Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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> Sljc Cnunta |{ecorti. VOL. 36. ^ KINGSTREE, SOUTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1921. NO. 46 SOLONS GRINDING OUT LEGISLATION BOTH BODIES OF THE LEGISLATURE GETTING DOwv TO WORK. The legislative bodies at Columbia did not observe General Lee's birthday yesterday by taking a holiday which indicates that they want to get through with their work as soon as ^ possible. Claiming that they are not earning their money, twenty-five counties through their delegation voted in the House of Representatives yesterday to dispense with the services of their compulsory attendance officers and devolve their duties on the county superI# intendents of education and the trustees of the various School districts. The right of suffrage on a painty with the privileges enjoyed by the male citizens of the stAte was the purport of a Mil introduced by Claud N. Sapp, of Richland yesterday. The wvT/n-wvrJ f a fV? a inHiViorV IUCOOU1C nao * tAti 4*-v* WW vuv JMVI.V.W.; committee. The Senate finance committee has reported favorably on the bill proposing an extension in the time for the payment of taxes without penalty until April. A bill was introduced in the legislature by F. G. Harriss. Spartanburg, Monday to outlaw pool and billiard rooms in South Carolina. Pool rooms, moving picture theatres and carnival attractions all came in for brief mention at the session of the house Tuesday, and the members will likely have further opportunity to make known their attitude with regard to these forms of amusement and entertainr ment within the next few days. Senator Wightman's bill to abolish the hichwav commission is in line with a house bill by the Anderson and Pickens delegations. The Saluda senator believes a big expense would be saved if this change would be made. The bill was referred to the committee on roads, ferries and ridges. Bramlett Asks For Gang Sentence Greenville, Jan 15.?Special: Hugh T. Bramlett, convicted last week of the murder of his raother-in-law, Mrs. Lou McHugh, with recommendation to mercy, was this afternoon sentenced by Judge George E. Prince to servthe remainder of his life at hard laPmmlnH t/vJav u itKHrow hie mn tion for a new trail and announced through his counsel that he was ready to receive sentence. Bramlett asked that instead of being sentenced to the State Penitentiary he be permitted to serve his sentence on the chaingang a here where he would be near his fam^ ily and his aged mother. This request K earnestly pleaded for by Bramlett's H counsel and so strongly opposed by V Solicitor Martin was given consideraW tion by Judge Prince who after delibHk era tion sentenced Bramlett to serve in the State Penitentiary but included | "a provision that "in case the Insane Asylum unite in a certificate that you have entirely recovered your mental K 4 balance you may be on request of the I supervisor of Greenville county be f- be transferred for hard labor upon the \ public works of said county for the remainder of your sentence." o Death of Mr. J. T. Carter Hemingway, Jan. 12.?Mr^ John Timothy Carter died at his home near Hemingway Saturday morning about 4 o'clock. Mr. Carter was in his 78th year, and, though being feeble, he was able to be up and about until his death. He was a Confederate veteran and was raised in Wi'Iiamsburg county. , Funeral sen-ices were conducted at i Poplar Hill Baptist church Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, the Rev. Davis Harrell of Mullins officiating. He , was laid to rest in the presence of a large family and scores of friends from all parts of Williamsburg coun (ty. He is survived by his wife and three sons: W. C. Carter, Hemingway; A. L. Carter, Hemingway; R. D. Cartre, Kingstree, and three daughters: Mrs. J. E. Foxworth, Lake City; Mrs. r J. E. Cannon, Bennettsville; Mrs. John f Go'/d, Pamplico; also four step-daugh\ters: Mrs. A. S. Bolynn, Mullins; Mrs. Cameron, Charleston; Mrs. H. J. ?jp^Cannon. Dovesville, and Mrs. I. G. Lewis, Hemingway. All were present at his funeral except Mrs. Cannon. The family have the deepest sympathy of the community in their be ' reavement. i MUST NOT WEAR UNIFORM Persons Liable to Arrest Who Weai Dstinctive Parts of Uniform. Any person whether an ex-servic< I man or not, found wearing a distinc tive part of the uniform of the Arm] i or Navy or Marine Corps, is liable t< i arrest and prosecution under the Fed eral statutes, according to an an nouncement made by the Army am Navy Recruiting offices. The Department of Justice has beei directed to carry out the provision1 of the law, it was said. Dr. W. S. But ler, in charge of Navy Recruiting of fices stated there was only one waj for the United States to recognize th< soldier or sailor on the streets an< that was by his uniform. Ex-servic< men or other persons, he says, an urged to discard uniforms or distinc tive parts thereof at once. If the law is strictly enforced, a the officers say they intend to, it wil probably work considerable hardship: on various clothing dealers, who hav< been buying army overcoats, shirts I hats and other distinctive parts o: uniforms since the same were put 01 the market by the war Departmen and in turn selling them to any on< desiring to purchase. In many in staces persons who never saw mili tary sendee have bought the arm] clothing because of its superior qual ity. o The Law Against Trespassing I At the season when a great manj I owners and tenants are posting theii j lands against the depredations of tres passers we give below for the infor 1 mation of all concerned the law a: laid down in section 241 of the Soutl Carolina Criminal Code. 1912, fo: . the protection of land owners an? dealing with those who violate it. "Every entry on the lands of an j other, after notice from the owner 01 tenant phrohibiting the same, shal be a misdemeanor, and be punishev I by fine not ;o exceed $100 or impris onment with hard labor on the publii I works of the county not exceedim thirty days: Provided, That when 1 ever any owner or any tenant of an] lands shall post a notice in four con jepicuous places on the border of an] 'land prohibiting entry thereon, ant shall publish once a week for fou; consecutive weeks such notice in an] j newspaper circulating in the count] i where such lands are situate. Proo: of the posting and publishing of sucl notice within twelve months prior t< the entry shall be deemed and take: as notice conclusive against the per son making entry as aforesaid fo hunting or fishing." n ^ ? Two Months Old Baby Found. A two months old baby was foun< ! in a car in front of the home of J. D Piatt, on Black River road about 8:0< j o'clock Thursday night. It was foun< i bv a neero. who reported to Mr. Alt I man. The infant was carried to th< ' home of Mr. Sam Altman where it re i mains until further developments. On Friday morning Chief of Po J licft Ambrose got to work on the cast I and finally located the parents, Mr j and Mrs. Lee Collum. They were ar rested by Sheriff Ward and lodged it the county jail awaiting trial at nex court. They admitted that it wa their child and that as they were no fond of children had decided to plac' it in the hands of someone else. Th< child showed that it not been prop erly cared for.?Georgetown Times Index. o { President Elect Now a Shriner. _______ With 25C other candidates, Pres | ident-Elect- Harding, on last Friday I became a member of the Mystii Shrine. Recalling his having demon stated his ability on Che tuba during the campaign, an Indianopolis musi cal instrument firm presented Senatoi Harding with a silver cornet following the ceromonies and he w?s madt an honorary member of the Aladdii Temple Band, known in Masonic circles throughout the state. He als< was given membership in Aladdir Country Club, a local organization nn of ,9hrinprs nnlv. j 0 In Charleston the merchants aVt putti.ig on this week a campaigr kmwu as "pay up week." The Retai! -chants Association is behind tht enerprise and has issued a notice tt the effect that it wants all persons tc square themselves with their creditarguing that prompt attention to th( paying of accounts means better 3er vice to purchase; < as well as lowei 1'ving cost.;. \ TOBACCO GROWERS IF TO CUT ACREAGE ? - THE -EXECUTIVE .COMMITTEE i LDECIDES ON REDUCTION > OF 33 1-3 PER CENT. l A reduction of thirty-three and one-. 1 third per cent, of the 1921 tobacco | crop, compared with that of 1920, was j ^ l determined upon at Florence by the ! ^ =? executive committee of the South Car- j *",a - olina Tobacco Association, acting upon, - authority voted it by the convention j ^ ir of the association held in that city | ^1 i last Friday. Enactment of a compul- j i sory tieing and grading law is expect-1 i ed to curtail further production. 1 Immediately upon passage of the ls * resolution for reduction, official notice was sent to North Carolina that y 3 her sister state is with her for the,a? i * ad ! betterment of the tobacco industry, | 3 Probably the best indication of the i 7^ reduction sentiment in South Caro-! 1 an lina, says the Florence Times, lies in, 1 the information which the secretary ~ 1 placed before the committee. He ob1 tained it in a census of the meeting * last Friday. Of those attending the C1< * meeting 236 expressed themselves on ' reduction with the following results: . ? six for 50 to 100 per cent, flat cut, one 1S " for 40, 21 for 33 1-3, 8 for 25, one for 311 20, 58 for cutting but not stating any ^ amount, 13 did not express themselves . and seven favored two to two and one- ,s half acres to the horse. , f Steps were taken also to get enact-, r ed into law a bill now pending in the general assembly to compel tieing and 1 grading of tobacco in South Carolina. (^ s In urging the support of this measure, ^ . W. E. Lea, of Timmonsville, submitr ted an interesting comparision be- ^ i tween returns of tobacco crops in a 1 1 yv( North and South Carolina for the past . 10 years, including a phenomenal re- jj!1 r turn in 1919, when North Carolina av- ! j eraged 31 cents above South Carolina, . j the northern state received $38,714,000 ^ more for her crop than the southern ^ ? state. Other years, North Carolina _ has received an average of five to six ' cents per pound more than South Car- m r olina. On^^his basis, excepting the ^T< unusual year, she would have made . $13,367,000 more than this state. ' j A special committee on ways and ^ r means to effect this program and to r watch legislation, was appointed. j j Members are B. F. Williamson, of ? Darlington, chairman; S. B. Poston, , of Johnsonville; W. E. Lea, of Tim^ monsville; C. 0. Dixon, of Mullins; ^ j T. Benton Young, of Florence, secre- ^ - Ur>'- ' pb r The legislature will be asked also, upon the adoption of the grading and tieing act, to adipt in South Carolina the North Carolina schedule of ware- an house charges, which are a reduction. (in; Beside adopting these very specific; ly policies, the committee stressed the ro * fact that tobacco planters, if they hope yo j to make anything on their crops this wi year, must turn their attention wholly th to quality of production, and not to wl e ouantitv. Where available also, they!an urge using home grown seed, of sue- wi cessful types. ed Three important resolutions were us passed. One of these requested the I Mj general assembly to invite Mr. AaVon i ha Sapiro, of San Fiancisco, California of * to address the legislature on market-! tci * ing legislation. Another extended pl< * sincere thanks to the extension ser- un * vice of Clemson College, and recogniz2 ed Dr. W. W. Lcng, director, as "of Hi a I invaluable service to his state and one! its upon whom we are depending for wl leadership in helping us to solve our pr serious problem of marketing." The other one, in full is as follows: Where- oc< as our production questions have in! tei a large measure been at least tempor- i be: arily solved, and .whereas, it is urg-! Co ' ent now to look to and emphasize i ly 2 more the question of developing the in marketing side of agriculture. ha ' "Be it resolved by this executive we committee of the South Carolina To-'thi r bacco association and the organiza- ph tion committee of the Tri-State Co-: wi operative Marketing Association that i til 1 the extension office of this state be called upon to exert every effort in| ] * that direction; and. that we memori- i ha 1 alize the legislative delegations from an ' the tobacco counties that the usual' rel appropriations for this extension ser-!nei rice be taken care of By the legisla-; nt< ! ture now in session. : ge: i "Signed by every member as foi- frt I lows: S. B. Poston, of Johnsonville; air ? R. E. Currin of Florence; T. L. Smith, ha > of Mullins; E. E. McGill 01 Darling- tin > ton; R. M. Jenkins, of St. Charles; B. Mi , F. Williamson, of Darlington; E. Lea, evi 1 of Timmonsville; W. C. Hemingway, bej of Hyiingway; J. Russell Williams, ed of Monks Corner; W. H. Andrews, of: Andrews. % Ed AMILY WIPED OUT ! NEAR PAMPLICO' S. BIGHAM SHOOTS MOTHER, SISTER, TWO BOYS, THEN t] HIMSELF, IS THEORY 0 jtl A special dispatch from Florence to e Charleston News and Courier, j mday, says: Discovery Sunday of e bodies of five members of the Big- ^ m family revealed that the entire ! mily, living about five miles from } ' implico in the southeastern part of j p orence County was wiped out some- ^ ne Saturday afternoon, a total of c re being killed. L. S. Bigham, aged about forty-five, | ^ hought to have shot and killed his i Dther, Mrs. M. M. Bigham, aged six- ^ ; his sister, Mrs. Marjorie A. Black, ^ ed thirty-five; and the latter's two ^ opted children, Leo McCracken ed nine and John McCracken, aged g, e. Alleged family troubles in which j a ; estate valued at about $75,000 was ' stake, is reported to have been e cause of the tragedy. . L. S. Bigham has not been offiilly charged with the crime as the "f roner's jury will not make a report r about two weeks but the theory that he is the murderer and the icide. b The father of L. S. Bigham was the M te Senator Bigham and the family a a prominent one in the county. All were evidently killed instantly, cept Mrs. Bigham, the man's mother j ' 10 dived a few moments, and the oldt child, who died at 5 o'clock Sun- a y morning. The tragedy took place % the old Bigham home five miles ^a im Pamplico, Florence County. After slaying all within the house s the time, it is alleged. Bigham n ?nt deep into t^e woods surround- u ? the place and fired a bullet into - - 04 s own brain. When his body w^s . und his right hand still grasped the " stol. It was stated by the physician 10 examined the body that Bigham ; d been dead more than twelve hours. The murdered persons were all shot !* the head; the bullets in each case 11 tering just beneath their temples. ^ >ne were shot more than once, alrough two balls that had missed their irk, were found near the back door.;S1 ie large pistoj used by Bigham still ntained an unexploded cartridge rich indicates that the man re- a: ided. y The Bigham home is more than half ei mile distant from any neighboring tl use. No one could be found who al 4 . heard any shooting about the' cl ace. i si Sight a Ghastly One. ^ A large crowd gathered Sunday ^ d passed from room to room view-i g the dead. The sight was a ghast- j g one. On a bed in a downstairs j om lay the aged mother and the j ^ omgest child, their faces covered ^ th blood. In the adjoining room j g e oldest of the children lay on a bed t( lere he died at 5 o'clock Sunday. a d beside him the body of Bigham ' w is placed when the searchers returnwith it. Upstairs in the room she )( uaiiy occupied was tne body 01 Airs. s( arjorie Black, oldest sister of Big-1 <<, m, it lay on the floor just in front i the dresser. Until late in the af- u, moon when the coroner's jury com-1 j ?ted taking evidence the bodies were (|( disturbed. ^ The coroner's jury investigating the | u gham murder will defer rendering Qj verdict for two weeks, during w lich time an effort will be made t j | oduce additional testimony. Although the tragedy is said to have jr curred at 3:30 o'clock Saturday afmoon it was late Saturday night j h. fore word of it reached Florence j a< unty officials and they immediate- a> sent out dispatches asking officers' j, other towns to watch out for Big- j ^ m. First reports of the tragedy ire conflicting and due to the fact, ^ at it was impossible to secure tele- ^ one and telegraph communication J th Pamplico Sunday, it was not un-j ^ Sunday that the facts became own- . ied Bigham's brother, Edmund Bigharr, j ^ d left the house with his family in pj automobile at 3:10 o'clock. He ^ ;urned from a short visit to a U Anon o ViAnf ftconfv mm? l^UUVl O UVUUW (Wvuti w??V**?J j pj is later and found his mother stag-1 ring toward the road. He jumped! >m his ear but the aged woman died j nost before he reached her. Others th ppened to drive by the house at that j m le and when they oore the body of th s. Bigham into the house they saw ev idences of blood on the floor and he ?an an investigation which reveal- th the slaughter of three others. | st A.t the coroners inquest Saturday I er mund Bigham testified that he h?;.' \ TOBACCO PRICES HIGHER. >anville Market Well Supplied Despite Bad Roads. Danville, Va., Jan. 15.?Notwithtanding the deplorable condition of le roads leading into Danville and le unseasonable weather for selling he market was well supplied with)bacco last week. A decidedly upward tendercy in rices prevailed throughout the enre week, and while the general averge is not so large as was shown on everal reports earlier in the season, rices are probably quite as high as aey have been in the crop, the defease being occasioned by the large ercentage of common tobacco showlg up in the offerings. T+ io flronnr?11ir KaliAvarl irmers will market the "remainder of le crop as rapidly as it can be put lto condition.. Sales for the week amounted to 1,24,209 pounds, an average of $25.89, mount paid out $420,617.94. Sales for the preceding week mounted to 495,610 pounds, average 18.20, amount paid out $93,886.58. pen away from the house only About tventy minute?. He had left his rother standing in the yard. He had een acting strangely for several 'eeks and he did not appear to be ny more depressed Saturday than sual he said. T r?of fka /?o r* unfK mv TTItUU X ?VS 1/ IllWV Vol. IMVii II*J amily to go to Pamplico," Edmund igham testified, "I left my mother nd sister and the children at their arious occupations and play. As far s I know there had been no quarrellg during the day. Instead of going traight to Pamplico, I went up the 5ad to see Bob Foxworth for a minte. As we came back we saw mother tagger out of the yard. I then turnd and caught a glimse of Smilie turnlg into the woods almost in a run. [e had his right hand up toward his reast as if he had something in it. ut I did not see any pistol. My lother died as we were carrying her lto the house. Mr. T. D. Garrison nd Mr. Hoyt Bostick had come up in ae meantime. I called my sister, Mrs. larjorie Black, but she did not an ver. Finds Youngest Child. "I then went out on the back piazza nd found John McCracken, the oungest child, dead there. My motor's cap was also on the floor just by le back door and there was blood all bout. I believe my mother and the Hild were shot on the piazza and that be tried to get into the road for help. "We then started to look for my sis?r and the other child. It was almost - -1- L?L!? 4 ? ma arjc, pruuauiy twu uouis nr cached home, that we found Mrs. lack dead in ner room upstairs. "Later someone found the child, eo McCracken on a pile of straw beind a potato bank out in the yard. i'e was still alive. We called Dr. Posm as soon as possible. The boy died bout 5 o'clock. It is evident the boy as running when he was shot." Mr. Bigham could not say why tne >om of Mrs. Black was not searched )oner. It just happened so," he said, that we did not th'nk abo it it." "That morning about 12 o'clock we ad paid off the hands together and noticed that my brother was awfully jpressed. He would stand up and aze about in an abstracted manner, e did not have a pistol that I known I The pistol he did the killing with as mine and was in my bereau draw when I left the house. There was lother pistol somewhere in the house,! i my mother's room, I think." The tesimony of Mrs. Edmund Bigam and her two little daughters, who :companied Mr. Bigham in the car vay from the house just before the looting, tallied at every point with at of Mr. Bigham. There were some at the scene of ie shooting who were inclined to >nht that Smilie Bieham had done ie wholesale killing or that he had lied himself. All of the evidence hich could be found however, point1 to him as the murderer and suicide, te complex situation in which the Ifcham estate has been involved for e past year or two, gave rise to the ubts expressed by some of the peo* e living in the community. Kills Mrs. Black First. From the situation at the scene of e shooting it is believed that the urderer shot Mrs. Black first From e cleanliness of the bullet wound, he idently crept into the roon and shot t before she knew it It is thought at the man then rushed down the airs and met Mrs. Bigham. his moth. at the back door on the piazza (Concluded on Last Page) 'i -K \ GREELYVILLE NEWS TERSELY TOLD MR W. E. LESi^oNE ENTERTAINS VISITING FOX HUNTERSPERSONAL MENTION. (Special to The Record) Greelyville, Jan. 19.?Probably the most sumptuous feast and elaborate entertainment of many moons, was extended to the visiting and local fox hunters last Wednesday night by Mr. W. E. Leeesne. The affair was distinctly stag and Mr. Lesesne was a most thoughtful and gracious host, but the delicate and savoury crusine of Mrs. Lesesne, for which she is widely noted, was enjoyed by all. We hardly know, without calling on the host for light on the subject whether this was to be termed . a barbecue, (for barbecue was serv ed in abundance) or a dinner. It was really both, though either could have been eliminated and there would have been enough for all remaining. The delicious and abundant amount of food could never have been so nearly disposed of by the twenty men present but for the fact that Mr. J. W. Oliver and B. G. Land insisted on everyone trying a barbecued rib, which turned out to be so highly flavored with that cayenne weed that the crowd had to start eating again to keep from burning up. However, this terrific onslaught on the remaining food was not successful and we still had to leave the tables laden with food. After dinrier the young and ambitious members of the party were entertained by the deep baying of the hounds chasing old Brer Fox, caught at a previous chase of the hunters, and turned loose this blustery night for the pleasure and entertainment of ! the bunch. The older members of the party lingered around the big oak log fire, preferring the exchanging of yarns and joining in the singing of * "Old Black Joe" and other negro melodies, to the more hearty amusement j the cold and windy night afforded the chasing of Reynard, i The dinner was given in honor of the visiting huntsmen, Mr. C. C. Allen i and F. H. Carpenter, of Kenosha, Wis., and Mr. W. H. Coffey, of Statesville, N. C., who have spent a large part of several hunting seasons in our midst and whose coming each year is looked forward to with much pleasure by 1 all. Also, the following local friends ' and hunters of Mr. Lesesne were present: J. W. Oliver, J. P. Gamble, S. P. Oliver, W. F. Hogun. J. M. Oliver, C. H. Lesesne, Luke Plowden, Hugh j Plowden, J. H. Hardy, Dr. W. M. iO'Bryan, B..G. Land, J. H. Alsbrook, [S. S. Montgomery, S. W. Hogan, N. ^ A. Lesesne and L. S. Perry. Personal Mention. Miss Marie Knight spent Sunday with Miss Eddie Clark in Lynchburg. Mrs. J. B. Alsbrook entertained the teachers of the Greelyville School at a bird supper Friday night. Miss Belle McElveen is visiting friends in Spartanburg. Mr. and Mrs. E. D. Rhodus and children have l-eturned from an extended trip with relatives in South Geor1 gia. Mr. Rhodus reports that times : are gloomy in that territory but not | so much so as here, on account of very little cotton being planted there, which bespeaks highly of the advisibility of crop rotation. Mrs. B. J. Guess, wife of a former Methodist minister of Greelyville is being entertained by various friend being entertained by varouis friends there this week. Mr. Guy Mcintosh, of New Zion, j was a visitor in Greelyville Sunday. Mr. C. C. Allen, wealthy manufacturer of Kenosha, Wis., who has been hunting in vicinity of Greelyville for several weeks has retifcned home. # * 1 J. - J .*_ 1 ADOUl a uuzeu zncuus cujv/cu uic hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Register, who entertained at dinner on Tuesday evening of last week, in honor of Mr. C. C. Allen and F. H. 1 Carpenter, of Kenosha, Wis., and Mr. W. H. Coffey of StatesviUe. N. C., visiting tourists. Local farmers are sowing tobacco4 seed this week and indications are that considerable acreage will be planted in tobacco this season but not near so much as last yeai. The citizens of Greelyviile highly commend last week's editorial in the Record deploring the suggestion of certain tax payers to cut off the County Agent and Extension Service. If this service has not been up to standard in the past, we should impiove the service but it would certainly be a slap in the face of Williamsburg county progress to discontinue this service.