The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-04-01

pearance in the Bigham household
there had been succession of bick-
erings and disputes, eliminating in
the incident which drove Mrs. Mar
jorie Black to Florence where at At
torney Arrowsmith' office she had
made will giving everything she had
to her brother, Smiley Bigham, to
| whom she confded the care of her old
mother and her two little adopted
children.
Deeds Disappeared
In this will she had set forth her
fear of some person whom she did
not name in the will who had obtain
ed possession of three deeds covering
property of her estate which she had
signed in blank. Following this came
the declaration of Smiley Bigham on
Tuesday following the visit to Flor
ence when he said to Mrs. Kirton, as
Mrs. Kirton said on the stand, that
Edmund was cutting up and threaten
ing to kill all of them.
II am not afraid Of him, hut Mar
gle is. If he will behave himself l
am going to give him piece of land
though ne is not entitled to it, for ne
has had his share"
Another incident proving distinct
motive for the crime which the sole
itor emphasized was the testimony
of a negro that Smiley had remon-
strated with Edmund for paying so
much for wocdcutters; that Edmund
had resented this; that Smiley had
said that it was his money and that
before he would have it wasted he
would 60 in the woods and settle with
the hands himself; that Edmund re-
Piled with show Of temper that the
business in the woods was his end OF
it ana nat if Smiley came there he
would stay there, "and," said Mr..
Gasque, che went there and never
came back"
Mr.. Gasque also dwelt on the tes-
timony of the witness, Andrew Sim
g,etary, VINO went to the woods Il
company with Smiley Bigham after
being asked to do so by Smiley's mo-
ther, who said she feared the conse-
qences of Smiley's meeting with Ed
mund in the woods. He set forth
that other testimony to the effect that
in the woods Edmund Bigham carried
the same revolver that was found in
his brothers hands when the body
was found. He told how Singletary
had left the woods after seeing Ed
mund call to Smiley and the depar-
ture of the two men in the direction
Of the spot where Smiley's body was
found the next day.
Visualizes Killings.
From there on Mr.. Gasque pictured
in his summing up that after killing
his brother in the woods Edmund
Bigham had gone home; that on
noticing Smiley's failure to return,
Mrs. Bigham and Mrs. Black had &C
cused Edmund Of doing away with
him; that after getting his dinner and
preparing to 60 to Pamplico, he had
put his family in the automobile in
the garage, set the motor going, and
while this noise drowned the reports
of his pistol, he wiped out Of exist
ence all those who stood to accuse
him of the crime of his brothers
murder.
By this means Mr.. Gasque exoner-
ated Mrs. Edmund Bigham of guilty
knowledge of what her husband had
done and explained the extraordinary
devotion of his family to the defend
ants interests from the time of his
arrest until today.
The most impressive point of Mr..
Gasque's summing up was reached
when he stood facing the defendant
and said:
'Listen, Edmund Bigham! Listen!
There is voice calling you! Look,
Edmund, there is man standing
there in front of you! It's your bro
ther, Smiley, and he is calling to you
to tell you that while he forgives, he
stands as your accuser fer the crime
of his murder
During this dramatic episode Big
ham ss:tt with his eyes fastened on the
solicitor and not one twitch of &
muscle nor one nervous movement
except the tapping of his feet display
ed the fact that he even heard what