Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TEfe Ebbertiser Subscription Price $2.00 Per Year Payable in Advance Published by ADVERTISING PINTING COMPANY Laurens. . C. Advertising Rate on Application. Obituaries and Cards of Thanks: Onc Cent a Word. Entered at the postoffice at Laurens, . V., gs second class mail mattbr. LAURENS, S. C., MARCH 30, 1921 "The root of the railroad difficulty iE not in national agreements, but In thc inadequacies of management," say Jett Lauck, consulting economist, -Why not let Jett run 'cim? His eyes "roved the room with the ex;)ression of appeal one sees oi the face of a hunted man with his captors all around him'" writes the worldly wise ,correspondent of the Columbia Reco(d in describing Iighan after the jury bad brought in a verdict of guilty. Very common scene, no doubt. Surpassing In brutality even the Bigha n case in this state is that of the murder of at least eleven negroes in Jaspe i anewton counties, Georgia. In tho Bigham case we have either a case of lnsnity or possibly sudden 'heat nd passion as miti-gating circum stancds, but in the Georgia cases we can see nothiing more than prede termined and cold-blooded murder. The s riousfiess of the crimes are not lessene1d by the fact that the victims were (egroes and no stones should be left uiturned to bring the guilty ipar ties to the ,electric chair. * * * Thi Is a wonderful country we have here nd even today, when all the world is bound down by financial troublfs. we could be relatively free from yxisting 'burdens. Unfortunately 'we hidve lived beyond our resources duri# a period of prosperity and, fol lowing an unsound agricultural sys tem, 'have tied ourselves ip so tight that it-Ls hard to see light ahead. With these lhings in mind, it is difficult to belliev reports that farming opera tions, -gith the exception of the use of fertilizer, are planned along lines fol lowed in the past. Farmers' of this county,: we are lead to .believe,- are preparing their lands for cotton in al most the same proportions as In (past years. These reports may -be In error and land apparently prepared for cot ton may be prepared for other crops, but evidences of radica.'. reduetion in cotton acreage and- Increase of other crops ag-e lacking. 'The outlook for cotton now makes the planting of a large crop of that iproduct as very tin wise and we boiteve that farmers un dertaking to plant a large acreage without looking out after other domes tic needsiare making a grave mistake. Bagey Schrool Honor Roll Seventl' Oradle-Mattle Benjamin Sarah Adair, Thomas Hamilton. Sixth Grade-Mary Benjamin. Fifth Gr~ade--Mary Templeton. Fourth ,rade-Ada BenjamIn, J1. T. 'Cannon. Third drade-Erskine AIir, Joe Nelson. Second drade-Lou Ella Fuller, Wil lie Lee Fr ler, ifenry Nelson, Char-lie Richards, d-win Templeton, Roy 13. 'Walker. Ii , First Gr de-Sarr-ie Star-nd.t druce Starnes, (' rr-ie Richards, Roy Jerry, Bernice N ~lson. Pr s byterian ChurreW : *.a The Sacrement of the Lord's Supp~er will be adm nisteredl at the 'Fir-st Pres byterlan ch *rch next Sunday in con nection with the eleven o'clock ser vice. In agreemnpnt with the First Metho dist and Flirst Blaiptist churches, our evening services both Sunday and Wednesday will be at 8 o'clock, be ginning tis evening andl continuing thr-ough the imummer. C. T. SQU'IRE~S, Pastor, OlY to lPiitiliestfl Miss .Sarahlt Nash, of tir-y Coirt, p~assed through the city Monday morn ing on her :way to Calurmbhia as the represenative from this county in the 'Palmafesta contest. 'Thie canrdidater from tire var-lins con tles are being en tertgi ned arid chaple roncd biiy thre Ca luimbia matrions, Miss NaLshI being ai girest at t he hrome oif Mr's. C. ii. Mole. .Meetinmg of W. II. I'. AttentIion is called to the fact. that the qiua rterly mneetirng of thre Third Di-cl11 vision, Laurens WV. .M. I '., will meet wVithi thne Warteril oo clhuirch. Satuprday, Apil 2nd, 10:30 o'clock. A firll dele gation fr-om a~l IBap itist chirches Is .utr-gedh. Thel Wednesday (lub Thre Wedcncesday club ill h eet this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock wvith Mr's. C. T1. Sqires. Mi's. Gon. M. WVrbrht. Sec. SENTENOE OF DEATH IMPOSED ON BIOHA* (Continued from 'Page.'1) their God, they would have testified differently." When asked to explain the finding of his pitol in his brother's hands, Highain said: "I left that pistol in my 'bureau drawer and it has -been testified thalt the door was found broken open. That is the only way Smiley could have got it. If I am guilty I hope I may be petrified in front of 'this court house just as I was that day, or as I am now. I am as innocent as a new born -baby." iigham's show of weaknoss at the end may have been in some icasu re due to the fact that he was not sus tained 'by the ipresence of his wife and children whose devotion has been so marked a feature of 'the trilal. When it was announced that the jury was about to return to the court room, 'Mrs. 13Ighain and the children left and heard the news of the verdict and sen tence while in the office of the clerk of court downstairs. Mrs. Bigham fainted when she heard the verdict, and Mrs. Worrell, the mwife . of a Florence policeman, 'who has been her constant companion (luring the trial, went to the court room for a doctor. Dr. I. M. Ilicks. attendedl Mrs. Bighain and 'when she was made comfortable she was taken ''back to Mrs. Worrell's boarding house where she has -been a guest. FlPOreilce, March 2.-Edmund Big ham, defendant in one of the most sensational cases ever tried in South Carolina, rwent on the stand in the criminal court this afternoon in his own defense. lie had -been preceded by his wife and his fourteen-year-o1ld daug'hter, Louise. The tostimony of the Bighams, which had been expected to come up today was responsible for the attendance of the even larg%, crowd of spectators than had marked previous sessions of the trial. Among this crowd was an even more liberal ,sprinkling f women than had cone to court yesterday. Mrs. Bigham was the first of the family to be called to the stand. She told in detail tihe story of happenings at the Bigham home on the day of the tragedy in which Mrs. M. NI. Bigham, Mrs. Maggie Bighamn Black. L. Smiley 'Bigham and Leo and oJ-hn McCracken, ado:pted children of Mrs. Black were the victims. The date of the tragedy was January 16th. Mlrs. Bligham showed almost com plete Imperturbability both.in the tell ing of her story and in anawering the questions when cross-examined by Solicitor Gashine. $he gave,.her testI. mony as If reading It fro'm a note 'book and her memory as to details appeared to be most exact, She showed no signs of nenyousness-and spoke in a clear, distinct-voice*'withif fe'ling. Louise Iigham. the 14-year-old daughter, whb shows extraordinary precocity for her years. told a story that dup:icated that of her motiher's except in minor de talls., She seemed to reilmeriber every thing except Ili some matters virtually affecting her father's defense. When called upon to recognize I)etective 10ichelbenger and say whether or not she had made certaIn .statements to him, concerning the condition of af fairs at the Highain home, she dis-,1 owned ever having recnn the detective. This; observance of the interest of the defendant :wns quite as ap~parent in the testimony or Mirs. Hlgham, wvho -when asked a question affecting her husbandl's interests would answer, know.". Edmund Bigham aiioeared to re member everything that. had taken place in the household even to small detala like dihe distance tahat was necessary to back an auto .in ordler to come out of the fro'nt yard and the dlistance between the point. in the llig haint homestead covered In the occur rences surrounding the tr-igedy. lie Oven recalledl that he had not paid one negro for cutting woodl on the day of the murders. It was when IBighanm reachedl the Cross examination stage that tihe con tinuaty of his story wi-as broken. When a question came u p that wvas not easi ly answered he -would lean toward So licitor (Gasque and say "hold on a mInute," or "just wait" and then ven ture an explanation rather than a statement of fact. Hligham's first showv of feeling camne when he dlescribedl the findings of his -brother's body. lie broke into sobs -andl tears and theree was a jpause of some length before lhe could go on. This demonstration was repeated 'when he told the story of the fInding of his sister and lhe appeared affected only to a slIghtly less degree when lie dlescribed the finding~ of 1~eo AlcCrscion and hi.s efforts 'to save the Fluancial A amirn T ioward the end of Iigham's direct testimony lie launched -fortih into' statement concerning the financial af faIrs of the -Blgham family. lie told1 how he had loaned money at varlona times and howv he had never received' any share of Ils father's estate. I-t was abecause of these sacrifIces, he said, that the otihen members of the famnily h ad made the deed to all their Interest:; in the estate -which lisa wife rouight to recordl the (lay he was Put in jail. The family owed him lie said, some tii like $26,000, and he had giveni 'utm a mortgage coverIng the diffes -enc( between that amount and $47,000, he amount named as consideration in ih face of thIs deed. Edmund Bigham in his testimony spoke in a clear and sharp v'oice and in the recall of happenings and conu d itlons leading up to the fIndIng of hIs mnotheri showed no relIng. Is f~Irst dIsclosure of any importance was a talk -with Smiley Bigham, hIs 'brother, on the night of Jlanuary..14. when the dead manm hatd toldl of the theft of the county records and 0! the $700 nostoffen shortage. in whitch former Senator J.'V.- M'cCown and tthers.were the srreties. Smiley had said, according. to the witness, "I 'believe a 1hundred per cent strong that I will be sentenced to the penitentiary at 'the March term of the federal court because of the shortage and for the theft of the county records." Mrs. igthan on Stand When Mrs. 'Bigham took the stand this morning there was a stir in the court room. Mrs. Bighan w.s per haps the most composed person in therroom. She related in detail the happenings leading tup to the trag edy, denying that there had ever been any trouble at the Bigham home and declaring that she and her husband had always got along all right and that they 'had passed a happy married life. On the night of tl:e tragedy she declared that her husband had not left the house, nor did he leave any time early in the morning. She swore the pearl 'han died pistol 'which she identified as her husband's had been in a bureau drawer, She had sent her daughter, Louise, to her father in the woods on January 8th to -get an address of one of 'her brthers. The trip -to Foxworths' had taken perhaps twenty minutes. VAnd in tlhat time,"' pursued Mr. Gasque, "Suiley had killed all these people and had 'got out by the road into the woods.' "It was about that time," answered rMs. Bigham. She and her children, Mrs. Bigham said. had stayed in the Iqarlor all night. She had 'whispered .to her husband and told him to go to bed. She didn't exactly whisper, but told him. She left the room about daylight and she and her daughters went to the kitchen. Edmund came to the kitchen several times but he did not leave lfne 1house. She didn't see that white-handled pistol in Edmund's pocket. "He did not have it," the witnesses said. hligham Tells Story Bighan said that after paying off the hands in the woods on the day of the traigedy, lie and Smiley came back to the house together. He had no pistol. he said. "Smiley and my self went ini the house to the dining room. My wife, Margie and mother' rwere in the room. The NcCracken children were Jn the yard. My clil dren were upstairs. I heard the niaiil driver's horn ahd went out and got the mail. There : was a letter ' for Smiley. I gave the letter to him at the -table. He was there figuring. I went on 'upstairs to our bed room. Wdien I came dovn, I went in the dining rom to get a cork I used in my radiator., Margio and Ma were there. I pumped up a tire ahd my wife and children got In -the car. Af ter I 'backed out I saw Smiley stand ing at the lot near where.the bees were. The last time .I Etaw imiley he was standing right there. - I drove on to Foxworths and one of the Fox worths' little boys went and called his father. I told f1orworth I 'was not going to haul any more wood to Pam lico and arran-ged to have him haul ,and pile it in the woods. Then I uvent back towards home. At the top of the red hill -I saw Smiley)hiu hand in front of him, going acrcss the road. A-bout 150 yards from 'the house I noticed mother. (Hers' the prisoner showtal his grief and wapt. Alniost with soba, he went on.) I saw iblood on her face and on her clothes. I took hold of her. She said, "Smiley han shot us," or "Smiley has killed us.' She said, "I want to lay down," and I took her in the -back yard. She said she wanted some water. At the benche5 in the back yard- she rc laxed and fell back. If she ever breathed again, I don't know. I think &'fr. Garrison was the first per son to drive un I went out. to him. Then Mr. hloyt tfBostlck drove uip." We wvent to the back yard where mamma was and something was said -about -taking mamma into the house. ,We took hoer in and laidi her on the bed. IWe went out again and got the lIttle 'boy, who was lying on the back porch, and put him on the bed 'with mamma. After that I don't remember exactly what happened excepit that Arny F"oxworth drove up and I asked him to 'go up the road and tell the people and tell them to come there. Then a negro man and woman drove up. F"inally the man camne hack and took the woman away. "Later I saiw a mule and buggy be longing to the estate behind the wood ipile. I saw~ a ne'gro come andi get It.. If that negro had look ed he would have seen that little boy. When Mr. .Illaiyes andl thle others came somebody sa,d they heard groans and they found tihe little boy. They took him in the house after I had asked someC b~ody to go for Doctor Poston." "\Vell now, about your sister," raild Mir. King.| "I asked them to look fot' her'.; calledl Margie about sundown. She' (11( not answer. I 'went all around the outbullsdinigs, looking for her'. About sundown I asked Ni r. Mel vini Brown to go .wvith me mupstairs andi we found Margie leaning over the little trunk in which she kept the little boys' clothes. There was .blood beside the .trul." 'Ieere the prisoner broke down agaL' and wept. his voice trembling wIth emotion. "I asked Dr. Poaton wh'len he came not to spare anything to save the lit tle child. When he started a'way I 'went to 'the car and asked him to enme hack to that little child andi he diud. The little boy was dead. I stayed in the sitting i'oom all night. my wife, the two girls, myself and the neighbors and Jint Ilurch. About I1 o'clock Mr. McCracken and anothe'r young man Came in. It was -the fir'st t ime I r'feuembe seeing Mrt. MicCracken. lie asked to see the( lit tie bmoy and sorne one wvent with him. After dayli~ght .\1'. 'Fioweri and I went out. 1 Op~ene(d the blinds and we went to the tot, lie says .I 'gave him a pistol, ,I take hui' word for' it. I don't kniow. I went to the kitchen and was there ilfteen muinutes andl I wvent and told them breakfant was reoady. As I remember, all of them were at breakfast. I stayed .right there within tihe' yard. Between me and my Goed. I never 'went out of ,that yarid from the, ime till Aundav 'night. .I don't. reiember - telting sebrher the direction to take to tlnd Smil9y's body. I did tell the direction I had seen hin going." 13ghaim never answered the ques tion as. 'o why he had kept the deed until all the inemberp of the fanily hud died before offering it .for record, lie denied that any erasures had been madc in the paper or any datet changed. lie denjed writing any notes to his wife and declared he was inno eent of any crime. Other witnesses for the defense to day offered testimony attempting te "lhow that Smiley Bigham- was insane, and that his father before him was also crazy. 'Phis is one of the points the defene is seeking to estarblishi. One witness declared, and he was substantiated by another witness, -that he heard a shot in the direction Smiley Bigham had taken when 'he wient into the woods. The shot was heard at 7 o'clock that night. Senator D. Gordon Baker, of the firm of Whiting and Baker, testified tonight that his firill had advised Smiley Bighinam that the statue of limitations *hisd run out in the case of the alleged postoflice shortage of $700 referred to by 'iddmund Bigham in his testimony and that he had noth ing to fear from either a criminal or a civil rioceeding in respect of it. This :was as far back as last Octo ber said Senator Baker. S* 0 S 1PECIAL NOTICES. $ Lost-On Ohurch street -between residences of Ralph Wilson and Hance ,Crews. a cameo pin. Finder please return to nie at Palmetto Bank and receive reward. T. I. Simpson. 37-1t-pd Cars Cheap-Used Fords, Max-wells, Chevrolets. Overlands, from $200 ip, Cash or terms. Sumerel Motor Co. 37-It-pd Buggles und Wagons Cheap--We are now offoring for cash during the next two weeks a few buggies and wagons at less than cosit. T. B. Sumerel. 37-It-pd LostL-iLst Friday niight in court house, small .black snapped Ipurse with two $1.00 bills, ten or fifteen cents and sone receipts -with my name on them. Please return to Mrs. Ina S. Irby, Pluss street, Laurens, S. C. 37-1t-pd For Trade-Wo have some new -bug gies and wagons which we will either soll or trade. Will trade vehicles for cars or cars for vehicles. Come along with -your trading goods.- T. B. Sum erel. 371t-pd Seed Cotton-43eginn 4.gy Friday, .April Ist, we -will buy 's ed cotton. Eichelberger 1ros., on old depot lot. 37-2t For Sale-One 1920 Ford roadster in good conditions. Good 'tires. Write P. 0. Box 344, or phone 278. Auto Vat tery Service Station. 37-It-pd F Notice-All persons are forbidden from hauling sand from my pasture %or other lands on Gor4on street. J. L. Nabors. 37-1t-pd Cars Painted-Come tb Sumerel Motor Co. and have a- factory painter mace a new car out of your old one, by painting it right. Sumerel Motpr Col 37-1t-pd Notice-[ have a nice lot of pure Cleveland Big Boll cotton seed. These were kept clean from any mixture and I offer them for 11.00 per bushel. I also have a lot of Wannamnaker's 1919 seed that cost ine $4.50 per bushel and freight last naring. These' are thd finest seed I ever saw. I made 1,300 lbs. of lint cotton on one acre. Any one wanting any can get theyjn for $2.50 per bushel. See me or write me. M. A. Sumerel, Laurcns, S. C., Ruite2. 37-it-pd Building Material-Soe me for all kinds of building material. Just re ceived shipment of .brick, limo and cement. C. H1..D~ukett. 36-5t-pd For -Sale-Marlboro Prolifid seed corn. .Been planted one year, $2.00 per -bushel. Z. H-. Tinslcy. Ljaurens Rt. 5. 36-2t-pd Wanted-To buy your chickens. Best market prices paid. Any quantity. Armstrong's Market. 35-5t-pd For Sale--500 bushels Cleveland Big Boll Cotton Seed. First year from the~ originator, 75c iper bushel. C. .\. Ow ens. Clinton, S. C. 31S Noticm'-I have arranged to bem in Laurens two (lays each month. If your piano needs tuninag leave order with S. M. & 10. H1. Wilkes & (0c. 0. M. Trully, Piano Tuner. 28-tf Eggs For Sale- -Rhode Island Reds (Reds that stay red). $2.00 for 15. W. Rt. McCuen, Laurens. 28-tf 0. Langdon Long ATITORNEY AT LAW Enterprise NationalBank Building All Legal Business Given Prompt Attention Dr. T. L. Timmnerman DENTIST Laurens, South Carolina Office In Peoples Bank Building Simpson, Cooper & Babb sAcorneva at Law. W11t Practiee in all State ECourts Prompt Attention Given All Btusiness G~ ASOLINEJ SYSTEMS ilTnks and Pumps, Air Com pressors, Computing Scales, Floor Scales, Show Cases, Account Rog isters, Rebuilt Casli Registers, Safed. Store FIxtures. TJ1E HAMII/TN SALES CO. - olumbia. R. C. O W EN OROS. MARB E & GRANITE CO. DlDSIONER9 MANUFACTURIDS - ERECTORS Dealers in everything for the "eme tery. The largest and best equipped nion umental mills In the Carolinas. GREENWOOD, - S. C. Do not forget that we have a large and twell assorted stock of all kinds of Belting, P11pe, Valves, Fittings, Iron, Steel, Shafting, Pul leys and Hangers, Bolts, Nuts and Washers and anything else you may need In the way of machinery supplies at present low prices. Try us. Columbia Supply Company 828 Gervals Street, COLUMBIA, S. C. GOULD BATTERIES With Dreadnaught Plates Six nations use Gould Batteries as standard equipment on sub marines. 80 per cent of the battleships of the world are equipped with Gould' Batteries. When Gould Batteries are selected bv na tions of the world as undoubtedly the ibest tBattery .made, it stands to reason that the discriminating car will select this Battery also. Complete Service Station AUTO BATTERY SERVICE Opposite Bremlett's Shop Laurens, S. C. Phone 278 R. Leo Johnson. Prop. NOTICE! Have Your Piano Tuned Now This is the time. of,:year when everyone is planning to have their piano tuned. Wie suggest that :you get your order in tefore the rush begins. We now have our own tuner ahd quarant e.his work. It the people of Laurens 'will st4nd .by me, I, will have their piano work done at reasonoble, prices. It. -is ,bettor to .have o - mat tlat. understands .his -busineasg and understands your plaio, to do your work. We have arranged :with Prot. A. M Golden, an ex port in tplano tuning, to' make 'this place, twice a year. W e , have.'yoit' piano -gone over every.pring and fa .a.repsonable prices if you waiCt to contract -with us,. that way, or -will let our niar see you and arrange with you personally. See Us at Our Store or Phone Us At Once Phone No. 291 LAURENS MUSIC CO. WRIGHT-SCRUGGS SHOE CO. SPARTANBURC, S.C. ANNOUNCING 'Summer Footwear Showing All that'% new and stylish in women's and children)'s shoes, men's oxfords, hos-. iery, etc. Featuring Satin Strap Pumps High or Low Heels Black or Browa NEW HOSIERY For Men, Women and Children In Silk or Lisle; Plain or Fancy Styles; All Colors. WRIGHT-SCRUGGS SHOE CO. SPARTANBURG, S. C. Prompt Mail Order Service.