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THE AVAM-B1GHAM TRAGEDY. A PSYLHOLOG1CAL MYSTERY WORTHY THE GEKIl'S OF LUTHER TRAM. Columbia, October g'4:?In the years to come a lonely spot on the be;u-h at Murrell's Inlet, near ? C::-orgetuwn, S. C., will be pointed out lv the elder residents. "It was here that 1J itil Higiiam was killed.'' tk.v will say. "How did it happen?" it will he asked. Bat there will he none to answer or give the reason for the killing. In the list of crimes that have ai i 1.1 .? uumtu iIK* w i'i ui me mjiiii^. v>?. Until Bigbam will timl a place. Not in the memory of the oldest men who have known of many dark crimes is there one of more mystery than that of the shooting of the vcuug woman on 51 itrroll's Inlet on September 4. 1U09. Although Dr G C Bigbam and his friend, W B Avant, have been found guilty of manslaughter, and have been sentenced to serve three and a half years in the State penitentary, the events that led up to the shooting of the wife of Dr Bigham are as dark a page as before the trial was entered into. Why? In this one word is contained the whole situation. The defendants were not placed on the stand in the t*ul. They could not, therefore, explain, if it were in their power, the reason for the firing of the fatal shot. But there were statements made by both Bigharn and Avant at the time of the shooting. According to all the witnesses the explanation offered by the two men was practically the same: Thev were seated on the porch of Suunyside late in the sfternoon. They saw an "object" come around the house. Thinking, according to their own statement, that the "object" was up to some devilment, they followed "it" after securing a gun. Out on the beach, about six hundred feet from the house, the object was hailed, but, meeting with no reply, Avant asked, "Shall I shoot?" "Shall I shoot?" "Shoot," said Dr Bigham, and the gun was tired. A most remarkable story, whether it is true or not. There is no one to suv that it is not true, because; there were no eye-witnesses to the tragedy. But there were suspicious circumstances, and these circumstances were related upou the witness stand by men of more than ordinary intelligence. All the witnesses were young men of good atauding, all made very good witnesses. They told every fact they knew in connection with the killing. These young men were near at hand on the evening of September 4. They rushed to the scene of the killing They saw Br Bigham beuding over the body of his young wife, who was then dying. They saw him move away from her and throw his arms around the neck of his friend, Avaut, and cry out, "Ycu have killed my little wife." Jt may have been in the excitement of the moment, but, nevertheless, is a circumstauce of significance, that Avant cried, "I'm a murderer; I've committed murder." There is no doubt that Will Avaut tired the fatal shot. It was not even necessary in the trial to prove the 1 1 ii_ k.iling, except as snown oy cne statements of Avant and Bigham, The gun was not put in evideuce. Bigham had said, according to one witness when the party 'an up to hiui, "Will Avant has killed iny wife." There are theories that have been whispered around the neighborhood. One is that Ruth Bigham knew too much about the killing of the negro for which L S Bigham, a brother of Dr Bigham, was tried in Florence recently. The picture that was drawn by those who held this view was that a few words of remonstrance that nothing should be said, then heated words, Avant along, the gun?the men shielded by the lateness of the hour sent the young wife to her death. A bottle of whiskey. Here some of those who lived around find an explanation. Drinking for some / I days, the men had become irresponsible--;* figure passed their | heme in the evening?late?they ; ! were frightened. Urged on by the !demon. "diink," thev followed, and" I j before realizing what they had done] the deed wag over, and the wife of j Dr High am was the victim. Unhappy domest'O relations The j ; State could not brii.g anything out ( j concerning this, A letter received j by the wife while she was visiting, m Laurens county was the only' suspicion that slipped into the trial, j She had cried when she received j this letter The letter contained the words, "Come home and things will be better," ami those who incline to the view of unhappy relations say that the tale of the crime is told in timse words. But there is I another side to this question. A postal card from "Ruth" said, "I am wild to see you." That was when she was on the visit. She came home soon afterward. On a visit to the friend of her husband the wife met her death. There was no testimony showing the relations of the couple at the home, "Sunnyside," on Murrell's Inlet. A friend of the family eaid after the trial that Bigham and his young wife were 6een strolling along the beach about an hour before the tragedy, aud the arm of the husband was arouud the wife. These conflicting instances of domestic relationship makes the crime all the more inexplicable. And the strange happeuings are not all on the State'e side. Just a few weeks prior to the death of Mrs Bigham it is said that she was turned away from the home of her father and left crying because she could not see her brother at home. But she did go to the home of her older brothers and her other kinsfolk. Here she found a welcome. Then it was published just after the killing that the statement was made by the father, according to the press, that no action would be taken against Dr Bigham and Avant for the killing. Within a short while there was a change of front. The Solicitor made investigations and the family of Mrs Bigham retained one of the State's Solicitors to represent it along with the State's representative of the circuit, Solicitor Wells What about the jury? With the facts as represented at the trial the jury found a fair verdict iu one sense. There wa9 no motive shown for the killing, there was no malice either expressed or implied. Yet, there is one point back to which the whole affair falls: A woman was killed, no satisfactory explanation has been given. If the story toiu oy uignam ana Avani is true, the verdict of the jury is just, if that story is not true, the two men are guilty xof murder. And this can not be answered save by Bigham and A van L--Afar* <f- Courier. Koch Joy! A birth certificate, filed today in the city clerk's office in Poughkeepsie, NY., gives official notice that Robert Fulton Henry Hudson Joy is the hope and joy of Mr and Mrs John Joy, at No 80 Cannon street. $100 Reward $100. The readers of this paper will be pleased to learn that there is at least one dreaded disease that science has been able to cure in all its stages, and that is Catarrh. Hall's Catarrh Cure is the only positive cure now known to the medical fraternity. Catarrh being a constitutional dis ease, requires a constitutional treatment. Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken internally, acting directly upoa the blood and mucous surfaces of the system, thereby destroying the foundation of the disease, and giving the patient strength by building up the constitution and assisting nature in doing its work. The proprietors have so much faith in its curative powers that they offer Cue Hundred Dollars for any case that it fail3 to cure. Send for list! of testimonals. Address F J CHENEY & CO, Toledo, 0. Sold by all Druggists, 75c. Take Hall's Family Pills for con* stipatiou. * Patronize the enterprising tirms that invite your trade through.your county paper, tf How Joseph Pulitzer Writes an Editoriai for the New York WorldThe story of the life of Joseph Pulitzer, the editor and proprietor of the New York World, is the subject of William Brown Moloney's article +he November American MagazineHow Mr Pulitzer writes an editorial for the World, is interestingly described by Mr Meloney as follows: "Afloat or ashore Mr Pulitzer is surrounded by a troop of readers and secretaries and when the impulse to do a thing comes upon him his power of endurance breaks the youngest and the strongest of them. Take him at sea, where most of his time has been spent of late. It is an ordinary occurrence for him to rout out his personal staff at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning to aid him in the preparation of an article. To think with Jhim is to act. Let it be some political fight or principle to which he has dedicated the World and though he may- be on the other side of the earth he is able to visualize it and live with the paper and those in charge of it through every step of success or defeat He does not compose with facility; soifre of those whole-page editorials in the World, bearing the signature 'Joseph Pulitzer,' which became so familiar during the Roosevelt administration and in the forming of the last Bryan campaign, represented weeks and weeks of unrelenting labor. They meant the driving to near distraction of those upon whom he is compelled to depend to put his thoughts on paper; they meant a crying for 'facts, facts,' and 'more facts' which it was believed would never cease; they meant the working over of draft after draft of the editorial in preparation; they meant countless finished articles thrown away and a beginning all over again until the ear of the blind man was satisfied.'' Practical Politics A political office in a small town in Iowa was vacant The office paid two hundred and fifty dollars a year, and there was keen competition for it The Democratic candidate, Ezekiel Hicks, was a shrewd old fellow, and a neat campaign fund was turned over to him To the astonishment of all, however, he was defeated. "I can't account for it," said one of the Democratic leaders gloomily. "With that money, we should have won. How did you lay it out, Ezekiel?" "Well," said Eziekel slowly, pulling his whiskers, "yersee, that office only pays two hundred and fifty dollars a year salary, an' I did't see no sense in payin' nine hundred dollars out to get the office, so I just bought me a little truck-farm instead."?-Vovember Lippincott's. Announcement. We have placed an order for over $100 worth of new job type, which includes the latest up-to-date faces for all kinds of commercial aud social forms of printing. We are now ' >- > - J- ?A~1 prepared aiso iu uu uaiaiuguc- auu pamphlet work of every description, including lawyers' briefs, in the most approved style. We have a special lot of new type faces that will be used only for wedding invitations, visiting cards, etc. Call and see samples of work or let us send them to you. Our job department is equipped better than auy other in this part of the State. tf Frightful Fate A?erted. "I would have been a cripple for life, from a terrible cut on my knee cap,'* writes Frank Disberry, Kelliker, Minn, "without Bucklen's Arnica Salve, which soon cured me." Infallible for wounds, cuts and brusies it soon cures Burns, Scalds, Old Sores, Boils, Skin Eruptions. World's best for Piles. 25c. at D C Scott's, ^ I , i: v i| The i C 11Jury's ! !? Verdict > 1 found by those who have given ^ the | / ''She w" ? a thorough test i? for *\voet- j l ik-s of tone anil its general 'T nuke up is entitled to all praises I l B i 3 and 'nice sayings" that have v been bestowed upon it in the C l?ast. Are You one of the jury? C If not, we w ill be delighted to C -end you a little info^^ion C that will interest you. on r | tt rms and prices." r r^? I i Chas. M. Stieff, ? Manufacturer of the T i Artistic Stieff, Shaw and Y Stieff Self-Player Pianos / * SOUTHERN WAREROOH: i j -5 West Trade Street, } Charlotte, - N. C. ? C. H. WILMOTH, V Manager. ' r (Mention this paper) C in. gtlland. 1 < ; | Real Estate Broker i ; I | KINGSTREE. S C. ; J ' | I have a list of great bargains < 5 in city and country property. < / J Call and take your selection. J f ) Easy te on large and small ? C farms, Mty lots and residences. i f * ' ! I I m . Tax NoticeThe tax books will be open for collection of taxes the 15th day of October next for the year 1909. Tax levy as follows: , For State, 5}+ mills " Ordinary County, 2% " i 4" Special Roads, 1 ' 'Roads, 1 " " Constitutional School, 8 " A capitation tax of $1.00 on all male persons l>etween the ages of 21 and 60 years, also 50cents per head on all dogs, l also 2 mills for retiring bonds in King*tree township.4 mills for retiring bonds in Lake City township and 2 mills for retiring bonds in Greelyville school district. No 22. Commutation (Road! tax. $2.00. Levy for special school districts as follows: Nos 17, 26, 27. 28, 29, 33? 35.36. 4 mills; Nos 15. 24,31, 3 mills; Nos 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 32, 2 mills; No 18,1 mill; Kingstree, No 16, 4 mills special, 2 mills High school. I will be at the following places mentioned below for collection of said taxes: Oct; Kingstree, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20 and 21 Hebron. J L Gowdy's store, 22 Salters, 23 Greelyyille, 25 and 26 Gourd ins 27 buttons, 28 Trio, 29 Harpers, 30 Nov. Benson, V W Graham's store. 1 Bloomingvale, 2 MorrisviTle, 3 Rhems, 4 Church P 0, W R Graham's store, 5 Rome, 6 Lamberts, 8 Ards X Roads, Eaddy's store, 9 Johnsonville, 10 VoxPO, 11 l'rosptct, 12 ' Leo, 13 Scranton, 1? and 18 Lake City. 19 and 20 i Cades. 22 Lake City, 23 Kin^stree. 24, 26, 27, 29 and 30 Dec ! Kinpstree, 1.2, 3, 4 and 6 Lake City, 7 i Kingstree, ; From 8th to 23rd and from 28th to 31st December, inclusive. Those who desire to pay their taxes tUn mail urniilrl i>Tnp(lifp m:lf Uliuugll 1111, man T?vu?M v-rv...?v ters by dropping the Treasurer a postal asking for tne amount of their taxes so as to avoid sending the wrong amount, also stating the township or townships, (if property is owned in more than one) and if possible give school district wh^re property is located, also state whether poll or road tax, or both, arc wanted. Alter paying taxes examine your receipts and see if all of your property is covered. If not, see about it atonce. By following the above suggestions complications and additional cost may be avoided J Wesley < ook, 1-1-10 County Treasurer. | i \ praSSTSE|J ? We have a number of handsome V j Oil Paintings and Photogravnres, 5 | 3 O ^ 10x20 size, suitable fcr framing; also ^ ? Fancy T77"oxlc Patterns 6 N that we a if giving away absolutely free with d \ THE WOMAN'S WORLD, 8 y S a high cla-s Magazine for the ladies. The Woman's World con- r% Jl J tains 48 pages devoted to literature by the best writers, fashions O ? and a dozen or more recipes in each number that are easily worth ^ r the small price of subscription. X C Ktinember you get the Picture, the Pattern and a first class X N Magazine once a month for 12 months all for the nominal sum Q 1 of 25 Cents in connection with The llecord. This offer is open to ft ) old or new subscribers. r We have the pictures and the patterns ready for you when yon, Y [ Tike C?M2aty ReeordhX 4 j ? M ^xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx A I BRICKS! BRICKS! BRICKS! 8 ^ 1,000,000 Bricks of X "Ver3r ^ime Qu.a,lit3r X . at our ? Brick Kilns on Black Mingo Creek. X Can deliver at almost any river landings. *>? Reasonable o4 CASH OR ON TIME. X Write for information and samples. x I- nUPM O. CAMC 5r. IMIRITI ? OVIIO, o \ RHEMS, S. C. X <XXXX XXJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCX ???? ? ?????^ B a M k i ia g Bmstoess? _ Vnil have more or ^ess ?* i*' Possibly it is with us. * J 1111 If such is the case you know something of our 1 service. If not already one of our patrons, why not consider the advisability of becoming one? i .1 ! 1 i OUR SAVINGS DEPARTMENT is calculated to serve all classes. It receives deposits from $1 up, and allows 4 per cent interest compounded quarterly. Bank of Williamsburg, KINGSTREE, S. C. j? J L I Rugs and Art Squares, t I * ) We have just received a large shipment of the ; HANDSOMEST L/NE OF RUGS AND ART SQUARES that has Ever Been Shown in Kingstree. Jj Call and look at them. . We also have j IOTT EnrsruiXT 3- ELSE needed for the home. i| COFFINS 4ND CASKETS. Services rendered day or night, L. J. STACKLEY, "THE FURNITURE MAN," | ,1