The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-04-07
T. j. VAUGHN AR
RESTED IN FLORIDA
FORMER ORPHANAGE HEAD MAY
HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN TAMPA.
Man Teaching School.
Attempts to Take Life by Slashing
Throat, Jumping From Automobile
and by Drowning Self.

c., six years ago on charge of criminal
assault on four girls under IA years
of age, was arrested this afternoon
at his home at Port Tampa by Tampa
police detectives, J. A. Killibrew and
Stansell, and Marshall Sudduth OF
Port Tampa. The mans wife Was
also arrested and is held at the po-
lice station for Investigation. Earl
denies that he is the Vaughn want
ed in South Carolina, but several az
tempts to commit suicide led to his
being placed in a padded cell at the
county jail for safe keeping. 1t IS
said that the crimes for which
Vaughn was sentenced to death were
committed while he was in charge OF
the Odd Fellows orphan home in
Greenville. 1t is claimed that he
was convicted on the first count and
sentenced to death by electrocu7!on.
Later he is said to have been regard
ed as insane and was transferred to
| the state hospital for the insane IL,
Columbia, from which he ESCAPED
about two years ago. He is alleged
then to have made his way to Port
Tampa, where he has held the assist
ant principalship Of the Port Tampa
city school, and that he was married
here under the alleged assumed
name. The wife, it is claimed, was
one of his nurses at the hospital in
Columbia
Detective Killibrew went to the
! mans house yesterday afternoon,
leaving Detective Stansell and Mar
shall Sudduth near the house to
prevent the man escaping. Upon
learning Killibrew's intention and his
mission, Earl is said to have asked
permission to go into one of the
rooms of the house to see friend.
| This was refused Earl was in his
shirt sleeves and when he was search
ed the officer did not find any weapon.
Tried to Cut Throat.
Detective Killibrew put Earl in a
car and took him to the place where
Detective Stansell and Marshal Sud-
duth were waiting. When Marshal
Sudduth got out of the car in which
he was waiting to place handouts
upon EarPs wrists, the man suddenly
ran his hand into the watch pocket
of his trousers and pulled out knife
with which he started to cut his
throat. Detective Killibrew, how
ever, grabbed the man before he
could infict serious injury upon him
self.
DR.. W. H. Nudge, of Port Tampa
rendered first aid. Foiled in his at
tempt to end his life by cutting his
throat, Earl tried to jump out of the
automobile in which the officers were
bringing him to Tampa. He was final
| ly lodged in the public station, where
| shortly afterward he attempted to
pull the bandages from the wound
| in his throat. Later he attempted
to take his life by drowning by plac-
ing his head in the water in the bowl
of the toilet in his cell. Seemingly
driven to desperation, when foiled at
| this, the man again tried to end his
life by filling his hat with water and
burying his face in it. To guard
against further attempts of suicide
police officers took the man to the
county jail, where he was put in a
straight jacket and placed in a pad
ded cell.
Local police officers state he has
been identified by a man living in
Tampa, who had formerly made his
home in South Carolina, and knew
Vaughn.
| Wife Also Desperate.
The mans wife, who was brought
to Tampa, and held in the detention
room for investigation by the local
officers, was foiled in an attempt to
end her life also tonight. The police
say the woman about 8 o'clock to-
night suddenly grabbed a pocket
knife out of one Of her pockets and
started to slash her throat. She was
prevented from accomplishing her act
by Detective Stansell. According to
the officer, the woman took the knife
from her pocket and hesitated for
several minutes, seemingly taking
the time to arouse courage to carry
out her plars. She was caught just
as she started to jab the knife into
her throat.
The woman is said to have told the
| police officers that she was a nurse
at the state hospital for the insane