The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-03-30
BICHAM CU|L1Y'OF MURDER
and SENTENCED TO DIE
Jury Returns Verdict in Short Order
Prisoner Is Heard-Sticks to
Plea of Innocence. Face
Turns Ashen When
Judge Speaks
SLATED TO DIE APRIL EIGHT
Attorney Announces Plan to Take
Case Before The Supreme
Court.

nam, charged with killing MS DrOthCr
and four others, was found guilty of
murder of his brother here today and
sentenced to die April 8.
A Florence County jury came near
equaling the record for speedy justice
in bringing in it's verdict in the case
of Bigham, charged with the murder
Of his brother, l.. Smiley Bigham, his
mother, Mrs. M. M. Bigham, his sis
ter, Mrs. Margie Bigham Black, and
Leo and John McCracken, the little
adopted children of Mrs. Black.
The case was given to the jury at
1.15 o'clock this afternoon at 1926 fol-
lowing recess to 3 o'clock, and after
a wait of some minutes to bring the
prisoner into court the jury's verdict
Of guilty Of murder was read to a
court room crowded with spectators.
Then, after a painful wait of min
utes while the clerk of the court
searched for the ceremonial Of the ar
raignment for sentence, and an
haranque by the prisoner in response
to Judge Memmingers question if he
had anything to say in his own behalf.
the death sentence was pronounced
and higham knew that he as to die
on Friday, April 8, unless the Supreme
court grants a reversal of the verdict
on the appeal which Attorney A. l..
King announced his intention to make.
Smile Is Wiped or
Bigham's stolid Indifference to ev-
erything around him, his apparent in.
ability to grasp the solemnity of the
proceedings or of the seriousness of
his own position, his readiness to re-
spond with a smile on less than no
provocation, all passed when the prs-
oner came into court to hear the YER
dict.
Hn ,ocr,,oJ -, ,,,,+ l. :. ,,olo 80 -
jured innocence when he sat in the
dock for final arralgnment. For a
time he leaned forward hi; head rest
ing on his hand as if he prayed for
strength to go through the ordeal he
had been called upon to pass. He
listened with 20 special interest while
his attorney moved for a new trial and
while Judge Mcmminger, in refusing
it allowed with much feeling to the
fact that Bigham's father had while
State Senator from Florence County
cast his vote in favor of putting Judge
Memminger on the bench.
The shocking import Of the whole
thing seemed to reach him slowly, but
as its realization progressed by de-
grees, the ashen pallor that had shown
in his face all day became more
marked, the aid of bravado passed into
a pitiable weakness that caused the
man to look here and there about the
audience with the expression of a
hunted animal surrounded by men who
sought its life. The old Bigham had
passed and did not show again un-
til Judge Memmingcr asked him what
ne had to say that sentence should
not be pronounced against him. Then,
leaning forward on the railing of the
prisoners dock and in voice that was
calm and mistaken, the prisoner spoke
as fol lows: 81 have nothing to say
except that l am innocent. I know
nothing of how that crime was com
mitted. That is the truth, so help me
God" "That's all | hafc to say.
wish my mother could come down and
tell how the thing happened / wish
that little boy had lifed when / asked
DR.. Poston to safe his life. He would
have told the same things | and my
wife told. Judge, I hope You will give
me time so some of the people who
testified here against me may have a
chance to come forward and tell the
truth and not come too late like Judas
making his. offering of the thir-
ty pieces of silver" 81 do want to
So ysomething more. l hope you will
take no exception to it. AS far as
you are concerned | have had fair
trial. But if people had had time to
CnlnK CnlngS over, consider and take
it up with their God, they would have
testified differently"
Asked to Explain Pistol
When asked to explain the finding
Of his pistol in his brothers hand.
Bigham said: 81 left that pistol in nv
bureau drawer and it has been tcsti
fed that the door was found broken
open. That is the only way Smiley
could have got it," If am guilty 7
hope | may be petrfed in front of
this courthouse, just as / was that
day or as L am now. | am as inno-
cent as new born baby"
Blgham's show of weakness at the
end may have been in some measure
due to the fact that he was not sus
tanned by the presence of his wife and
children whose devotion has been so
marked feature of the trial. When
it was announced that the jury was
about to return to the court room Mrs.
Bigham and the children left and
heard the news of the verdict and SEN
tence while in the office Of the clerk
of court downstairs. Mrs Bigham
tainted when she heard the verdict,
and Mrs. Worrcll the wife of a
Florence policeman, who has been her
constant companion during the trial
went to the court room for q doctor.
DR.. E. M. Hicks attended Mrs. Big
ham and when she was made com
Portable she was taken back to Mrs.
WorrolPs boarding house where she
has been guest.
A record attendance marked the
final day of the trial tho nerccntoUo