The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-06-02
NO REWARD ASKED.
No Action Taken to Arrest
Georgetown Murders.

The sheriff of Georgetown County
has not asked Governor Ansel to Of
fer a reward for DR.. G. c. Bigham or
W. B. Avant.
The two men were convicted in
Georgetown County last year on the
charge of killing Ruth Crisp Big
| ham, the wife of DR.. Bigham, and
were each sentenced to serve three
years and six months in the State
Penitentary.
Both men have left the State and
it is doubtful if either will be appre-
hended. Sheriff Scurry of George
town has offered a small reward for
the arrest of the two men. Nothing
has been heard at the State Peniten-
tiary as to the whereabouts of either
Avant or Bigham, and it is believed
by the officers that both have left
the State.
Il have no right to remove the
sheriff of a county," said Governor
Ansel when asked concerning the ac-
ton that he would take in the case.
"The sheriff is elected by the people
and it is not an appointive office"
''I have not been asked to offer a
reward for the men," said Governor
Ansen when asked if he would offer
a reward. 1.-TWO of the sureties
for Avant," said Governor Ansel,
have asked that offer a reward,
but 1 wrote saying that it was their
business to produce the prisoners
at the appointed time"
DR.. Bigham was out under bond
of $500 and Avant for s3,000.$
Immediately after the trial at
Georgetown counsel for the two
men asked that they be admitted to
bail. Judge Watts who heard the
case admitted Avant and Bigham to
bail in the sum of $1,000 each.
Later Avant came to the pe9iten-
tiary and gave himself up. Just be-
fore he was mustered in as con-
vict a message was received from
the Georgetown authorities asking
that the prisoner be held until fur
ther notice. No further wo"d was
received from Georgetown and as a
result Avant was held at the penl-
Tertiary for several months as a de-
tention prisoner.
His attorneys during the early
part of the year appeared before the
Supreme Court and instituted habeas
corpus proceedings. An order was
signed admitting Avant to bail in
the sum of $4,000 pending an appeal
to the Supreme Court. He left the
penitentiary and went back to
Georgetown.
The question has been asked many
times in the State since the an
nouncement that both men ran away.
why were the two men allowed to
escape?"
Immediately after the trial and
when DR.. Bigham was admitted to
hail in the sum Of $1,500 he left
GEORGETOWN and went to Greenville.
Since that time he has not been seen.
A letter received by the relatives
of Bigham states that he left the
United States Immediately after the
trial.
A letter received by relatives OF
Avant soon after the Supreme Court
had given the decision which af-
frmed the sentence of the George
town Court, saying: 81 am running
away" The letter was postmarked
Atlanta.
1t is generally believed that Avant
left his home in Georgetown for the
purpose of coming to the penitentiary
after the final decision by the Su-
preme Court, but after arriving in
Columbia he decided to run away. 1t
Is known that he telephoned to- the
authorities Of the penitentiary from
the village of Cayce, near Columbia.
The conversation was broken off abb
ruptly and the next heard from
Ayant he was running away
Avant and Bigham were convicted
and each sentenced to three years
and six months.
They were admitted to bond In the
sum of $1,500.
A verbal notice of appeal was
given to the Supreme Court.
The decision of the Georgetown
Court was affirmed.
The remittitur was sent to George
town in due time.
Yet both men escaped.-Columoia
State.
Negro Shot by Constable.
Fort Mill, May 26.-Will Ross, a