The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-03-29
FOUND GUILTY,
BICHAM IS TO
die in CHAIR
Was Charged With Killing Five
Members of His Family in
South Carolina.
MAINTAINS THAT
HE is INNOCENT
After Being Refused Motion for
New Trial, Defense Gives
Notice of Appeal.
tsx The Associated Press.l

FLORENCE, S. c., March 2S.-Ed-
mund Bigham charged with killing
five mmebers of his family at Pamplico
over financial troubles, was convicted
of murder by a jury here today and
sentenced to die in the electric chair
at Columbia between the hours OF III
and o'clock Friday, April 8.
After passing sentence, Judge R. w.
Memminger, presiding, overruled mo-
ton for a new trial and a. L. King of
counsel for the defense announced he
would appeal.
Mr.. King, in his plea for new trial,
asserted that previous to the trial one
of the members of the jury had de-
clared he would like to see Bigham
burned. Mr.. King also had asked for
delay in arguing his motion before
Judge Memminger, but this was de-
MED.
Bigham turned pale when the verdict
was read and his face lost the smile
that it had worn during the trial. but
when asked what he had to say before
being sentenced, he leaned forward
from the dock and in a clear and un-
shaken voice replied:
Nothing. except that 1 am innocent.
I know nothing of how that crime was
That is the truth, so help
me God!"
"That's all / have to say" continued
Bisham, who was charged with shoot
ing his brother, mother, sister and the
latter's two adopted children. II wish
nv mother could come down and tell
how that thing happened. l wish that
little boy had lived when l asked DR..
w. H. Poston to save his life. He
would have told the same things my
wife and told.
Judge, 1 hope you will give me time
so some of the people who testified
here against me may have a chance to
come forward and tell the truth and
not come too late, like Judas making
his offering of the 80 pieces of silver.
"I do hope to say something more,
and I hope you will take no exception
to it. As far as you are concerned
have had a fair trial, but if people had
time to think things over, CONSIDER
and take it up with their God, they
would have testified differently"
When asked to explain the finding of
his pistol in his dead brothers hand,
Bigham said:
az left that pistol IN my bureau
drawer and it has been testified that
the door was found broken open. That
Is the only way Smiley could have
got it.
IF I am guilty, 1 hope I may be
oetrified in front of this court house.
am as innocent as a newborn babe.
After Bigham had concluded his
statement, fudge Memminger, before |
passing sentence, reviewed the case
md, referring to Bigham's statement |
# innocence, said:-
II have never known a prisoner con-
,icted of a similar crime to make ac-
of his guilt. In all |
hat you have said in your favor there |
s no excuse in the law"
Mrs. May Bigham, wife of the de-
endant, and her children had been ledf
rom the court room by friends before |
he jury, of which H. P. Hazelden was
oreman, returned its verdict. When
he was told of the result a few min
ties later she collapsed and had to be
-iven medical treatment. The court
DOM had been crowded during the
rial. but relatively few We're present
(Continued On Page Two)