The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-05-17
SAD ENDING OF A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
DIR. ElvINGs KILLS HIMsELr.

/
Sharpens n Case-Knife and Cuts
an Artery in His Thigh.
The trial Of DR.. Sidney j. Bivings in
Spartanburg for the murder of Thomas
j. TRIMMER attracted great deal OF
attention last week. The defence
claimed that Bivings was insane when
he killed TRIMMER. and this claim
was stoutly resisted by the State. The
trial lasted five or six days, and the
a5lest lawyers were employed ON both
sides. The Piedmont Headlight gives
the following account of the closing
scenes OF the trial, with the sad suicide
pf the convicted man shortly after
wards
After lengthy and able arguments
by the counsel, both for the State and
ne defense, and an impartial charge
from Judge Klugh, the case was given
to the jury. Just as the clock was
striking one on Wednesday morning,
| he jury rendered verdict of guilty,
with recommendation to mercy"
The friends OF DR.. Bivings were con-
ddent that he would either come clear
or there would be mistrial, and the
verdict was a great shock to them, but
| The doctor himself seemed the least
disturbed OF anyone, and no change
was noticeable in his face. While
being conducted to the Jail DR.. Bivings'
only remark was, The id scoundrels
! nave prosecuted me and convicted me,
and should now be satisfied"
1t was twenty minutes to two when
The prisoner was locked in his cell,
and at 6:lO Wednesday morning, when
Mr.. Boyce Dean visited him, he was
| hooked to find the dead body OF DR..
Bivtngs lying stretched upon the floor
n puddle Of blood.
| a Headlight reporter at once visited
the jail and through the kindness Of
| Sheriff Dean was permitted to inspect
the cells OF condemned prisone rs
which are In a separate section OF the
the Jail. Every kindness commen-
urate with safety had been shown Dr.
Bivings. He was given the range Of
three cells and passage, with water
| closet and bath tub and other convent
| cnces. He received his meals regular.
| y from restaurant the cell he slept
In had comfortable bed, was carpeted
| with rugs, while books, stationery,
etc, was kept at hand. In fact, but
| for his CO.. tinement, the doctor was as
| comfortable as If he boarded at a MOTEL
In sending his meals, 1T had been the
custom OF the waiter to leave q fresh
set OF dishes and carry away the set
| used. But on that night, owing to the
trial in progress, he left both sets.
DR.. Bivings, after being left alone
in his cell, took one of the silver plated
knives, and going into the extreme
| nd cell from the one he occupied, de-
iberately sharpened it first on the
cement floor and then polished the
blade off on leather razor strop hang.
| ng beside the wall. In order to test
the edge, he cut q slit in the leather,
nd finding the point of the blade al
most as keen as razor, went into the
tnlodle cell and, seating himself upon
u rattan rocking chair, undressed to
bis shirt and drawers, and then cut an
| artery ip his thigh. You could see
| from the flow OF blood that the doctor
sat in the chair until, through loss f
blood, his strength was exhausted,
| when he fell over on the floor He
must have been some time dying, for
he had twisted his head and shoulders
| under the table, only his hips and legs
showing.
1t was premeditated and deliberate
suicide, and the nature of the wound
shows that DR.. Bivings had thoroughly
studied anatomy and knew just where
| to find the artery in his thigh An
| throat, but DR.. Bivings took an equally
effective way to end his life, without
disfguring his person after death. 1t
was horrible and ghostly sight, the
floor being saturated with blood and
the brilliant young man in the prime
of life, who had such a bright future
head, had deliberately taken his own
life.
The sad death of DR.. Sid Bivings
has cast pail of gloom over our en-
tire city and county, for the deceased
| had many true friends, and until he
fell victim of strong drink, was con-
sidered one of the most promising
young men in our county. He in
herited q handsome property from his
father, and for some tin had added
thereto. Butof late he had used liquor
| to excess, and speculated, 80 1t is said,
| in cotton futures, and lost cons iderabe
| money. There was no doubt bout DR..
| Bivings' mind being impaired when
| he killed one of his best friends. Mr..
| TRIMMER, and this suicide proves it..
| To the widowed wife and little orphan
child, and that aged and heart t-broken
mother, the deepest sympathy of our
whole people is rendered. May "He
who tempers the wind to the shorn
lamb" teach them to bear their ic-
tion. The deceased was q true FREUD
and had many noble traits, and his sad
ending and fate can be traced directly
to the excessive use Of strong drink.
Truly, as Bob Ingersoll says of whis-
key, Ut Is the DEVILS best friend and
Gods worst enemy"
| After the verdict had been rend cred,
DR.. Bi7ings told one Of his relatives to
say to his mother that he would face
his doom like man, and that she
must stand it, too, and he would yet
come out all right. But there is little
doubt that DR.. Bivings had made up
his mind not to face the disgrace Of
ever going to the penitentiary, and
having lost all hope, decided to end
his life. He was a Lroud and brave
man, and those who knew him inti-
mately were not surprised when they
heard OF his suicide. His counsel had
worked faithfully, their only hope was
to prove that the accused was insane
at the time of the killing OF Mr.. Trim
mier. But the jury believed that the
prisoner HAD brought this upon him
self by the excessive use OF drugs and
whiskey, and that some punishment
should be meted out to him. 1t was
very doubtful II q new trial could have
been secured, as Judge Kiugh covered
every point, but with the able counsel
his execution of the sentence could
have been delayed for q long time.
DIR. Bivings doubtless thought that his
life was wrecked and In sheer despera'