The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, April 08, 1927, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

' ' <r< . >n - L ^HE Camden Chronicif ^*aBBgg=g=" I CAMDfcN, SOUIH CAKOL1NA. FRIDAY ap.,.. ? Trrr " .J? NUMBER 2J* !iakkimjn kem> 4S HEAD OF CHAMBER / ' f a called meeting of the Camden ber of Commerce held Wednesfternoon the advisability hf ?e; another secretary for this 01ition was discussed. The jth present were divided on the r. Today we ore in receipt of [flowing communication from , G. Carriaon, Jr., president of organization, which is Selflatory: the Directors of the Camden xr of Commerce, Ladies and men: * ter carefully thinking over the discussed at our meeting yesafternoon in which I stressed cd of Such changes in our ortiott so that it might be brought >ir touch with the -merchants lofessional men of the town, J iccidekd to tender my re.sigr.al>resident of your body effectvoo?i as my successor can be I. In taking this step I ant c- i by no ill will toward any i in our commercial body and ladly serve on in my capacity lirector of the chamber of comto the best of my ability. >wever, 1 cannot with consistbe responsible as president cjrf i ody for its future policies holdhe opinion that I do, in effect, steps should be tuken to have rganization function in more than simply as a tourist bureau real estate exchange, though we all agree that the former y important factor as has been trated, though not to the exof all else as I see it. With of feeling to all of my assovithin our good organization, h every assurance of my consupport as a director and j , I am, faithfully yours, "H. G. Garrison, Jr." Blind To Give ConceVtf A musical concert will be given at the Camden High school auditorium , on Friday evening, April 8, at 3 o'clock. This- concert will be giver/' !he benefit of the work shop ojf i&sociation for the blind, located) ilumbia. The object of this sho/ teach the adult blind a tiriJde, by making themselves self^iusng. The program will eonsistW c?instrumental and vocflll? its, jokes and artistic paper-tearA treat is said to be in storwfor overs of music and fun and a ty laugh guaranteed to all. 1 The ic is invited and urged toTturh and co-operate in a good and thy cause. A small admission fee cents will be charged to adults, | ile all children in school, of whatr age, will be admitted at twenty Storm Does Damage heavy wind, hail and wind storm considerable damage in the section last Friday afternoon, chief sufferer was a negro jjJiurch the Camden-Columbia highway, is blown completely down. ^Other I buildings were daipaged.; The rogation has gone to work to go what they can of the wrecked ing and will no doubt have their of worship restored. While derable hail fell in Camden, no go was done, except from elecy which pht the lights 'out of mission for a short time. Ghronicle man was in Clinton ay afternoon where the hail is to have been more severe than Hiy other place. One good lady al section said that slje would he d to tell of "the size of some of stones?but "that they ranged a partridge egg size to" that of ke> egg. Damage to yrhite ways window panes and auto tops test'y to the size, however, for hun8 auto tops could be seen that completely riddled * on top tnany glasses knocked out. Some ?d bodily injuries,.from the pelt>f the hail. : Heard Sermon In Airplane * v?rk, April 3.?The Rev. Dr. A. Joling, minister of the \ ?bcgiate Church, who broad" ^rlnon cvery gun<lmy through * from the Waldorf-Astoria, re* ctter last week from a young Rapids, low., . in j0. ? they had thoroushlast *lonr of his ,er' in t?1! * whU? lh*y *?? ? Nob' , ?,TL Hp 8KNATK KILLS HKJlx;K BILL i Senator Welsh A?k* That Lnfuvorable Report H* Adopted Columbia, April iZchw that the Water to river toll bridge on the <olum bin-Camden state highway was bei.ig operated to pay the general ex penses of Kershaw county were made i by Senator James H. Hammond of Richland in the senate |^t night while speaking for a bill by Representative Kreps of Richland providing that the bridge be sold to tne state highway depar tment and'ma le toll-free. _ The measure was later killed when the senate voted to sustain an un favorable report by the finan.-e commil tee. An attempt by Senator Williams to have the vote reconsidered for the purpose of recommit ring the bill was in like manner tabled. Declaring thai this question continned the entire stale and was not a problem far Ker-haw or Richland counties alone. Senator Hammond charged that during the eight years since its construction, the bridge had yielded from three to five times its cost .in tolls, and that these were sufficient to pay interest on the bonds, pave the cotnty roads and coniribu.e to the general expenses of Kershaw. , | "The bridge was built, by an act [of the legislature which specified that the tolls of fifty cents pox* vehicle were to be used for payment of the cost," said Mr. ^Hammond, "and the bridge to become free when the amount collected had been sufficient to pay the cost. It is our information that the bridge collections arcaround $80,000 a year, and that its total yield has been five times the cost of its building. The* state maintains the road on both sides of the bridge, and a toll bridge on a state highway is an abhorrence. It will be advertised to the world by motorist associations, and the touring public will avoid the state. It will hurt the state on the eve of our period of prosperity and expansion." ' Denying that the bridge was "a gold mine for Kershaw county," Senator Welsh of that county asked that the unfavorable report be adopted. "I dont have the figures on the collections," he said, "but in the period of greatest business during the Florida movement, it never paid more than $50,000 in any one year. Upkeep amounts to $30,000, and tve generally break even on revenues and expenses." Mr. Welsh also said that the coun-1 ty was still paying for two earlier bridges, which had been washed away, an(i that, it had been under expense hecause roads to the bridge had been relocated. .A bill providing a free bridge if the highway department finished a hard surface from the Richland county line tb {he "river was repeale^qtj the present session, he added when the highway department/ admitted it coqld not -pave the road within the specified time. "Kershaw is a poor county," he said-.1 "We have not been repaid the cost of the bridge, and it is not fair to take it from us at this time. This bill provides that the highway department buy the bridge and pay us from the gasoline tax allocations, which would be paying us with oun pwn money." Later" charges by Senator Hammond that Kershaw residents were being-passed for 12 1-2 cettt and 0 1-4 Welsh, who said that these rate3 were given to holders o'f commutation books which were sold to anyone who wished to buy. Awarded Damages of $500 A case of interest to many people in Lancaster that was settled at the recent term of th^ court of common "plbas was the suit for damages brought by E. B. Huggins against the Redpath Chautauqua for the death of his son, Ora Lee. It will be recalled that the son, Ora Lee, was accidentally, shot during the Chautauqua season of 1923 with a pistol in the hands of one qf the crew boysfrom which he died after an illness I of about a week. *tfhe case has been' pending for several terms and was finally settled when a jury found a verdict of guilty against the defendant company and* attorneys in the case agreed upon for damages in the sum of $500.?Lancaster News, March 31st. . To Preach Here Sunday Rev. D. S. Hodges of Batesburg will preach in the Camden Presbyterian church Suuday morning at the hour of 11 rift. The public is cordially invited to hear him. BIGHAM GETS LIFE TIME; FAMOUS CASE IS ENDED (liy \. H. little in Tuesday'# Columbia State) Conway, April 4.?The Bigham case i i? ended, ho far as the eourta of South Carolina are concerned. An agree- < ment between statu and defense here late this afternoon brought u verdict of guilty with recommendation to inercy in the case of Edmund I>. Highuni, charged with the murder of his brother, L. Smiley Bigham. Shortly thereafter Judge M. |? Bonhaiir passed a sentence of life imprisonment upon the prisoner. Four other muider indictments against Bigham,' alleging the hilling of\^j:? mother, his I sister and his sister's two .-.mall I adopted sons, were nolle pr -ssed hy agreement. The motion of Mendel L. Smi li, iif which he announced in e!o?p)ent phraseology the agreement between opposing forces, came abruptly after foui state witnesses had been placed 011 the stand to undergo brief exam-) ination and cross-examination. Fol-i lowing the testimony uf Hattie S:n- ( gletary, negro woman, in the employ I of the Uigham household at the time i of the tragedy, attorneys asked the1 indulgence of the court for a confer-' enco. Scarcely had five minutes' elapsed before they returned to the! court room, Judge Smith to announce 1 the agreement and Solicitor L. M. Gasque to give brief assent. Thus ended the celebrated Bigham'' case, which for six years had mad* legal history in the courts of SoutM Carolina. Three limes Bigham had been sentenced to die. Twice he had gone to trial with conviction as the result. hight times, from various angles, had his case been viewed by j the state supreme court. 1 At .'5:15 o'clock this afternoon, the! full day up to that time having beeft' consumed in the drawing of a jury,' Bigham entered the third trial fori his life. Two and a half hours later; his life was restored to him, but his ' liberty forfeited. . ! Testimony offered preceding the j agreed verdict was in the main iden- j tical with the testimony of the same witnesses at former trials. Those; placed 011 the stand were: K. Walter! McW-hite, rosident of the Pamplicoi section of Florence county, in which over six years ago the tragedy was; enacted; W. W. Purvis of Pamplico, i Hattie Singletary, negro woman in, the employ of the Bigham household, at the time of the tragedy and Sher-1 man Myers, negro, who was employed by Edmund and Smiley Bigham in the wood business. Dr. "W. L. Poston, whose testimony j bad played an important part in for-; mer trials, was unable to be in court! today, due to illness. His testimony j as offered at the second trial, however, was read to the jury. <=> I Beginning at 9:30 o'clock this morn-j in&> by noon the first special venire ! of jurors was exhausted -in the attempt to procure a trial jury. An extra venire was drawn and met with j virtually th^, same fate. At this j .point, shortly after court reconvened j at 2 o'clock this afternoon, attorneys for the state withdrew thfcir objections to five jurors. From these the following jury Was en?f?aneled: W. Chadwick Martin, fpreman; Lucian D. Wfllaixl, Fred P. McNeill, W. C. Martin, J. A. Phipps, W. G. Allen, F. A! Singleton, A. D. Graham, Joe L. Chestnut, D. H. Baker, J. L. Stanley, G. F. Hardee. " : Speaking in behalf of the agreement, Mendel -k. Smith toid of the trials the defendant had undergone since his indictment over six years ago, charged with the annihilation of his entire family near the village of Pamplico iiH; a lonely section of Florence countyi Judge Smith told of the prejudice that had been directed against the defendant, of the terrific strain endured by him during his 47 months' sojoi^n in the death cell of the penitentiary and of the hardships Edmund Blgh&m had been called upon to endure throughout."The Bigham case is ended," Judge Smith's voice rang out through the quiet court room; "the Bigham mystery is ended in the courts of South Carolina, because we have ehtered into an agreement whereby we arc going to ask the jury to add to a verdict of guilty a recommendation of mercy." The attorney continued, in his individual and eloquent style, which for a moment held spectators, jurymen and court attaches alike fepellbound. as he reiterated his belief Jn the innocence of his client. He recited the nearly a still a day destroyed by officers (Rural police officer*, led by Deputy henff (;, F. Coolly, haw been <JuitL' I active, the past week capturing nearly 1 ? still a day and destroying the prop. | erty of illicit manufacturers. c>n' Monday they went into the Cherry I ^reek section of West Wateree and j lastroyed two barrels of mash and ! found a "worm." On Tuesday in the Spears < nek section of West Wateree they destroyed two barrels of imqfh but found no still, and on the >ame day in the Hall's Mill section of t'? eastern pnit of the county they destroyed a sixty-gallon capacity still and two barrels of mash. Wednesday they raided a still on' John Bran hum's place in West Wat?rce and destroyed a fifty-gallon out-' Tit aToug with a barrel of mash.' John Bran ha in, white, was placed under arrest, charged with its operation. Again on Wednesday they found two -tills fifty-gallon capacity in the Doby's Mill section. At o"e of the stills they destroyed one b .rn 1 ?f mash, and at the other there ^.i\cn empty barrels, showing f operators had only recently, macr a iun, 7 '1' officers made a search of the ?hm<e of Clyde Cunningham, white,' a i'< miles south of Camden near the 1 rick company's plant, where he! spec ted of housing stolen; JWflv? They found around fifty dol- : jars worth of groceries and canned' Tfoods, including two hams. - Clyde : Cunningham and Gfover Taylor, both' |white, were arreAd and placed in ,-a.l where thSyJ*e been unable td! give bond. TJpaKn are suspected of having stoleirVp jfoods in a night jobbery last w?]??t the store of ^ X. DeBruhl and V&. Edwards near j tm nrfill village. par.. that fate and misfortune had played in the course of the six-yearold Bigham case and told again of the unchanging assertions by the defendant of his innocence. At the conclus ion of the brief address of Judge' Smith, Solicitor Lonr.ie M. Gasque of Florence arose and in a-quiet mannersaid that the state was not seeking! the blood of Edmund Bigham, but that he, as representative of the state, sought only justice for the accused'1 man. In closing, he said that he, with ' his associate, Philip H. Arrowsmith of Florence, had given careful consideration to the agreement and had reached the conclusion that under its terms the ends of justice would be attained. Bigham attentively listened while the lawyer* discussed his life ami liberty. Throughout the entire day he kept up a splendid front. His manner seemed altogether' cheerful even while witnesses were explaining gruesome details of the tragSdy. Philip Arrowsmith, associated with Solicitor Gpsque, and A. L. King of the Florence bar, who since Bigham was indicted"Kad~put up a remarkable fight for his client, had nothing to say on the agreement. The court room today was not so crowded as at former trials. The opinion in this section was that the entity day would be consumed in drawing a jury. Even with that the (court room was well filled. I Juror after juror as he was called ! today declared that he had formed I an opinion of the guilt of Bigham. | One or two said that they had formed jan opinion as to his innocence. -Sev! eral declared that they could not convict upon circumstantial evidence. The defense objected to ten jurors and the state to five who were later recalled. Bases of opinions given were in the main the reading of newspaper articles in which the testimony of former trials was given,. discussion of the case with others who believed Bigham guilty and the hearing of testimony given at former trials. Neither Bigham's wife nor his two daughters were in the court room today. Late this afternoon the defend* nnt dispatched a telegram to his wife j in Asheville, telling her of the out| t-ome of the case. At the conclusion ?of the part trial today Bigham had j nothing to say, f but he apparently I was greatly relieved by the verdict, although still maintaining his innocence of the crime. . ~ From The Florence Paper * Owing to the wide-spread interest n the Bigbani case and on account of . local legal talent being connected (Continued on Last Page) UKTII I NK NKWS NO I KS . Happenings of Interrnt us Told By Our Regular ( or r espondent | Belhuiie, April 5. Mrs. Kin in h Blackwell, wife of Mr. W. (J. BUuk woll, died at her home in the Union section on lust Saturday morning lifter un illness extending over several years. Mrs. Black well is survived by her husband and two daughters, Mrs. Joe Gardner and Mrs. V. Beusloy and two brothers Messrs. Hurley and Henderson King. Funeral seivues were held at her late residence by her i pastor, tlu* Rev. J. A. (irahaiu, on i Saturday afternoon and her body was ; interied in the Blackwell cemetery where friends and relatives had gathered to pay a last tribute. Kittle Fannie Mae Kelly, the nineteen months old daughter of Mr. and Mi*. Flynn Kelly", died at the home of her grandmother, Mrs. K. M. Kelly, on Saturday morning. 1 lor death came as a shock to every one for she had been sick only a very short time. Funeral him vices were held at Bethany Methodist ehurch cemetery by li.e Rev. It. 1\ Bucks, and the little one was laid to rest beneath.a mound of flowers placed by loving hands. The Kpwor'.h League of the Beihuno Methodist chureh staged n very elaborate pageant, "Golden Youth," last Sunday evening. The occusion being the celebration of the thirty seventh anniversary of the organization of the Kpworth league. There were about fifty children and grown folk who took part in this pageant, all in costumes befitting the character they represented. The Church was represented by Dorothy Parrott; Gulden Youth by AlvitfClyburn, the Kpworth League by Gordon Watts and Listen Holland was tlie Chronologer. Special music was furnished by Mrs. J. C, Foster, Dr. E. Z. Trucv cjell and Miss Kathryn Trueadell. The floral decorations were unusually beautiful with quantities of potted plants covering the entire altar and tall Easter lilies in jardineres on the window sills. A very severe hail storm, accompanied by wind and rain, passed over this town and community last Thurs1 day afternoon about six o'clock, dam| aging fruit and early vegetables to some extent. The hail stones were unusually large and fell so rapidly that within a few minutes the ground was covered. Mr. Walter McClean, who lives in the Union section, reports that the wind storm was very severe blowing down his garage and barn. A negro man, who was caught under the barn, sustained a broken leg and Mr. McClean's stock was also injured. Two large whiskey distilleries were captured not a great distance from Bethune within the past week. Messrs. C. C. Pate, J. D. Munn and S. P. Watkins found one Just in the edge of Lee county Sunday morning and one nearer Bethune in Kershaw county a few days previous was found by Messrs. Pate, Watkins and others with a number of barrels of mash and beer ready to serve. In bath instances, however, they were unable to capture the owners and operators, i On last Saturday evening at the high school auditorium there was a .preliminary contest for the. purpose, of selecting representatives in deCla-1 i mation and reading for the district contest which is to be held in Columbia April 31. Those taking part in ' the contest were Olga Brannon, "The j Story of Patsy"; Willine Estridgo, I "As the Moon Rose"; Margie Parrott, "Curfew Shall Not Ring Toj night"; Boyd Copelnnd, "America for ; Americans"; Charlie McCaskill, "The j Man Who Wears the Button"; Lamar jJerman, "Liberty or Death"; and Neil i Truesdell, "Shall the Statue of Left ; Stand ip the Hall of Fame." All q? j the speakers did themselves credit put ; the judges decided that first honor | for the girls should be accorded' to j Margie Parrott with Willine Estridge 'second, and for the'boys Lamar Jeri man, first, and Neil Truesdell second. Mr. J. Roddey Bell and, family of Lancaster have be&n recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bethune, Mr. Bell is treasurer of Lancaster county but prjor to his assuming that office was for four years superintendent of the Bethune schools/ During his administration great progress was made in the schpols ana he is always a welcome visitor to Bethune. Miss Stella Bethune, Mrs. E. Z. Truesdell, Mossrs. W1. A. Bethune, G. W. King and G. E. Parrott left Sunday night for Tampa, -Fla., where they go to attend the reunion of Confederate veterans. While there they will he the guests of Mr. and, Mrs. L. A. McDowell. Miss Cecelia King of Anderson college is spending the spring holidays at home. Miss Mary McKinnon has gone to the Columbia hospital for. treatment. Misse* Pansy and Kathledn' Hyatt and Louise Tiller returned $6 Due West college Tuesday after having pent several days at home. Lee Ernest Outlaw, Fred Josey and Kirkland Watts, Clemson students, have been at home for spring holidays. , Mr. and Mrs. Ira Gordon of AsheI villc, N. C., are visiting relatives in I town. - j ! Miss Mildred Billings, accompanied jby Miss Helen Snellgrove, spent the week-end" at her home in Lancaster, -i , ' ^ # Teddy deLoach, of Winnsboro, wai a l^eek-end visitor to his family on Saturday and Sunday. reaTestate changes mark close of season Many cottugcr.s art; icinaining here through April, uiitl although the two larger hotels, the Kirkwood and the ( ourt ,nn' wi!l close on the thirteenth Hobkirk Inn and lVy Udge remain open until May firat and will care for the many who prefer remaining South until spring i? more advanced. Mr. and Mrs Churl M. TainUi.,' Mrs. Harry Seott (Jrays.m, Mrs i George It. Cook, Mr. and Mrs J t,TT v/'M'" a,,<1 Mrs. Hobert \\. Pomeroy, Mrs. Woods IV mM,.m ,V1'SS (),iv"' Whittredge, Miss M. Kleu.ior Brown, Miss Wallis, Mrs. M. J ( hurl ton, Mrs. Charles 1. L "yi'[; " ian Stone, Mr. and J, . 1 :. ^ irk over, Mr. ami Mrs. Clhif ' Mrs- VV. N. Kerr, Miss Klla ( ourvon Mr. and Mrs. II. A. Mea'M Mrs. It. Z.-J^rrison v among those keeping their Camden cottages open until after Kaster Remaining ut the Court Inn until e hotel doses are Mr. and Mr.i. I. H. 1 rue Mms Isabella I.nwrence, Mrs. lie e?. Casicr. Mrs. K. C. Fisher, v M,n. ' ( " Ehulger, Mrs. H Y. Dennis, Miss Mary Dennis. Mr. ??< Mrs. J. T. Maker, Mr. ami Mrs. n h- . ak> Mr :in(l Mis. William II. Nisbet, Mr. and Mrs. A. D j>art. ndge ami Mr. ami Mrs. .J. Alexander Hnyden. . .M'- 'tnd Mrs. John Sweeney and r Miss Sweeney, Mr. I, W. Hesse, Miss Marie Hlnnchartl, Mrs. L. A. Hovev, Mrs. Norman Day, Miss Nctltp r' ? v;Vv' r?r;iaw Mra- 11 11 c,Jiy. Ml Aft j 11i Mr' an<l Mrs. F. M. Wallis and Mr. l.ouift Sledge ?<<> among the many late oojourners at Hobkirk Inn. 1 he Frank Presbrey cup for the nest net score made on the Sarsfield rourso during the month of March ? " waa won by Dr. J. Dod.ge Peters of ^ Now York with 02. V . At the Kirkwood until the close are ?Mr. and Mrs. Wallace I. Keep and i*V. ^V.a uf Lockport,'- Mr. wi-JMr*- Abort Keed, Mrs. George A. H b' - Mr- ll,u* Mrs. 1 it. IS. htebbinH, Mrs. T. * Edahind lioche8teramI " P^eyof Never has Camden's tourist season J closed in a more optimistic manner ? than this year. On every side may, .rzJ be heard rumors of property changing hands, and several large sales nave already been consummated. The argest of these was Holly Hedge, the handsome Bull eBtate, which was : bought by Mr .Ernest L. Woodward ? of Leioy, N. \ ,t for, it is said, the price of $110,000.00. Immediately following this purchase Mr. Woodward also became the owner of the at- K tractive place across the way, recent- ly owned by Stephen Robinson. The l','E <*",1.1, auid to have bee.. X $31,000.00. By the purchase of-these '' estates Mr. Woodward assures the preservation of a benutiful and most attractive residential section, and will doubtless improve and add to their beauty and thus improve the appear-, ance oi the town. The Spring Hill ? lantauon, below Camden, Iips b?en * ^ trarr hosed by - MT.CtnrkAVlftAim^f New ^ ork City, Mr. M. L. Smith, Jr., r *L making the sale. ' Many improve- T ments will be made'n ml this interest- : ing place will have a. fine?dwelling, and shooting preserves. Millbank " bought by Mr. Samuel Russell, Jr., a"d 'he Peake cottage purchased by 'M ; Ca,rPenter are also notable of Camden's advancement. \i > Already many rentals huve been ^ made for next season and the out- ?look is that Camden will have an oven < larger cottage colony another winter. The Torii Shop, the Woman's Exchange, Holly Tree, Mt. Pleasant, and ' i the other tea rooms expect to close around the middle of the month, The ' Torn will not cater after this week, a but will be open for Easter gifts and novelties and next season will have new quarters in the Geisenheimer -4 house on Broad street. The Crescent Lake Olub has been ' exceedingly popular with winter visitors and will be an attractive place V for gatherings throughout thd summer, the lake and charming little club ^ house .being exceedingly alluring. Several parties have been held at the Crescent Lake this week, among them TC'LnK t n ?drlnner wich Mr. and Mrs. Ji:: John L. Weeks a* hosts. Mr. and Mrs. McKee Graham who are pas-sing the late season at Hob- - , kirk Inn. entertained with a dinner this evening at the Torii Shop for Mrs. Charles M. Tainter, Mrs. George ^ Henderson, Mips Ella Coursen, Miss ^ Keller and Mr. Frank Coursen. * v/ . i/ afternoon Mrs. Lawrencu Kjrkland gave a bridge tea at her ^ cottage and on Saturday Mrs. Charles Irving Thayer was hostess at a lunch- > ,> con at the Torii Shop. jr S - - Mr. Charles H. Kerner of^he King. Haiglur Inn and Dr. JF. Dodge Peters - : z return a .CUrence Morgan who has been , at the Kirkwood for several days left? / * Sunday for New York. Mrs. K- B. Wilcox entertained 'utf luncheon'^ the Kirkwood on Saturday .v I i!r*' ?TMmn H* Harri? o? Camden. Mrs. Wilcox returned North on Wednesday, -- ^ Mr. aM Mrs. George W^ Robeson of Rochester are spending two weeks , with their son-in-law end daughter, ' th. Kirkwood remaining there until this close of the hotel on Ayrtt thirteeoth. ?X