The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-09-18
RELIEVED 70 HAVE GAINED
FREEDOM By USE OF HOS
prrAL PASS KEY

Coumu.a, sept. 16.-T. U. Vaughn,
former Superintendent Of the Odd
elbows home at Greenville, an in
mate OH the State Hospital for the
nsaue under an order of the court
1or ouser, alton as to his sanity, es-
,.apeu SOME tl1ie during last night
and has not been apprehended'
Vaughn was convicted before the
circuit court of ,Gteenville county on
october 26, 1912, Of criminal assault
uuon a young giri, an inmate of the
ofp.lanage, while he was superlntend-
ent and was sentenced to die by cleo
trocurion OH december 20, 1912.
Appeals to the Supreme Courts OF
the {, nited States and of South Car
DINA held up his sentence for eigh-
teen months, after which time he was
remanded to the State Hospital for
the Insane for observation as to his
mental condition.
Vaughn has been confined In a
ward on the fourth foor of the main
building of the hospital. In the opin-
ion of the asylum authorities he had
secured a pass key and unlocked the
door leading to the fire escape down
which he escaped.
The escape of Vaughn was made
some time between 8 o'clock last
night and o'clock this morning
Vaughan complained Of a headacne
about 8 o'clock last night, according
to the statement of the night attend
ant and said he would retire. Ihls
attendant saw no more of him. At 3
o'clock this morning he went into
yaughn's room with newspaper and
saw what he believed to be Vaughn S
body lying recumbent beneath the
sheets on his bed. At z o'clock the
night attendant went off duty and
the day attendant came on. About
an hour later the day attendant went
to Vaughn's room to call him as he
had not appeared and found a dunn
NV made of clothing in the bed and
Vaughn gone.
The hospital authorities immediate
" gave the alarm and a thorough
search was made of the building and
grounds. They were forced to the
opinion that Vaughn in some way
secured a key and unlocked the door
to his ward during the night. None
of the window bars were broken and
the night attendant, who said he was
in and out of the ward during the
night, saw nothing of Vaughn. DR..
C. Fred Williams, superintendent OF
the hospital. says he has absolute
confidence in this attendant. and is
satisfied that there was no collusion
on his part.
It was discovered on searching the
grounds that a bench which had been
in the yard had been placed next to
the brick wall which surrounds the
grounds and that footprints resemb-
ling Vaughn's were around the bench
A brick pavement runs outside this
wall anC IN the street at this point
were prints where an automobile had
turned around 10 the street. However
as automobile traffic is very heavy
along this street, these prints may
bear nc significance in connection
with the escape.
When he left the hospital Vaughn
carried with him a gray suit an ex-
ira pair of blue trousers, a brown
hat and black shoes and was wearing
light cream shirt. The hospital
authorities describe him as being
about thirty-eight years of age, about
five feet tall, weighing 12O pounds
and rather effeminate in appearance
He has light brown hair, which is
very thin, almost. to badness on the
top; has penetrating blue eyes, rather
protruding, is of light sandy COM
pexion and wears No. 5 shoe.
At their last annual convention
held some time ago, the Odd Fellows
of the State adopted a resolution
calling on Governor Cooper to see
that the sentence of the court in
Vaughn's case was carried out. The
governor referred the matter to Sol
icitor Martin of Greenville, who a
short time ago filed papers on
Vaughn and his attorneys stating
that he would request the court to
remand Vaughn to Greenville for a
test of his sanity.
Governor Cooper this afternoon Of
fered a reward of 5000 for the ap-
prehension of Vaughn.
Shortly after Vaughn was placed
in tho Stata nenitentiary he went in