The defense waived examination in the case of W.H.L. McLaurin Saturday morning and Judge J. Laurence Jones bound him over to superior court without bond. He faces a charge of attempting to criminally assault four young girls.
When witnesses were brought into the courtroom to be recognized for superior court, including the four young girls, the mother of two was weeping. Two men were supporting her. The other mother led the children to the clerk’s desk where their names were entered as witnesses.
McLaurin, who has been occupying a seat in the prisoner’s corner, was removed from the courtroom immediately and within five minutes he was in the Mecklenburg county jail. The police car stopped only long enough to permit him to kiss his wife as it pulled out from the station shed. He carried with him to jail a suitcase and three quilts.
Events in the courtroom were witnessed by a big crowd of men who had gathered despite Judge Jones’ pronouncement of Friday that the room would be cleared when the case was called. The elimination of testimony by the waiving of examination made it unnecessary to clear the room.
The parents of the children have employed David B. Smith to assist in the prosecution. Solicitor T.C. Guthrie Jr. had expected to handle the case Saturday morning but as it went up to higher court without examination the prosecution will be in the hands of Solicitor George W. Wilson and Mr. Smith. Col. T.L. Kirkpatrick and Heriot Clarkson are the defendant’s attorneys.
The children took two automobile rides with McLaurin recently, during which he is alleged to have attempted to criminally assault them. An examination of three, made by two physicians, showed evidence of an assault, according to a report made to the police. The girls are the children of two families. Two of them appeared to be about 8 years old, the third perhaps 11 and the fourth about 13.
McLaurin, whose age was given as 55 years, as been a paint salesman and recently made a canvass of several sections of the city selling paint. He carried a business card showing him to be the representative of a paint manufacturing company. The police said that he had also preached at times and sometime ago conducted a tent meeting in one of the suburbs of the city. He has been living at 814 North Church street. He is a man of settled and dignified appearance.
From the front page of The Charlotte News, Saturday evening, June 18, 1921
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