The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1919-09-17
T.U. VAUGHN ESCAPES
FROM STATE ASYLUM
Former Head of Odd Fel.
lows Home
MADE ESCAPE
MONDAY NIGHT

VHOI fO|Ab lStNsu U
Former Head Of Odd Follows Home,
Convicted Of HeinOus Crime and
Sentence Upheld Because of Sup
posed Insanity, Escapes from State
Hospital for Insane Monday Night.
Columbia, Sept 16.-Thurston u.
Vaughan, the former head of the Odd
Fellows Orphanage at Greenville, who
was sentenced 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 hospital, in a plea Of insanity
escaped from the hospital here today.
Hc was to have been taken to Green
vile this week, to undergo sanity tests
and If found not to be insane, would
then be Tc-scntenced to the electric
chair This was in accordance with
a court order of last Saturday 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 he acted in
such manner as to be judged insan
and was then committed to the state
hospital A recent sanity commits
sion again declared him insane.
Vaughan's escape was made from a.
ward on the fourth floor of the main
building of the asylum in which he
had been confined. 1t Is the opinion
or hospital authorities that he had in
some way secured a key and that he
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 no evidence of
the doors having been forced
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
o'clock this morning the attendant
went into his room to deliver the
morning newspaper. He saw what he
took to be Vaughan's body in the bed
under the bed clothes. at o'clock
the night attendant went off duty and
the day attcndan came on. About an
hour later this attendant went to
Vaughan's room to call him. as no had
not appeared. He found a dummy in
the bed, which had been made from
clothing.
The attendant at once gave a gen
eral alarm and search was Immediate
~ begun for the prisoner Officers all
over the State were notified but thus
far no clue has been found as to the
whereabouts OF the escaped man. The
night attendant says that he was in
and out Of the ward during the night
but saw nothing Of Vaughan.
Vaughn is described as being about
"S years Of age, about five feet tall,
weighs about 120 pounds, has light
brown hair, very thin, Is almost bald
on top He has blue eyes, very pen
etrating, rather protruding. He has
a light sandy complexion and rather
elfeminate appearance He wears a
No. 5gshoe and is supposed to have
carried with him gray suit with an
extra pair Of blue trousers.
When search Of the grounds was
madeit resulted in the discovery that
bench which had been setting in the
yard had been moved to the brick
wall which surrounds the grounds and
there were footprints which resem.
blcd those OF Vaughn'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
mad been turned there. Automobile
traffic is heavy on this street, however
and machine frequently turn in the
block.