The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-06-13
DEATH SENTENCE
GIVEN TO BIGHAM
SHIPP FIXES JULY ID IN REFUS
ING NEW TRIAL
Court Doubts Authenticity of
Letters-Bigham Abuses
Witnesses

The State.
Florence, June 9.-Judge S. W. G.
Shipp in the sessions court here this
afternoon refused to grant Edmund
D. Bigham new trial and sentenced
him to be put to death in the electric
chair July IA.
Bigham was convicted of murder in
connection with the killing of his
brother, Smiley Bigham, and is in
dicted for murder also for the deaths
of his mother and sister and the lat
ter's two adopted children. The
wholesale murder took place on the
8igham plantation in January, 1921.
Bigham was tried in March of last
wear. The supreme court dismissed
the appeal and Bigham's attorneys
sought a new trial on the ground OF
after discovered evidence which, they
declared, tended to show that Smiley
and not Edmund Bigham did the kill
ing. 1t is not thought the case will
end here.
Unabaehed by the sentence of
death, Bigham argued with the court
this afternoon before hundreds of
spectators for the privilege of saying,
'some things l would like to tell
now, as this may be my last chance
to speak before these people,: The
court replied that depended on, how
long you will take to tell them" Then
as in afterthought, the court added,
'You might aa we'll tell it, though"
Abuses State Witness
Immediately the doomed man
pounced upon Philip H. Arrowsmith,
local attorney, who was an important
witness in the conviction of Bigham
for the wholesale murder.
81 would have liked to have seen
Mr.. Arrowsmith here,'' he said, in
opening. 81 would like to have him
standing right here" indicating the
center of the court room. Il would
tell the reason Arrowsmith accused
me right to his"
Whatever he intended to have said
probably will never be spoken, for
the court stopped him summarily with
the reminder that he was not up there
to make a speech but to state any
legal reason he might have why sem
tence should not be passed upon him.
81 never studied law" said Big
ham, beginning on the line which the
court had indicated he must follow IN
his discussion. II am ready to meet
my God and am not guilty. The rea-
son 1 am convicted is because Of the
falsehoods which have been piled up
against me. I may have to die. In
fact, that's what l am up here in this
prisoners dock for now. It's hard
to die for something one did not do,
"Jesus Christ had to die so. He
prayed for the night to pass from
Him. The people who testified against
me and stuck out to have me killed
did it.
Pleads for Himself
.If | knew the law, maybe | could
state some reason why | should have
a new trial-one more chance. No
one knows it all except God and my
self. If there's any way you could
give me another trial, just one day
more in court, l would appreciate it.
The state has four other cases against
me. i never had fair trial. The
verdict of that stands against me-"
Bigh2m repeatedly avowed MS in
nocence and as often averred that
innocent blood would be shed when
he was executed.
81 worked hard and had laid oy
some means" he said in the earlier
part of his statement to the court.
But for my property, no one ever
WOQ!Q nave dSSQSSO iAA>. NA-~'
know that when the juice is turned
on to me, it'll be money in their
pockets"
Thereafter he hkened himself to
St. Paul, to John, the Baptist, and to
Christ Himself, all their blood having
been shed innocently. "But III rise
in glory with them"
He challenged the state to confront
him, even when he will be buckled
into the death chair in the peniten-
tiary in Columbia. with one person
who can say truthfully that he ever
did him single wrong or injury.
Letters Do Not Impress
A. L. King, the attorney for the