The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-10-27
TIE lIelln-lVAHT CASE.
COURT ROOM AT GEORGETOWN
PACKED WITH SPECTATORS.
Fsoosng Of the Tragedy. ut Murrclrs
Inlet In Georgetown County In
sep<ember, by Which Young Mrs.
nAgham Lost Her Life, Begun Yes
tcrdsy-Avant Admits Firing tho
Ratal Shot.

Georgetown. Oct. 2i.--Two men,
scarcely past the years of youth. are
on trial here. charged with the kill
iIsg Of the girl wife Of one OF them.
q. g. Bisham. the husband and w.
Rh Avant. the friend. are the only
ohss who know all that happened on
tie evening Ruth Crisp Bigham met
her death. Out on a lonely beach,
with no witnesses save the silent wa
tsrs OF tho little inlet. the tragedy
which resulted In the death of the
wife OF DR.. Bsgham occurred. Ac-
lcording to the two men. neither knew
u was the wife OF Bigham at whom
the fatal shot was fred. Both claim
that they had no knowledge of the
identity Of the woman that walked
upon the beach shortly after sundown
on September 4.
With her life cut short within two
minutes Of the firing of the gun. the
woman had no chance to tell the
world Of the manner OF the shooting.
she could not tell those who hastened
to her side at ths sound of the re-
port who shot her nor give q mo-
tive. II motive there was. for the shoot
ing.
But from the lips OF Avant himself
it-has developed that he fred the gun.
It wac ne who sent to her death the
wife of his friend. But why he killed
\her has not been established. The
theories m to her death range from
the possibility of cold-blooded muir
der to that of mere accident. From
the moment the husband cried out In
AGONY on the beach. "Oh. God. you
have killed my little wife," to the
time when the trial Is entered into
(and the States witnesses examined.
the affair has remained a mystery.
What further Developments may come
from the lips Of those who were near
cannot be guessed.
The State put up four witnesses to-
day, and In early all details these wit
pesses' statements agreed. That Big
ham and Avant were together on the
evening OF the tragedy. walked from
sunnyside. the home of Avant. out on
the beach OF Murrelrs Inlet. followed
IN object that passed from around
the homo. and when. not receiving a
.response 20 their call as to what 1t
vished. the gun was fred by Avant
at the request OF Bigham. are state
ments made by the defendants on the
night OF the shooting. This and other
explanations of various details OF the
AFFAIR were made by the States wit
nesses. The main feature Of the
states position was to show that 1t
was not sufiicientiy dark for one at
close range not to have been able to
discern objects on the beach. To
prove this tests have been made out
at the inlet under the same conditions
existing at the time OF the shooting,
~ near an could be brought about.
Last Saturday night. at about the
same hour the shooting occurred. sew
erai Of the witnesses went to the inlet
and tested the sound OF the voice. the
flashes of Q gun and the distances at
which persons could be seen walking
on the beach. From these tests It
was apparent that In the dusk OF an
evening one hour after the sun had
gone down q man could be recognized
walking on the beach at some dis
tance from Sunnyside.
On the evening the tragedy took
place Ruth Bigham walked from her
room In Sunnyside. Over the bathing
suit that she wore was thrown a rain
coat. As she turned the corner OF the
home her husband and Avant. ac-
cording TO what has been brought out
today, In doubt as to what the object
might be. ran into the house. secur-
ed gun and followed her DOWN the
beach. Who Is it?" they say they
cried out repeatedly. When no an
swer came. "Shall I fire." asked
Avant. Yes" said Bigham, perhaps
little dreaming that IL was his own
wife whose death sentence he pro-
nounced.