The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-09-19
T. u. VAUGHN ESCAPES
FROM STATE HOSPITAL
Former Head of Odd Fellows Home
Leaves Dummy in Bed and
Beats it.
Columbia, Record, 18th.

several years ago to the electric
chair for criminal assault on young
girl inmates of the home, but who
afterwards was sent to the State hos
pital, in a plea of insanity, escaped
from the hospital here today. He
was to have been taken to Greenville
this week then be re-sentenced to the
electric chair. This was in accord
ance with a court order of last Sat-
urday in Greenville.
This is the second time Vaughan
escaped. He escaped from the Green
vile jail several years ago, after his
sentence to- the electric chair. When
he was found in Baltimore and
brought back to the penitentiary ne
acted in such a manner as to be
judged insane, and was then commit
ted to the state hospital. A recent
sanity commission again declared
him insane.
Vaughan's escape was made from
ward on the fourth floor Of the main
building of hte asylum in which ne
had been confined. It is the opinion
of hospital authorities that he had in
some way secured a key and that ne
unlocked the door leading to the fire
escape. All wards in the hospital are
unlocked by the same key. None of
the windows in Vaughan's ward were
broken and there was nc evidence OF
the doors having been forced.
Escaped During Night.
Vaughan escaped between $3.50
o'clock last night and o'clock this
morning, according to the night at
tendant of his ward, who says that
Vaughan retired rather early last
night complaining of headache. At
6 o'clock this morning the attendant
went into his room to deliver the
morning newspaper. He saw what ne
took to be Vaughan's body in th.bed
under the bed clothes. At Z o'clock
the night attendant went off duty
and the day attendant came on.
About an hour later this attendant
went to vaughan's room to call him,
as he had not appeared. He found a
dummy in the bed, which had been
made from clothing.
The attendant at once gave gen.
eral alarm and search was immedl-
ately begun for the prisoner. Of
ficers all over the State were notl-
fled but thus far no clue has been
found as to the whereabouts Of the
escaped man. The night attendant
saws that he was in and out of the
ward during the night but saw moth
ing of Vaughan.
Vaughan is described as being
about SO years of age, about 5 feet
tall, weighs about 12o pounds, has
light brown hair, very thin, is almost
bald on top. He has blue eyes, very
penetrating, rather protruding. he
has a light sandy complexion and a
rather eliminate appearance. He
wears a No. 5 shoe and is supposed
to have carried with him a gray suit
with an extra pair of blue trousers.
When a search of the grounds was
made it resulted in the discovery that
a bench which had been sitting in the
ward had been moved to the brick
wall which surrounds the grounds ard
there were footprints which resem-
bled those of Vaughan's nearby. A
brick pavement runs along the out
side of this wall, but in the street
adjoining there were automobile
tracks which showed that a machine
had been turned there. Automobile
traffic is heavy on this street, how
ever, and machines frequently turn
in the block.
The crime for which Vaughan was
convicted was a most revolving one.
He was superintendent of the Odd
fellows Orphan home at Greenville
and was found guilty of having raw
ished little girl inmates of the home.
After his arrest and while he was
awaiting trial, he escaped from the
Greenville county Jail. He was appre-
hended several weeks later in Baltl-
more, Md.
Vaughan when placed on trial con-
fessed to his relations with the IN
mates and was convicted by the jury.
The Judge imposed a sentence OF
death. An appeal was taken first to
the State supreme court and later to
the United States supreme court by
his attorneys. Vaughan was in the
meantime placed in the State peniten-
tiary for safe-keeping and there de-