The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, January 21, 1921, Image 1
Abbeville Press and Banner
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Established 1844. $2.00 the Year. Tri-Weekly. Abbeville, S, C., Friday, Jan. 21, 1921 Single Copies, Five Cents. 77th Year.
ONE ARREST IN
FLORENCE CRIME
EDMUND BIGHAM PLACED IN
JAIL ON CHARGE OF MURDER
?AFFIDAVIT BY LAWYER IN
CLUDES STATEMENT BY ONE
OF DEAD WOMEN WHEN MAK
NG WILL BEFORE KILLING \
Florence, Jan. 20.?The tragedy
near Pamplico last Saturday after
noon which cost the lives of three
members of the Bigham family and
two adopted children, took a sensa
tional turn this afternoon when Ed
mund Bigham, one of the two sur
viving members of the family and
the first to appear on the scene < of
the tragedy, according to his state
ment, was arrested at the plantation
home and brought to the county jai!
acrc. xiid wiic attvuij/aiuwu ?"? w
the jail. Edmund Bigham was ar
rested by Deputy Sheriff M .B. Burch
on a warrant sworn out by^John W.
McCracken the father of the two
children killed. Coroner Smith and
C. M. Rose, an officer of Pamplico,
accompanied him. Bigham is charged
with murder. He submitted to the
arrest quietly and manifested little
or no concern. He refused to make
any statement tonight when seen
at the jail.
The persons killed on the Bigham
plantation last Saturday were: Mrs.
M. M. Bigham, her daughter, Mrs.
Margie Black; Leo and John Mc
Cracken, two adopted children, and
L. S. Bigham, br' '.her of Mrs. Black.
The mother and tne daughter apd
one of thfe children were apparently
killed instantly. The youngest child
died at 5 o'clock the following morn
ing, and L. S. Bigham, who was
thought at the time to have com
mitted the crime, was found* dead
in the woods about a mile from the
home at 11 o'clock the following
morning. He grasped a pistol in his
hand, and a bullet had pierced the
right temple. The other four victims
also died of pistol shot wounds.
Negroes for Witnesses.
Coi*oner Smith said this afternoon
that several negroes would be ar
v*Af4n/l V* rl op mof fl?5ol wif
xcowcvi auu iiciu ao iiiauci lai nu- i
neSses. It is his opinion that now
that Bigham is under arrest other
testimony bearing on the case may
be forthcoming.
In making the.arrest of Bigham on j
the warrant of McCracken, the affi-1
davit of Philip Arrowsmith, an at- j
torney of this city, was given great
consideration. In his affidavit Arrow
smith declares that he had been the
attorney for Mrs.^Black and for L S
(Smiley) Bigham, two of the persons
killed, since the spring of 1920 and
that, therefore, he had become inti
mately acquainted with their af
fairs.
At the outset of the affidavit, which
was sworn to before the coroner,
Mr. Arrowsmith declares that Ed
mund Bigham has no interest in tha
estate of the late Senator L. S. Big
ham, this having been conveyed to
his mother and brother. He also
declares that the payment of the
bond escheated by Dr. Cleveland Big
ham, who was convicted for the mur
der of his wife and sentenced to
three years in the state penitentiary,
had been provided for by deposit of
amount sufficient to cover the bond
in a local bank. ' The money was
the proceeds of a mortgage on the
estate lands and that Solicitor L.
M. Gasque of this judicial circuit
had in his possession the certificate
of deposit. Mr. Arrowshmith also
;3vrs that he has in his possession
all of the original deeds relating to
the Bigham lands. Continuing, the
statement says that on January 8,
1921, L. S. Bigham and Mrs. Margie
Black came to his home and at their
request he accompanied them to his
office where Mrs. Black, who was
greatly agitated, maae tne touowing
statement:
Feared for Life.
"I signed three blank deeds in the
presence of witnesses and left them
with Smiley so that if anything hap
pened to me my father's estate could
be handled as my mother and Smi
PLANS FROM BORAH
WINS APPROVA1
Step Taken Toward Internationa
Disarmament?Negotiations Be
tween United States, Great
Britain and Japan Recom
mended in Bill
Washington, Jan. 20.?A definite
step toward international disarma
ment was taken by the senate for
eign relations committee today in
ordering a favorable report on the
resolution of Senator Borah, Repub
lican, Idaho proposing, negotiations
between the United States, Greal
Britain and Japan to reduce naval
programs.
Discussion of the resolution in the
1 * ? - A. ?1- -J Av4
senate is not pianneu uciuic hca.
week and action on it at the pres
ent session is conceded to be in
doubt. Advocates of the resolution,
however, hope the senate debate wil.1
give impetus to general disarma
ment sentiment here and abroad.
The committee approved the Borali
resolution without a roll call after
it had voted down, 8 to 3 an alter
native resolution by Senator Walsli
Democrat, Montant, proposing Am
erican participation In discussion oi
the league of nations' disarma
ment commission. All democrats
commission. All Democrats presenl
supported the Walsh measure and
all Republicans voted against it,
Senator Shields, Democrat, Tennes
see, although absent was recorded
in opposition.
Some changes were made in the
Borah resolution by the committee,
One was the inclusion of the provi
sion that any agreements between
the United States, Great Britain
and Japan for naval building reduc
tions should be promulgated formal
1" A ry Q TYJOTI TY) PT1 i
ly uy ncot/jf. rtavwiv4
struck out Senator Borah's original
proposal to negotiate for a 50 pei
cent, reduction in naval building,
the committee deciding to leave this
question open for whatever reduc
tion might be arranged.
.Confinement of the negotiations tc
the three prinicipal naval powers aj
originally proposed by Senatoi
Borah, was approved by the commit
tee, a proposal by Senator McCum
ber, Republican, North Dakota, U
include France and Italy in the par
leys, being rejected.
Senator Borah plans to call ui
the resolution in the senate the firsl
opportunity, probably next week.
NEWS OF GLENN BASK1N
Glenn Baskin, who is making nu
home in Honea Path and is a membei
of the firm of Kay & Baskin, has
been operated on in the Andersor
Hospital for appendicitis and th<
good news comes to friends in Ab
beville that he is making a satisfac
tory recovery.
MOVING.
Mr. and Mrs. R. S. McCombs anc
family moved Friday to Fort Picken:
having purchased the old Hemphil
place from J. R. Woodhurst. Mr
Woodhurst has moved to the plac<
on North Main street just vacated bj
Mr. J. A. Shands who has moved tc
4-1*.^. XT??% J n ?1 n/iA iticf UnirAM /-J flia /*ift
tllC iiuiiio piauc just* ucjrviiu uit viwj
limits. *
ley desired. All these papers werf
stolen from Smiley. I found them ir
Edmund's possession. When I at
tempted to secure possession of then
Edmund flew into a passion anc
threatened to take my life as wel
as that of my mother. I gave -ui
all hope of getting the deeds bad
and his conduct is such that I an
afraid he will kill me at any mo
ment and I want you to prepare mj
will, giving all of my property t(
my brother Smiley, and charging
him, as I know he will, to take car<
of my mother and my two littl<
adopted boys."
Mr. Arrowsmith further declare<
that he drew the will as instructe(
and it was witnessed by himself, G
T. Bryce and Marshall W. Bridge
and that he incorporated in the wil
the statement of Mrs. Black to hin
regarding the threats against he
life.
GREAT RAILWAY
REDUCES AGAIN
I Pennsylvania Orders Another Cut
In Expenses?President Rea
Calls for Utmost Economy
Consistent With Safety
, And Efficiency
s Philadelphia, Jan. 20.?The Penn
- sylvania Railroad company today in
structed all departments throughout
i the system to effect a further reduc
s tion in expenses of 10 per cent, as
compared with the expenses in No
i vember, 1920. This is in addition
: to the 10 per cent, reduction ordered
I when the retrenchment caippaign
was started last month and which
! already has resulted in the laying off
; 01 approximately au.uuu men in tne
four regions of the system. Contin
i ued falling off of business was given
, as the reason for today's action.
I Freight traffic has declined 20 to 22
per cent, as compared with the early
fall, the company announced.
t "There is no arbitrary rule adopt
' ed," said a statement issued by Sam
uel Rea, president of the system,
t "The principle on which the reduc
tion will be made is to secure the
utmost economy consistent with safe
ty and efficiency. The vice presi
: dents, however, have been directed
' that in carrying out these instruc
l tions they shall do so in the manner
best adapted to avoid, as far as possi
" ble, unnecessary disruption of the
L the organizations or individual hard
ship.
"It is to be hoped that the reduc
tion in business will continue for
only a brief period. The manage
j ment of the Pennsylvania railroad
I sincerely regrets that uninterrupted \
I
| employment can not be assured to |
every faithful man on its payrolls.
' But the situation is a practical one j
^ and no way has as yet been devised J
in such circumstances as those now i
' existing to avoid a reduction in ex- j
( penses and working forces.
"As indicative of the severity of i
:he conditions confronting the man- j
* agement it may be pointed out thatj
' the Pennsylvania railroad system now i
has on its lines 58,000 idle freight I
^ars which is about 20 per cent, of |
the number owned, and that the idle j
cars are increasing daily. Freight j
traffic has declined 20 to 22 per cent |
s compared with the early fall and J
h !1 available information as to thf:|
prevailing conditions in the produc
tive industries and general commerce
indicates that a further slowing
down in the freight movement must
be anticipated before recovery can
reasonably be expected. Regrettably,
there is, therefore, no course open to
the management except to curtail
1 expenses accordingly."
DUE WEST VISITORS
I.
Mrs. J. P. Pratt and Miss Eliza
J beth Nickles>were down from Due
I West Friday. Mrs. Pratt is the
j daughter of Col. R. H. Armstrong,
i one of the beloved old veterans of
J the county, and she brings the good
* news that he is as lively as ever and
' and is in good health. Mrs. Pratt
J tells us also that Mrs. Purdy is mak
7 ing a success of the Erskine College
) Dormitory. She gives the boys
1 plenty to eat and that they are de
voted to her. She also tells us that
' Dr. Bell has a sick little girl, news
i which every one will he sorry to
i hear.
MOVING AWAY
Mrs. J. E. Cheatham and her
' young son, are leaving Abbeville
c soon. They will go to the country
1 and make their home with Mr. R. A.
Keaton, the father of Mrs. Cheat
r ham. Her friends regret her leaving.
5 Mr. and Mrs. James Walker, of At
? lanta, will occupy the Cheatham
J house.
OFF TO NEW ORLEANS
Mrs. Frank B. Gary left this af
ternoon for New Orleans where she
will spend a month with her sister,
Mrs. Weed. Mrs. Henry Riley, of
Richmond will join Mrs. Gary on
the trip and the three sisters will
hold a pleasant reunion.
/
POLICY OUTLINED I
IN ALIEN CASES
Labor Department Explains Its I
Position?Secretary Wilson
Speaks in Aighest Terms
of His Assistant's Ad
ministration
Washintgon, Jan. 20.?The ]>olicy
of the dcpai-tment of labor with re- c
spect to the arrest and deportation j
of radical aliens, concerning which i
it has had clashes with the depart
ment of justice, is announced for ,
the first time by Secretary Wilson r
in a statement made pulblic tod;iy at t
the White House. It was stfmmar- j
ized as follows: g
"No person shall be arrested ex
cept upon sworn affidavit based up
on condition and belief.
"No person when arrested shall
be held incommunicado. r
''Every person arrested shall be *
entitled to counsel Immediately up- 2
on being taken into custody. x
"They shall be confronted with ;
the evidence and shall be permitted *
to furnish testimony and be heard s
in their own behalf. *
"Excessive bail shall not be re- t
quired. (
"These safeguards of American 1
liberty, having been provided, if it 1
is then shown by tfte evidence that c
any alien is deportable under the t
socalled anarchist law, we will de- s
port him with as little compunction i
as we would attack an invading
enemy. We will not deport any one j
simply because he has been accused
or because he is suspected of being
a 'red.' We have no authority to do
so under the law." . (
T he labor secretary's statement ,
which also contained a vigorous de- (
fense of his assistant, Louis F. Post, r
was embodied in a letter sent by t
Secretary Tumulty to Col. Henry D. ,
Lindley, chairman of the~executive r
committee of the American Legion, {
who presented at the White House c
last October resolutions adopted by ;
the legion, formally asking for the
dismissal of Mr. Post from office be- ,
cause of his attitude with regard
to deportation of radicals.
It is understood that the legion's
request w?.s referred by the White ^
House to Secretary Wilson and that ^
[the statement by him was sent to
| the White House in reply. It also f
[ represented the president's reply to '
I tlia loorinn'c rpnnpftt. for Post's dis-1
| missal. /
In defending his assistant, Secre
| tary Wilson said he had not only
j faithfully carried out .Instruction
! with respect to aliens but he was
"among the ablest and best admin
istrative officers in the government
service," and "one of the truest A
mericans I have ever come in con
tact with."
THE BEARS IN CONTROL
The cotton market toflay was in the
hands of the bears. January futures
in New York closed at 16.40 against
17.10 yesterday. Spots were down 70
*?mu.
points. l lie uiaritui naa luau ucaiij <
two cents from the highest point of i
a week ago. 1
Not much cotton was offered on :
the local market, the prevailing prices j
of the early part of the week being 1
still offered.
A SICK BABY. ,
Mary Salome, the lovely little j
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Har- i
ris, has been ailing for several days 1
and Wednesday developed pneumo- i
nia. Miss Kendall of Columbia is here
nursing the little girl and her aunt,
Miss Salome Bookman is also here.
The little girl has been pretty sick
and today is holding her own. Every- (
one hopes to hear good news from her
her soon. ,
MRS. HARPER IMPROVING
Mrs. W. G. Harper was operated j
on at the Riverside Infirmary in
Charleston for appendicitis Wednes
day and the news from her bedside .
is that she is getting on nicely and ,
will soon be out again.
Mrs. Harper spent Christmas in
Abbeville and friends here are glad .
of good news from her. i
IOUSE MEMBERSHIP
NOT BE INCREASED
Jy a Vote of 198 to 77 Houses Keeps
Present Number?12 Seats Will
Be Shifted From Eleven
To Eight
States.
Washington, Jan. 20.?The House
if Representatives voted today a
;k\nst increasing its membership
'rom 435.
This action was taken by adoption
;f an amendment to the reapportion
nent bill which sought to increase the
otal to 488. Under the amendment
l2 seats would be shifted from 11 to
! states.
The vote to keep the membership
it 435 was 198 for to 77 against.
Thft vote for adoption of the a
nendment proposed by Representa
ive Barbour, Republican, California
i member of the Census committee
vhich reported the bill, was so over
vhelming that advocates a biggei
louse said they realized it woflld
itand. The amendment means that
;he following states will lose seats
;wo years hence: Missouri 2, and In
liana, and Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky.
Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Ne
jraska, Rhode Isand and Vemont
>nev each. California gain 3, Michigan
I, Ohio 2 and Connecticut, New Jer
sey, North Carolina, Texas and Wash
ngton one each.
PICTURE TO BE GIVEN
TO CREATE INTEREST
At the meeting of the parents and
;eachers Wednesday afternoon il
vas decided to make a cooperative
.'fl'ort to increase .the attendance ol
nothers at the future meetings ol
he Parent-Teacher association'.' The
issociation believes that the besl
neans of reaching the mother is
through the child so the members re
iolved to purchase two beautifu'
'ramed pictures, copies of master
jieces, and hang them in the room ol
:he grade, one at the graded school
ind one at the high school, whicl
lad the greatest number of mothers
it the next meeting of the associatior
February 15th. So long as the grade
;hat first wins the picture has the
greatest number of their motner;
sresent at the meetings the picture
remains in that room. If a grade
should win the picture three sucees
iive times it shall become their per
manent property and a new picture
kvill be offered by the association.
Should a mother have children ir
more than one grade her attendant
ivill count for one point for eacl
;rade in which she has a child pn
rolled.
The officers of the association ar<
t'ery anxious to secure *a 100 per cen
attendance and membership of th<
mothers of the schools and are de
termined to at least double the at
tendance at the February meeting
over what it was Wednesday after
noon. Each mother present Wednes
Jay was requested to bring anothei
member with her February 15th, am
the grades in both high and gradec
school are working in earnest to se
ure the pictures next month, anc
to hold them.
Mrs. W. P. Greene, Mrs. Amos B
Morse and Mrs. J. D. Fulp were ap
pointed on a committee to arrange <
parent's program for the next meet
ing which promises to be something
unique. This will be the tirst time tna
che school children or* teachers hav(
lot furnished the program.
NO SERVICE.
Rev. C. E. Peele wishes it knowr
:hat there will be no service in thf
Methodist church Sunday. Work or
the church is still in progress bu'
he hopes to have it finished by Sun
Jay week.
MRS ALBERT MILLER BEREAVEE
News was received in Abbevilh
this week of the death ol Mrs. ivic
Crae at her home in Monroe on Tues
clay. Mrs. McCrae is the mother oi
Mrs. Albert Miller, who has man}
friends in Abbeville who sorrow witl
her in her loss.
ABADIE TELLS OF HIS INVESTI
GATION?FORMER DIRECTOR
GENERAL OF EMERGENCY
FLEET CORPORATION ASKED
TO APPEAR BEFORE COMMIT
TEE TO TESTIFY
New York, Jan. 20?A voucher for
$260,000 "for personal expenses of
an officer of the Bethlehem Shipbuild
ing corporation" was found in an au
dit of the main offices of that com
pany uoi. H. Abadie today inform
ed the Walsh congressional commit
tee investigating the shipping board.
He identified this "officer" as Charles
M. Schwab who was then director
! general of the Emergency Fleet cor
poration. The voucher was made for
the month of October, 1918. "One
I hundred thousand of this amount" he
; testified, was arbitrarily charged to
1 ship construction.
It was learned prior to adjourn
' ment today that Mr. Schwab had
been asked to appear before the com
' mittee to testify.
1 The voucher in question, Colonel
A.badie added, was not seen by ,him
nor was its alleged amount or pur
pose verified. He said it was report*
ed to him by Mr. Morse of the firm of ^
Perley, Morse and company, expert
accountants, employed by him as
comptroller of the shipping board to
'! make an independent audit of ship
: building companies. He also testified
! that from what he knew of Mr.
Schwab, he would be the first man
to condemn any injustice by his
! i corporation toward the government.
' He added that while the voucher in
5 question was not accompanied by
" supporting papers he thought it could
' be explained. Asked if it might not
' represent Mr. Schwab's expenses for
'that month as an officer of the fleet
^ corporation the witness replied that
1 had it been so, the amount should
' have been covered by a fleet corpora
1 .on voucher.
The subject was brought up by
Colonel Abadie in explaining certain
maters connected with his resigna
I tion from the board, involved in
which was a dispute with Chairman
Payne in the employing of the au
diting firm to make an audit of
^ I
' J American ship yards.
I
^ He charged that Martin J. Gillen,
i then special assistant to John Barton
^ Payne, chairman of the board, had
connived to get him removed.
The auditing brought on a dispute
s with Chairman Payne as to his, Aba
k die's authority to order it.
; "The first intimation I had that
. my resignation would be acceptable"
. he said, "was when Gillen asked me
>. to meet him and wanted to know if
>
_ my heart w&s all right and could I
. stand a shock. I was then told that
L. at an executive meeting of the board
] it had been decided to accept my
j resignation if it was tendered."
Colonel Abadie said he filed his
I resignation and it was accepted and
he was given a month detached ?
duty. fv
i NEW EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
r Mr. A. S. Thomas, who has charge
^ of the welfare work in one of the
, mills controlled by Messrs Deering,
Millikin & Co., in Massachusetts, ha4
teen selected as Executive Secretary
by the Board of Selectmen of Abbe
ville Cotton Mills. Mr. Thomas was
in Abbeville a little more than a
1 year ago, and knows something of the
5 work to be done here. He has not yet
1 decided fully whether he will accept
^ the position offered him, but it is like
ly that he will.
Mr. Thomas is elected to take the
, place of Mr. J. A. Roscoe who recent
k ' ? i ?4.1.?
' v resigned ms position wan mc
Doard of Selectmen. Mr. Thomas has
i been engaged in this line of work
- which he is elected to do for a num
- ber of years, and has made a great
F success of it. It is hoped that he will
r decide to come to Abbeville to take
t charge of the work for the Board of
Selectmen.