The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-07-13

living to-day. 1t was ABOUT lV mlu-
utes after the tide began rising rapid
ly that the big wave came. 1t caught
the Flagg homes and carried them
out to sea, many pieces of the timber
being found up and down the coast
for Is miles or more. One member
of the family jumped from the up
stairs window to the roof Of the
barn as the wave rushed it past the
house. and this man, with a servant,
a mule and a cow, were saved, for
the barn was washed ashore. An
other member of the family gripped
the bough of a great tree, and owing
to his great physical strength he
maintained his hold, and thus saved
his life. The other inmates, Is in
number, were carried to sea. By
11:15 o'clock, only 80 minutes hav-
ing elapsed, the wave was over, and
the waters receded to their normal
condition.
A Negro's Account.
The other night an old negro wo-
man very far advanced in years, wab-
bled into drug store in the town of
Georgetown, and when given half of
an opportunity, told in her rice-field
. brogue, her story of the wave. She
was a servant in the house of one of
the Flagg's. She believed firmly in
omens, and declared that something
told her to '..get-away-from-dar. "
knowing that her mistress would try
to detain her unless she could invent
plausible excuse the .old darkey
complained nightly, saying she was
nearly 'tsick unto DEATH and that
she was list bleeged" to leave for
her hut, about a mile inland. Her
mistress begged and pleaded with
the darkey to remain, and during
every minute the tide was getting
higher and higher. Finally the old
negro persuaded Mrs. Flagg to let
her depart, but before doing so paid
her SO of her hire, leaving balance
due of about 81. The old woman
grabbed up her belongings, called to
her little daughter, and made a rush
for the land. The water had come
into the low place between the Flagg
home and "the hill'' but the old dar-
key was not to be dismayed. She
snatched up her dress, plunged into
the water with her child on her
shoulder, and reached the inland in
safety. She dropped on log to get
her breath, and as she glanced around
to view the situation the big wave
came, and the Flagg home she had
Just deserted was swept away. And
as the old darkey leaned over the
counter of that drug store to ask for
a package of salts she remarked "En
I amt forget dat Missus owed me
two dollars for cookin'. But, den,
poor chile, she's gone to a watery
grave, and I spect I'll have ter for
give her dat det."
Avant-Bigham Homicide.
Coming down to the time of the
Bigham homicide, the people of that
community, who claim to be familiar
with the incident, give the following
version, which has been somewhat
substantiated, if the report is true
that Avant confessed to his father
that he knew that he was firing on
Mrs. Bigham, and that he expected to
receive a large amount of money for
the act. The accounts run along this
line: Avant and Bigham had been
friends from boyhood, having been
born in the same community in Flor
ence county, and having been reared
near each other. Avant bargained to
buy the "Sunnyside" place consist
Lug VI CuS uOuuC duO 0O oI1 90 VI
sandy land for. $2,500. Avant found
it hard to make ends meet. 1t is
said that DR.. Bigham made him an
offer to pay off the mortgage provid-
ed he would fire the shot to kill Mrs.
Bigham, and it is said that Avant
consented. Incidentally there was
$4,000 life insurance on the life Of
Mrs. Bigham, DR.. Bigham being the
beneficiary, and it is presumed that
he expected to pay over the $4,000
to Avant out of this sum. The in
surance has never been collected.
The shooting occurred late in the af-
ternoon, but the testimony at the
trial showed that it was light enough
for Avant and Bigham to engage in
game of checkers on the front
porch without a lamp, and that it
was light enough for a fisherman to
repair his net on the bank just few
yards away from where Mrs. Bigham
was seated when the shot was fired.