The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-03-31
EDMUND d. BIGHAM
SENTENCED TO DIE
(Continued from page 1, column e.


ence when he said on the stand, that
Edmund was cutting up and threaten
ing to kill all of them.
II am not afraid of him but Mar
gle is. If he will behave himself l
am going to give him piece of land
though he is not entitled to it, for
he has had his, share"
Another incident proving distinct
motive for the crime which the sollci-
tor emphasized was the. testimony
of a negro that Smiley had remon-
strated with Edmund for paying so
much for woodcutters; that Edmund
had resented this; that Smiley had
said that it was his money and that
before he would have it wasted he
would 20 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 and that if Smiley came there,
he would stay there, "and," said Mr..
Gasuue, che went there and never
came back"
Mr.. Gasque also dwelt on the tes-
timony of the witness, Andrew Sim
gletary, who went to the woods in
company with Smiley Bigham after
being asked to do so by Smiley's
mother, who said she feared the con-
sequences of Smiley's meeting with
Edmund 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 he'd left the woods after
seeing Edmund call to Smiley and the
departure 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 Brs. Black had ac-
cused Edmund Of doing away With
him; that after getting his dinner and
preparing to go to Famplico, 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 exhoner-
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 a voice calling you! Look
Edmund, there is a man standing
there in front of you! It's your broth
er, Smiley, and he is calling to you
to tell you that while he forgives, he
stands as your accuser for the crime
of his murder"
During this dramtic episode Big
ham sat with his eyes fastened on
| the solicitor and not one twitch of a
muscle nor one nervous movement
except the tapping Of his feet dis
played the fact that he even heard
what the prosecutor was saying.
Judge Memminger's charge to the
jury, while couched in legal Verbiage,
was as plain and as understandable
as child's primer. 1t left no doubt
as to the proper Interpretation of
those two fundamentals of crime:
malice aforethought and reasonable
doubt. The charge was very brief.
The jury listened to it most atten-
lively and it's conclusion broke a
nervous tension that had held every
person in the court room from the
very opening of Mr.. Kings argument.
Following the charge Judge Mem
minger announced recess until 3
o'clock.
The jurors remained in their seats
| for a time and until the court house
was empty. They then went to din
ner and their consideration Of the
case was given within the space OF
about one hour, thus ending the
most important criminal trial in the
history of Florence county and prob
ably the most important in the state.