The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1921-03-18
McLAURIN ENTERS PLEA
OF GUILTY; SENTENCED
Continued From Page One.)

a boaAl OF specialists in m -ntal q.
eases who will examine Mr.. McLau
rim to determine his mental status
Mr.. McLaurin left his home in
Bennettsville last fall one afternoon
and a note was found on the river
bank just across the line in North
;lCarolina that day. indicating that
Mr.. McI.aurin had committed suicide
He was located in Atlanta several
days later.
Bennettsville, March 17-Thomas
guilty to an indictment intended to
convey every possible charge in con-
nection with the failure OF the Mu-
tual Savings bank OF Bennetsville
company Judge Bowman imposed
a sentence OF ten years and then
signed the following order:
THE defendant. Thomas b. Nc
Laurin having been arraigned upon
indictment charging breach Of trust.
etc. and having upon the advice of
his counsel. pleaded guilty to said
indictment and having been duly
sentenced by the court and his said
counsel. Messrs. T. I. Rogers and j.
K. Owens, having raised the ques-
tion Of the defendants sanity and
legal responsibility by testimony
sufficient to satisfy this court that
the question of the defendants san
Iity should be fully and thoroughly
investigated and inquired into. on
motion of the defendants counsel
the solicitor consenting, it is here
by ordered. decreed and adjudged
that commission, consisting OF not
less than four expert and reputed
psychiatrists, two of whom shall be
designated by the defendants at
torneys and two by the solicitor of
this circuit or by the attorney gen
eral of the state, and in case they
fail to agree then a fifth shall be
chosen by the four, is hereby created,
appointed and directed to inquire into
the mental condition of the said de-
fendant and as to whether or not
he be legally responsible for his
acts, and II said commission or
majority thereof shall find that the
said defendant be legally RESPONSE
BILE that upon the filing their report
with the clerk Of this court and the
serving OF certified copy thereof
upon the superintendents of the
state penitentiary and of the South
Carolina State hospital, respectively
or other proper authorities OF said
institutions that the said defendant
be transferred to the South Caro-
lima State hospital or some other in
stitution selected by said psychia-
trists as hereinafter provided and
there be confined and treated until
such time as he may be adjudged by
the said psychiatrists to be restored
to normality.
1T is ordered further, That the
said commission be and is hereby au-
thorized and empowered to take the
said defendant to such places at such
times as they deem advisable for OBJ
servation in order to reach their
conclusions in the premises, to in
quire into his mental condition at
the present and to give their opin
ion of his mental condition at the
time of the commission of the va
rious offenses charged in the indict
ment during the year 1920: that
upon the fling Of thH findings OF
said commission or a majority there
OF. If the said commission shn, Id
find that the said defendant. Thornas
b. McLaurin. was legally irreapon.
sible for his acts as charged in the
indictment, the sentence impo SEE
In this case shall be suspended unt
set aside and the findings OF thi,