The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-01-20

Search, Found Dead in Woods -
Thought to be Suicide Following
killing of Mother, Sister and Two
Adopted Children.
| Florence, Jan. 16-Temporarily in
sane from brooding over financial
dlfficulties and embittered by family
troubles in which an estate worth
probably $4,000 was at stake, l.. S
Bingham yesterday afternoon, accord
ing TO the best information and be
lief. shot his mother, his sister, the
latter's two adopted children and
sent bullet, crashing through his
own brain. The dead are: Mrs. NJ. NJ.
Bingham, Mrs. Marjorie A. Black.
Leo McCracken and John McCracken
and l.. 5. Bingham. All Were evident
~ Killed instantly, except Mrs Bing-
nam, the mans mother, who lived
Il few moments and the oldest child.
VINO died at o'clock this morning
The tragedy took place at the old
Bingham home, five miles from Pam
plico, Florence county, and 25 miles
from this city
After staying all within the house
at the time, it is thought Bingham
went deep into the woods surrounding
the place and fired a bullet into his
brain. When his body was found at
noon today his right hand still gras-
PED the pistol. 1t was stated by the
physician, who examined the body
tEat Bingham had been dead more
than IL hours. The dead persons were
all shot in the head In each case, the
bullets entering just beneath their
temples. None were shot more than
once, although two balls were found
near the back door that had missed
their mark. The large pistol used by
bingham still contained an uneXplod-
ed cartridge which indicated that the
man reloaded during his orgy of
slaughter.
Home Far Removed.
l. The Bingham home is more than
half mile distant from any neigh
boring house. None could be found
today, who had heard any shooting
about the place. A large crowd gath
: cred during the day and passed from
room to room viewing the dead. The
sight was a ghastly one On bed in
downstairs room lay the aged moth
; el and the youngest child, their faces
covered with blood. In the adjoining
room the oldest of the children lay
on bed where he died at 5 O'Clock
this morning, and beside him the body
OF Bingham was placed when the
. searchers returned with it today. Up
stairs in the room she usually occu-
pied was the body of Mrs Marjorie
Black, Oldest. sister of Bingham. Ii
lay on the floor just in front of
the dresser. Until late this afternoon,
when the coroners jury completed
taking evidence, the bodies were un-
disturbed. The funeral viii probably
be held tomorrow. The coroner's jury
viii not render verdict until further
investigation has been made.
Although the tragedy Is said to
have occurred at $50 o'clock yester-
, day afternoon, ii was late last night
; before word of it reached Florence
county officials and they Immediately
sent out dispatches asking officers in
other towns to watch OUT for l.. S
i'ing CHAM. First reports OF the tragedy
[ were conflicting and due . the fact
that telephone and telegraph COM
munication with Pamplico last night
was impossible to secure 1t was not
| until today that the facts became
known.
Brother Away at Time.
Bingham's brother, Edmund Big
ham, had left the house with his
: o clock. He returned from short
! family in AN automobile AT $40
visit 10 a neighbor's house about 20
minutes later and found his mother
staggering toward the road. He
, jumped from his car, but the aged
J woman died almost before he reached
her. Others happened TO drive by the
house at that time and when they
! bore the body of Mrs. Bigham into
the house they saw evidences of blood
: on the floor and began an investlga-
) ton which revealed the slaughter of
three others. AT the coroner's inquest
today Edmund Bigham testified that
he had been away from the house
only about 20 minutes
He had left his brother standing in
the yard. The brother had been act
. ihg strangely for several weeks, he
said, and did not appear to be any
'tore depressed yesterday than usual.
% when L got INTO the car with my
FAMILY, to go to Pamplico l left my
brother and sister and the children at
their various occupations and play.
? AS far as l know there had been no
quarrellng during the day. Instead OF
: going straight to Pamplico I went up
the road to see Rob FcSworth for a
minute. AS we came back we saw
: mother stagger out of the yard
turned and caught glimpse of Smile
lis. Bigham) turning into the woods
ALMOST in run. He had his right hand
, toward his breast as If he had some
:, thing in it but 1 did not see any pis-