The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-11-06
GILREATII ISSUES STATEMENT
Former Sheriff Of Greenyjlle Countv
Discusses His Recent Arrest and
Subsequent Discharge.


IN the escape Of Vaughan and nv
, treatment at the hands Of the officer
who arrested me have already been
given in detail before the public"
says j. ID. Gilreath in discussing his
recent arrest on charge Of assisting
L. u. Vaughan to escape from the
Greenville Jail.
Knowing thatt he preliminary in
vestigation was to be had within a
short time l have refrained up to this
time from making any statement re-
garding the accusation. l now wish to
say in the most unqualified terms
that the accusation Is absolutely false.
1t is a deliberate 'frame-up' on the
part Of my personal enemies for the
purpose Of injuring my reputation and
usefulness in this community and If
possible securing my conviction by
| false testimony
The preliminary hearing was set
for Wednesday afternoon. The prose-
cution was fully advised Of this fact.
When the case was called the prosecu-
| tion moved for a continuance on the
ground that they were not ready for
hearing, could not get their wit
| nesses, etc, whereas the affidavit of
w. l.. Mauldin, upon which the war
rant was issued, stated the witnesses
to be Hendrix Rector, Sheriff Poole,
Deputy Sheriff Huntsinger and J. p.
WessOn, all Of whom were either in
| Greenvlle, or could easily have been
secured. When the magistrate an
| nounced that 1 was entitled to a hear
ing the counsel for the prosecution
| asked to have the warrants dismissed
To this my counsel objected most
strongly, taking the position that by
making this charge the prosecutor
| had made the matter a public one
| and he had no right to control it,
and that l was entitled to a full in
vestigation of the charge; that the
witnesses named in the warrants
ought to be examined and if
they knew anything to my disad-
vantage the public ought to know it,
but on the other hand If they knew
nothing to my disadvantage I was en-
titled to have this go before the pub
| lie. From the statement Of the at
torney representing the prosecutor it
appears that the only basis for this
outrageous charge was statement Of
Vaughan made after his conviction Of
a most heinous crime on his way to
the pententiary.
"Mr. Mauldin in this statement de-
clared that Vaughan was utterly un-
worthy Of belief, and yet he practi-
cally announced that it was upon this
statement alone that / was arrested.
How such a statement, absolutely
false entirely, could have been secured
from the poor unfortunate prisoner
under condemnation Of death, those
men alone know who have been work
|
what l have already said, the charge
is absolutely false and l stand ready
at any and all times to meet any ac-
cuser who dares come forward. AS a
matter Of fact, / was out Of the city
at the time OF his escape and knew
nothing Of the matter until o'clock
the next morning on my return.
AS an evidence that there was per-
sonal animosity at the bottom Of this
outrageous matter / need only to re-
fer to the fact that Hendrix Rector,
the officer who arrested me and put
| me in Jail, as he was unlocking the
doors he said You criminal, you be
sure that your sins will find you out.
He further stated, You are guilty. We
have got all the evidence we want.
We have been working on the case
for two months Yet having said this.
when the time for the investigation
comes, although named in the war
rant as a material witness he fails to
appear at the hearing. | beg to say
further that Immediately after being
| locked in the cell and before Jailer
| Rector left the building the other
prisoners came to me, and, speaking
through Cleave Harrison, announced
that L had to pay a quarter and take
20 to so lashes. Just at this time
Sheriff Poole came into the building
and | called out to him and told him
what I had been threatened with, and
thereupon he Immediately unlocked
| the doors to take me out
The question as to whether | have
been fairly and hOnorably treated l
leave TO right thinking public. The