The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-02-03
CHARGED With
KILLING ATPAMPLICO
E. d. BIGHAM HELD RESPONSE.
BILE FOR DEED BY CORO-
NER'S JURY.

That E. D. Bigham was the perpe-
traitor of the crime which cost the
lives of three members of the Bigham
family and the two adopted children
of the late Mrs. Black, is the opinion
of the jury of inquest which rendeded
its verdict at eleven o'clock last
night after hearing at Pamplico
Thursday the testimony of thirty wit
nesses Including the re-examination
of Mrs. Bigham, the wife of Edmund
Bigham, and the oldest daughter.
The jury found that Mrs. M. M. Big
ham, Mrs. Margie Black, the two Nc
Cracken children, aged three and six,
and L.. S. Bigham, had come to their
deaths at the hands of E. D. Big
ham.
Coroner Smith officially issued a
warrant charging E. D. Bigham with
the murders. Bigham is now being
held at the Florence county Jail on
warrant sworn out by John Nc
Cracken, the father of the two mur-
dered children. This warrant was
served and Bigham arrested on JAN
uary goth, five days after the tragedy
at the Bigham home two miles from
Pamplico.
1t was at first believed that L. s.
Bigham in a fit of dependency over
alleged financial troubles had commit
| ted the murders and then killed him.
self, but following up the strong SEN
timent in the community that such
could not have been the case, Coroner
Smith continued his investigation and
has built up a case the circumstances
of which, based on the evidence adj
duced, are believed by the jury OF in
quest sufficiently strong to warrant
the placing of the deed n Edmund
Bigham.
Philip H. Arrowsmith conducted
the investigation for the Coroner at
the hearing Thursday. He dug deep
ly into the case and it appears from
the verdict completed chain Of cir
cumstantial evidence which is respon-
sible for the verdict against E. D. Big
ham.
The two Singletary negroes who
have been in the Florence county
Jail, at Florence for several days
as material witnesses and the wife
of Andrew Singletary were important
witnesses. Andrew Singletary testi-
fled that after the wood cutters had
been paid off on Saturday January Is,
E. D. Bigham and L. S. Bigham re-
mained in the woods. Later he pass
ed the house wit hhis wife and son
goinga to Pamplico and he saw Z. D.
Bigham emerge from the woods alone
and after looking up and down the
road proceed to the house. This was
after Mrs. Bigham had sent a vest
out to him by one of the McCracken
children. Bigham went toward the
house with the child. The time was
about three o'clock. His testimony
was corroborated by his wife and
son. Robert Foxworth testified that
Edmund Bigham with his family in
his car, had swept up to his house
which was only short distance from
the Bigham home, and had a hurried
conversation with him, so hurried in
fact, that the witness did not remem-
Der much about it, and that Bigham
had then turned his car in the direc-
ton of the Bigham home.
The testimony of Mrs. Bigham and
of the oldest daughter is said to have
varied considerably from that given
at the hearing on Sunday, January
18th, and although the two were to-
gether in the car on the trip to and
from Foxworth's, their stories of what
had occurred conficted at several
points.
1t was stated that the deed which
Mrs. Bigham presented to Clerk of
Court Singletary for recording and
was later withdrawn by her for some
reason, has not yet been recovered.
Mrs. Bigham is said to have stated
that she had delivered the deed to her
husband at the Jail. This deed ac-
cording to Mr.. Singletary who read
it closely while it was in his posses
sion, was signed by Mrs. NJ. NJ. Big
ham, Mrs. Margie Black and L. S.
Bigham and conveyed the entire Big
ham property to E. D Bigham for a
consideration of $4,000. Mr.. Single
tary declares that the deed bears ev-
cry appearance of having been tam
pered with; that it is evident that
the names of the original grantees
had been erased and the name of Ed
L