The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-03-19
.M'LAURIN ENTERS
PLEA OF GUILTY
Bowman Imposes Sen.
tence of Ten Years

Columbia, March 17,-Thomas Is.
McI.aurin. formerly Spresident OF the
Mutual Savings bank OF Bcnncttsville
anu the Bennettsville Warehouse
company. was brought to the state
penitentiary yesterday at 1 O'clock
sentence of ten years having been
imposed Tuesday 10y Judge Bowman
Mr.. McIaurin entered a plea of
guilty to charges in connection with
the failure of the bank.
When imposing sentence Judge
Bowman signed an order creating
a board of specialists in menta, dis
eases who viii examine Mr.. McLau-
rin TO determine his mental status.
Mr.. Mclaurin left his home in
Bennettsvilhc last fall one afternoon
and note was found on the river
bank just across the line i'm North
Carolina that day. indicating that
Mr. McLaurin had committed suicide.
He was located In Atlanta several
days later.
Bennettsville. March 1G.-Thomas
Is. McLaurin entered a plea of
guilty To an indictment intondcd to
cover every possible charge in con-
nection with the failure of tho Mu-
tual Savings bank of Bennettsvillc
and the Bcnncttsvillc Warehouse
company. Judge Bowman imposed "A
sentence of ten years and then signed
the' following; order:
The defc 1dant. Thomas T.. Nc
isurin. having been arraigned upon
indictment charging breach OF trust.
etc, and having upon the advice OF
his counsel. pleaded guilty to said in
dictment ant having been duly sem
fenced by the court and his said
counsel. Mcssrs. T. !. Rogers and j.
N. owens. having raised the qucs-
uon OF the defendants sanity and
legal responsibility by testimony
SUFFICIENT to satisfy this court that
the question OF the DEFENDANTS san
ity should be fully and thoroughly
invsstigpted and inquired into on
motion OF tho defendants counsel. the
solicitor consenting, il is hereby or
ucred decrccd and adjudged that "A
commission, consisting of not less
ulan Tour eNper: and reputable psy-
chatrists two of whom shall be des-
ignated by the defendants attorneys
anu TWO by the solicitor OF this cir
cult or by the attorney general of
the state. and i'm case they fail to
agree then a fifth shall he chosen by
the four. is hereby created, appointed
and directed to inquire into the men,
tal condition of the said defendant
and as to whether or not he be legally
responsible for his acts, and if said
commission Or majority thereof
snail find that the said defendant bc
not legally responsible that upon the
ming OF Their report with the clerk
or this court and the serving of n
certified copy thereof upon the SUPER
intcndcnts oi the state penitcntiary
and Of the South Carolina State
hospital, respectively. or other prop
er authorities OF said institutions
That the said defendant be trans
terrcd To the South Carolina State
hospital or some other institution
seicctcd 10y said psychatrists as here
matter provided and there be con-
iined and treated until such time. as
ne may be adjudged by the said psy-
chatrists to be restored to nornality,
1t IN ordered further. That the
said commission bc and is hereby au-
horlzed end empowered to take the
said defendant to such places at such
times AS they deem advisable for OBJ
scrvation in order to reach their con-
clusions In the premises. to inquire
into his mental condition at the pres
cnt ana To give their opinion of his
mental condition at the time OF the
commission Of the various offcnscs
charged in the Indictment during the
year 1890; that upon the iiling of the
hndlngs OF said commission or a ma
jority thereof. ii the said commission
should hnd that. the said defendant.
Thomas ~. Mclaurin, was legally Ir-
responsible Tor his acts as charged
IN the indictment. the sentence i'm
posed In this case shall he suSpCndci
anu set aside nnd the findings Of this
commission shall operate To suspend
and nullify the sentence and judg-
mcnt Of this court and the defendant
shall thcrcupon bc confined In some
institution for the treatment of his
maladics until i'm the Judgment OF
thc said pSyChutriNtS herein appOint-
cd lie shall bc restored To permanent
noruiality."
MIR. MCLaurin was taken to the
penitcntlary i'm Columbia there TO
abide results ami examination pruNid-
AL In Ihss nj