The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-26
FOUND GUILTY
Bigham and Avant Convicted Of han-
slaughter and Sent Up for
THREE YEARS AND A HALF

! lHREE YEhftS AMI a flALF
1t VIII be Remembered That Avant
and Bigham Shot and Killed
Bieham,s Wife on the Evening or
September 4 Last, at Murreirs
Inlet.
Three years and six months i'm
prisonment in the State penitentiary
was the sentence passed by Judge
Watts Friday afternoon at George
town upon w. B. Avant and G. C..
Bigham, for the killing of Mrs.
Ruth Crisp Bigham, the jury having
rendered a verdict 81 guilty OF man
slaughter after Two hours dell0er-
alton. thus ends the story of deed
that has shocked the people of the
entire State.
The correspondent of the State
says the majority of the people are
inclined to think the senten.e ex-
tremely' light. In spite Of the YER
dict. though, the killing of Mrs. Big
ham has not been explained, mys-
terry still enshrouds the affair. The
fight for the accused men centered
around the fact that they considered
the object" which proved to be
Mrs. Bigham, a trespasser and that
there was reason for suspicion. This
was: ably combatted by the State,
although the prosecution was at dis
advantage in not having reply to MI.
Ragsdale.
considerable surprise was created
when the defense permitted the case
to 60 to the jury without offering
any testimony.
The State touched another phase
of the case when in the testimony OF
I'M. J.:pearce of Waterloo, Laurens
county;;!5it was shown that Mrs. Big
ham while on visit to her old home
in. August had received letter and
telegram from her husband, the con-
tents of which caused her to weep.
The matter of unhappy married re-
lations was merely hinted at in this
manner. Mr.. Pearce had seen this
letter and the tears of the deceased
| woman.
Mr.. A. c. Leonard, one of the
States witnesses, was on the boat
10 Georgetown, with Mr.. and Mrs.
Avant, after the killing. Avant had
| told him lit was sad cccurrance,
but believe any one else would have
| uone it under the excitement anu
right. Dr. Bigham doesn't blame
me; he told me to shoot. Ihal
word excitement .'layeI great
| part in the argument by counsel,
! particularly in that Of Mr.. Rags
| iale. Attorney j. W. Wingate open
ed fer the license, speaking but 10
minutes, dealing largely with the
duty of jurors.
He was followed by Solicitor
| Cooper of Laurens, VINO spoke for
80 minutes. Mr.. Cooper dealt some
what at length with the law OH tres
pass.
Mr.. Cooper pointed out that ac-
ording to the testimony Mrs. Big
ham was sitting on the beach when
shot, that there was no suspicious
action or movement, that the men
did not hail her as she passed the
house. EIe argued the complete alb
sence of any circumstances that
would warrant suspicion; he showed
an intention on the part of the de-
| PENDANTS to shoot and contended that
they were therefore guilty of muir
der.
I Solicitor Wells argued that since
the defense was based on specific
statute, section 2, the burden of prov
ing the fitness and applicability oi
this statute rested on the defense
Then he attacked this plea Will
mu.h vigor, making a telling i'm
preston on the jury. He endearorcd
to show that because these men Wert
frightened was no sufficient eXcus,
for the act. The law doesn't eN'
empt them because they are arran'
towards" said he.
MIR. Ragsdale, for the defense, clos
ed the arguments, making pow
erful appeal to the jury in behalf
of his clients. He endcavored tc
show an absence of any motive foi
the killing, fact which the State
has not attempted to establish. he
ridiculed much of the States tcs
timony and sought TO discredit some
of its witnesses.
While the appeal was eloquent
moving the hearts Of many in the
audience, strong and forceful, il
terms elegant and refined, still Il
was scar ely more than an attempt
to play on the sympathies Of tbs
jury. He attempted to show that
by the testimony, it was dark when
the shooting occurred. that Aran'
and Bigham seeing this suspicious
looking person on the premises were
only acting in defense OF their home:
and loved ones. Several times dur