Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-03-27
BICHAM'S Wife
DEFENDS HIM IN
MURDER TRIAL
Admits She Hid Deed
And Took His Chic
reform

IOIO11
FLORENCE, S c., March 90
(By the Associated Press. )-The
trial of Edmund Bigham, recently of
Sumter county, Ca, charged with the
murder of his brother, Smiley Big
ham, and four others, members of his
family, went into the third day of
its race against time today. Under
the authorities cited this morning,
Judge Memminger may continue the
term and adjourn court at George
town from day to day until verdict
is reached, and in the event of its
covering another week, the chief JUS
tlce of the supreme court may be
asked to assign another judge to hold
court at Georgetown.
Ham Haynes, a witness for the de-
fense, testified today to finding
tracks which he believed had been
made by Smiley Bigham, tending in
the direction of the woods where
Smiley's body was found. He had
followed these tracks by the prints
of heel tacks which, he said, matched
the shoes worn by the dead man.
Haynes testified he had found the
washstand in Edmund Bigham's room
forced open and expressed the belief
that Smiley had taken a pearly-han-
died pistol from the washstand.
Alex McWhite and E. A. Kinds
also testified to hearing the tracks
described by Haynes, but Kinds ad-,
mitted the tracks would not have
@hown if Smiley had gone to the
foods by the route described by Ed
mund Bigham.
Josh Byman, another witness, tes-
titled he heard a shot in the direction
in which Smiley Bigham's body was
found. Edmund Bigham was with
him when he heard the shot, he said,
and he had advised searchers to go
in the direction from which he heard
the shot. NJ H. Williams also testi-
fled to having heard this shot.
r. L. Bazen swore Smiley Bigham
had told him he twas broke and
would rather be dead than like he
he was" He also spoke of land
troubles shortly before his death, the
witness declared.
Wife Takes Stand
Mrs. May Bigham, wife of the de-
fendant, took the stand at IL O'Clock
and told the story of the day of the
tragedy. She said her husband and
his brother, Smiley, had gone into
the woods and did not come back for
dinner. When Edmund came home,
she said, he ate and dressed and the
family started to Pamplico in an au-
&o,aaoII1o h. hnal- homo
the witness said, they saw Smiley
crossing the road towards the woods
and then they saw old Mrs. Blgham,
the mother, coming from the house
She said Edmund threw his arms
about his mother and took her back
of the house and that Mr.. Garrison
assisted him in carrying her body
and that of the little boy into the
house.
Mrs. Bigham swore her husband
did not leave the house the night
after the killing. She identified al
-handlednrevolver as belonging
to her husband and testified that so
far as she knew it was in the drawer
on the day of the killing.
Testifying about deeds to the Big
ham property, the witness said when
she took a deed from the clerk of
the court she hid it in an clubhouse
near Pamplico and it was her lnten'
ton TO try to keep the deed. she
had found Mrs. Blacks (the slain
sister, will, she said, after the trag-
edy and had given it to Attorney
KIM She also admitted she had
slipped a bottle of chloroform TO
her husband while he was IN JAM,
but she said she had no idea he want |
ed to commit suicide. NJ.
On cross-examination, Mrs. Big
ham said her husband did not leave
the premises while she was ,prepar-
ing breakfast the morning after the
tragedy. She denied her HUSBAND
abused his mother and sister on Jan
- s, as was testified to by state
SSA2esses. Mrs. Black had lett the
house and gone to Mrs. kirton S, she
said, but she did not know when MRS
Bigham and the children left the
house.
Threatened Family.
Testimony that Bigham had made
threats against the family and mad
been seen going to the woods where
his brothers. body later was found
and also that he had been seen with
a pearl handled revolver such as
was later found in the dead mans
hand was given at Bigham's trial
Friday afternoon.
The state charges that Edmund
Bigham killed the members of his
family over financial trouble, and in
an effort to support this sit brought
testimony from Mrs. Ola Kirton, a
neighbor, that Mrs. Marcie Black, the