
Mr.. Gilreath was placed in a cell with
the common prisoners after which the
deputy set about to find his third
man.
In the meantime news of the ar
| rests spread through several of the
churches of Greenville and many of
the most prominent men of the city
| left their pews and rushed for the
Jail. They insisted on Magistrate
| could make bond for the prisoners
a messenger went to a 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, ]. NJ. Greer
"A, Lester Furman, c. Q. Allen. The
prisoners were released and left the
| jail at once while the crowd that
| jammed the street IN front of the
prison dispersed
The intense feeling in the case is
caused by the sharp lines between the
law and order faction of which Gill
reath is a member, and the blind tiger
element of Greenville. Gilreath was
| recently elected police inspector and
| has been making war on the law
breakers with vengeance ever since
| thereby mourning the enmity Of the
| lawless. The men who signed the
| bonds were representatives Of Green
ville's best citizenship.
Tonight, 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
| a statement in regard to the alleged
| confession Of Vaughan. He stated that
as he, Deputy Sheriff Hunsinger,
Sheriff elect Rector and j. B. Was
son were carrying Vaughan from the
! courthouse to the train late Satur-
day afternoon for the purpose of TAX
ing him to Columbia the prisoner
made an open confession to how he
| escaped from the Jail last June.
Sheriff Poole said in part as fol-
lows: I'VE were going along Hudson
| street when Vaughan made his con
fession. He said that his brother
gave Jailer Phillips $40 To transfer
T. L. Vaughan from the main cells
to a cell used for women which has "A
barred window opening on the .ail
yard. The night before he escaped
| 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