The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, October 28, 1909, Image 2
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
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???? ? ?????^
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