The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-03-30

however, and only once during the JaV
did the Judge have occasion to rebuke
any outbreak on the part of specta-
tors.
Attorney A. J.. King began his argu
ment for the defense shortly after the
court opened. Mr.. King read impress
slVely from the gospel according to
St. Matthew 26 and drew the ananlogy
between this case and the false wit
nesses against the Savior, and then
from St. Matthew 27 the demand of
the mob for the release of Barabbas
ana the .crucifiXing of Christ. The
attorney handled this delicate PROPOSE
ton very effectively and without
bringing upon himself any show of
fcellng upon the part Of listeners. 1t
was a daring thing to do and he did
it we'll
Attorney Is Warned
AS Mr.. King warned up to his at
TACK on the prosecution for introduc-
ing the Arrowsmith testimony and be-
gan to vent his opinion on the Arrow
smith fee of $4,000 for Strengthening
out the affairs Of the Bigham estate.
MI Gasque rose and asked that such
attacks be stopped.
Judge Memminger promptly assert
cd the courts prerogativc and gave
Mr. King notice that any further at
tacks OF such nature would result in
his being denied the privilege of fur
ther argument and another attorney
be appointed to present the case to
the jury.
Mr.. King at this period, and more
extensively at the close of his arpu-
ment, apologiZed to the court, the Bar
the jury and the spectators for what
ne had done, took al 1.-The blame upon
himself and said he hoped the iury
would not allow his outburst to influ-
ence their attitude toward his client.
Aside from this incident Mr. Kings
speech was impressive and was pro
nounced by those who heard it to be o
mastery piece of advocacy. At times
1t was not cohesive and this fault was
the principal one a Literary critic might
have urged against it. Mr.. King relied
principally upon the defcnse's theory
OF the insanity of Smiley Bigham, his
committing of the murders and his
subsequent suicide. He did, however,
bring into his speech the testimony
bearing upon the alleged insanity of
Blgham's father and laid stress upon
the prejudice shown by neighbors
against the defendant.
The presentation of the case by So
licitor Gasquc is said by lawyers and
laymcn to have been an exemplary
work of its kind. He connected his
facts in logical sequence. From the
9th of January, when it is set forth
that Edmund d. Bigham whipped his
sister because she accused him of steal
ing certain papers connected with the
Bigham estate, until the day when
Mrs. Bigham tried to smuggle a bot
tie of chloroform into her husbands
cell, Mr.. Gasque did not leave an un-
connected link in the story.
In No Way Entitled
The story ran that Edmund d. Big
ham, the son of a rich father who had
sold his interest in the estate to his
brother and sister and gone away for
many years, had heard of differences
regarding the recent disposition of his
fathers estate and hastcncd home to
inject himself as factor into these
family disputes, in the hope of recover
ing an interest in property to which
he was in no way entitled.
from the time of his appearance in
the Blgham household there had been
succession Of chickering's and dis
putcs, eliminating in the incident
which drove Mrs. Marjorie Bigham
Black to Florence, where, at Attorney
Arrowsmith's Office, she had made Il
WILL. giving everything she had to her
brother, Smiley Bigham, to whom she
confided the care Of her old mother
and her two little adopted children.
In this will she had set forth her
fear to some person, whom she did not
name in the will, who had obtained
| possession Of three deeds COVERING
| property of her estate, which she had
signed in blank. Following this came
the declaration of Smiley Bigham on
! Tuesday following the visit to Flor.
ence, when he said to Mrs. Kirton, as
| Mrs. Klrton said on the stand, that
| Edmund Bigham was cutting up and
threatening to kill all Of them. III am
not afraid Of him, but Mareie is. II
! he will behave himself | am going tc
give hi ma piece of land, though he is
not entitled to it, for he has had his
! share"
Another incident proving a distinct
motive for the crime which the solicit
or emphasized was the testimony of q
negro that Smiley had demonstrated
with Edmund for paying so much 70,
wood-cuttcrs; that Edmund had re.
scntcd this; that Smiley had said that
1t was his money, and that before he
would have it wasted he would 90 in
the woods and settle with the hands
himself; that Edmund replied with q
| show of temper that the business ir
the woods was his end of it and that
| If Smiley came there he would stay
there, "and," said Mr.. Gasque, "h(
went there and never came back"
Mother Feared Meeting