Newspaper Page Text
m IKUI-HMT USE.
oodrr room at Georgetown
PACKED WITH SPECTATORS.
lHwoing of the Tragedy, ot Murren *
IsUet In Georgetown County la
September, by Which Young Mrs.
Bighorn Lost Her IJfc, Begun Yce
terdey?Avant Admits Plrhig the
Fetal Ahot.
Georgetown. Oct. 11.?Two men,
.rcely pest the years of youth, are
on trial here, charted with the kill?
ing of the girl wife of one of them.
G. C. Blfham, the husband and W.
Avant, the friend, are the only
or ?es who know all th&t happened on
the evening Ruth Crlup Bigham met
her death. Out on a lonely beach,
with no witnesses save the silent wa?
ters of the little Inlet, the tragedy
which resulted In the death of the
wife of Dr. Btgham occurred. Ac?
cording to the two men. neither knew
It wit the wife of Bigham at whom
the fatal ahot was fired. Both claim
that thsy had no knowledge of the
Identity of the woman that walked
upon the beach shortly after sundown
on September 4. ,
With hsr life cut short within two
minutes of the firing of the gun. the
woman hsd no chance to tell ' the
world of the msnncr of the shooting.
She could not tell those who hastened
to her tide at the sound of the re?
port who shot her nor give a mo?
tive. If motive there was, for the shoot"
tng.
But from the lips of Avant himself
It hag developed that he fired the gun.
It was he who sent to her death the
wife of his friend. But why he killed
mnor has not been established. The
f theorise aa to her death range from
the possibility of a cold-blooded mur?
der to that of a mere accident. Prom
the moment the husband cried out in
agony on the beach. "Oh. God, you
have killed my little wife." to the
time when the trial Is entered Into
land the State's witnesses examined,
the affair haa remained a mystery.
What further developments may come
from the Hps of those who were near
cannot ba guessed,
The Stats put up four witnesses to?
day, and In early all details these wlt
Sweaese' statements agreed. That Blg
nam and Avant were together on the
evening of the tragedy, walked from
Sunnyslde. the home of Avant, out on
the beach of Murrell's Inlet, followed
aa object that passed from around
the horns, and when, not receiving a
.response to their call as to what it
wished, the gun was ft red by Avant
at tha request of lilgham, are state?
ments mads by the defendants on the
night of the shooting. This and other
explanations of various details of the
affair were made by the State's wlt
' nasses. The msln feature of the
State's position was to show that It
was not sufficiently dark for one at
close range not to have been able to
dlacern objects on the beach. To
prove this tests hsve been made out
at the Inlet under the same conditions
I existing at the time of the shooting,
aa near aa could be brought about.
I**t Saturday night, at about the
same hour the shooting occurred, sev?
eral of the witnesses went to the Inlet
and tested the sound of the voice, the
uaehes of a gun and the distances at
which persons could be seen walking
i on the beach. From these tests It
waa apparent that in the dusk of an
evening one hour after the sun had
gone down a man could be recognised
walking on the beach at some dis?
tance from Sunnyslde.
On the evening the tragedy took
' place Ruth Bigham walked from her
room In Sunnyslde. Over the bathing
suit that she wore was thrown a rain
coat. As she turned the corner of the
home her husband and Avant, ac?
cording to what has been brought out
today. In doubt as to what the object
might be. ran Into the hous-*, secur?
ed a gun and followed her < own the
beach. "Who Is It?" they say they
cried out repeatedly. When no an- 1
swer came. "Shall I fire," asked
Avant. "Yes." said Bigham, perhaps
little dreaming that it was bis own
wife whose death sentence he pro?
nounced.
The stockholders of the Monarch
Cotton Mills at Union are discussing
plans for increasing the capital stock
fr .m $750.000 to $1,150,000.
Half I hundred people of Union
bounty are attending fed era court in
l; t snvllle.
Ih>\\ s THIS?
We offer one Hundred Dollars Re?
ward for any ease or Catarrh that
cannot be cur. d by Hail s Catarrh
Cure. F. J. CHUN Bl & < <?.. Toledo,
o.
We, the undersigned, hive known
F. J. Cheney for the last || ye n .
sr.d believe him perle? tiy honorable
in all business I r.i n-.actions md linan
clally able to cair\ out a iy oMIgn
Hons mads by his firm. V.'A LD1NG,
KINN AN A MARVIN.
ITholeoadi Braggarts, Toledo, o.
Hall s Outarrh Core Is taken Inter?
nally, acting directly upon the blood
and mucous surfaces of the system.
Testimonials sent free. Price 75c.
per bottle. Bold by alt Druggists.
Take Hall s Family Pill * for con?
stipation.
10-4- lm.
MURDER TRIAL AT GEORGE?
TOWN RESULTS IN CONVIC?
TION.
Defendant* Found Guilty of Man
slaughter In Having Shot Dr. Big
ham's Young Wife to Death on
Evening of September 4, at Mur
retrs Inlet?Sentence of Three and
A Half Years In Penitentiary Im?
posed.
Georgetown,' Oct. 22.?Three years j
and six months within the wails of
the State penitentiary will give G. C.
Bigham and W. B. Avant time to pic?
ture to themselves again and again
that September evening when a gun
in the hands of the one sent to her
death the young wife of the other. To
the husband will come the vision of
the beautiful bride, near whom he
stood and saw killed by his bogt
friend. It is the verdict of the Jury
in the case of Bigham and W. B.
Avant that they were guilty of man?
slaughter. It is the sentence oi the
court that the defendants shall be
confined at hard labor in the peniten?
tiary for three and a half years. The
Jury remained out a litle more than
two hours.
Retiring at 2 o'clock the verdict was
returned at 4:15 o'clock this after
noon. The Jurors asked for instruc?
tions from the Judge once. They were
not decided as to whether or not they
could find the defendants guilty of
manslaughter with recommendation
to the mercy of the court and what
the effect would be on the sentence.
Refusing a motion for a new trial,
admirably presented by Attorney
Ragsdale, Judge Watts pronounced
sentence upon tyii two. young men.
The principal ground of the motion
for a new trial was based upon the
argument that there was no evidence
upon which to base the verdict re?
turned, which should either have been
an acquittal or a verdict of guilty of
murder. The defendants were grant?
ed bail in the sum of $1,&00 each,
upon notice of an appeal being tak?
en to the' Supeme Court. Judge Watts
said after hearing the argument for
a new trial that he did not think the
verdict of the Jury should be set aside,
taking into consideration all the facts
aa brought out by the evidence in
the caae.
The plsoners stood up to receive the
sentence.
When the Jury brought in the ver?
dict neither Avant nor Bigham show
ed and sign? of emotion, but later, as
they began to realise that they were
found guilty of the killing of Mrs.
Bigham. both showed that they were
moved. Dr. Bigham completely broke
down as he was receiving the sen?
tence of the court.
"The solicitor worked hard and got
all he could out of the case," said
Judge Watts. "The defendants were
represented by able counsel. I have
had considerable experience In crim?
inal cases, but this is the most mys?
terious and unsatisfactory case I ever
tried. I would not have been sur?
prised if the two defendants had been
acquitted or if they had been convict?
ed of murder, but I am of the opin?
ion that there was no intention on
their part to kill Mrs. Bigham. Great
recklessness was shown. The Jury
probably found that in the pursuit of
an unlawful act a gun was handled in
a grossly careless and negligent man?
ner. They had a perfect right to find
that this was an unintentional kill?
ing, constituting manslaughter.*'
Judge Watts pointed out that there
should be more care in the handling
of guns. "But I do not believe," said
his honor, "that this was a malicious
killing. You must have been fright?
ened or rattled. I am going to give
you the benefit of these doubts. The
killing was pure recklessness. No
doubt you have both suffered^already
and you will suffer more. In a mo?
ment of recklessness the life of a
good woman was taken. I know we
can't punish the guilty without also
punishing the innocent. Your aged
mother will suffer, Dr. Bigham. I
must say, though, in Justice to you
both that there was no malice, in my
opinion, in the killing. The sentence
Of the court is that each of you be
confined at hard labor in the State
penitentiary for a period of three
yeurs and six months."
The dispensary sold $1,160 worth of
liquors last Saturday, and for th*'
week $3.540. At this rate the entire
st<?ck win be sold out before Novem?
ber lltlV As only $9,000 worth Of
stork WgJ on hand alter taking stock
Iget .Monday. Mj-. pate informs us
that the Board has tnotlgb In the
hank to liquidate ?11 outstanding
claims gad has ahout $6,000 over.
i ee ( ounty Vindicator.
Prof, r. Horton Coloock! head of
the department of mathematics at the
University Of South ('arolln;i, has
made ;i report to <}nv. Ansel which
?hOWS that there is in Marlon county
?noggh territory to spare Dillon 4< o
nnleH and yet have Marion with 500.
Another obstacle in the way of Dil?
lon getting ? new county has been re?
moved.
TWO VIEWS OF MOTHERHOOD.
The "Stone-Woman" of Tokio Would
Be a Fashionable Person in New
York.
Some years ago, an American
friend and I were passing through a
street in the city of Tokyo, says Ada
chl Kinnousuke In The Delineator for
November. We came upon a gateway
which smiled like a May-day festival,
and. like it, was full of people.
"What's all this fuss about?" my
friend asked me. "Have, they hit a
gold mine?"
No, they had not. To the good
people the occasion meant a deal
more than the discovery of gold. It
was the coming of a baby. The proud
parents were sending out messengers
into the four corners of the city an?
nouncing the glad tidings of exceed?
ing great Joy. And I told my Amer?
ican friend:
"Do your people make such a fuss
about a baby? Babies are born every
day in this country, aren't they?'"
Which was true. But we look upon
this matter entirely in a different way.
It may be that this is one of the relics
of the past, but we put emphasis upon
the continuation of a family line.
Confucius, whose ghost is much more
powerful in Japan of today than all
the prophets and philosophers now
living put together, made childless?
ness a Just ground for divorce. The
coming of the baby means to a moth?
er more than meat, aye, more than a
fashionable garment. It is the social
insignium with the Japanese mother,
nothing defines her social rank as fin?
ally as the baby.
The Nippon society is heartless to
the childless mother; it brands her as
"the stonewoman," it exposes her to
the galling pity of all her more favor?
ed sisters. In the sterner days of the
samurai ideal, she was an object to be
shunned, like a leper. The childless
mother did not dare to impose her?
self upon society. A rather far cry,
this, from the fashionable Fifth ave?
nue atmosphere, isn't it?
CHILD LABOR IN NEW ENGLAND.
Textile Delegates Say There Is More
There Than in the Sooth.
Washington, Oct. 21.?Whether
shorter hours should be contested for
in legislative bodies or through the
medium of the strike was the subject
of an animated discussion before the
United Textile Workers of America
at its session today.
Delegate Morgan, of Patterson, N.
J., stirred up an active debate when
he declared that the members of the ;
legislature of his State weTe elected
by corrupt metjiods. He added.
"When they get their jobs they con?
sider that they belong to them and
therefore turn a deaf ear to the ap?
peals of laboring men foT remedial
legislation."
He del are d that textile workers
should refuse to work more than
eight hours, and when they do that,
he said, legislatures win enact laws
making eight hours a legal day's la?
bor.
Delegate Hall, for 18 months a fac?
tory inspector of Pennsylvania, called
down the plague upon all political par?
ties as merely capitalistic organs and
advocated the formation of working
men's parties, so that labor laws
might be enforced. While a Penn?
sylvania law forbids the employment
of women and children more than 60
hours a week, he said It was constant?
ly violated In Philadelphia depart?
ment stores, and while he was in of?
fice the chief factory inspector had re?
fused to take cognizance of these vio?
lations.
Delegate Thomas McMahon, of
Rhode Island, insisted that laboring
men in his State sell their votes
and no complaint could be made
against the action of legislators until
that practice was broken up. He said
that while a great furore was now be?
ing raised to abolish child labor In
the South, there were more children
employed In Massachusetts than in
any State of the South, with the ex?
ception of North Carolina. The con?
vention approved a committee rec?
ommendation that emergency com?
mittees be appointed in several sec?
tions <ff the country with power to or?
der l??cal strikes. Heretofore strikes
could be ordered only by the execu?
tive council of the association.
A resolution was adopted com?
mending to all local unions of textile
workers the payment of accident ben?
efits to their members.
ruled the General.
A French general's wife, whose
tongue-lashing ability was far-famed,
demanded that an old servant, who
had served with hi r husband In the
wars, be dismissed,
"Jacques," said the general, "go to
your room and pack your trunk, and
leave depart."
The old Frenchman clasped bis
hands to his heart with dramatic joy.
"M? I can go!" he exclaimed in B
very ecstasy of gratitude, Then sud?
denly his manner changed, as with
the Utmost compassion ho added'
"But you, my poor general?you must
stay."?Chicago Kecord-Herald,
AMERICAN OPERA IN PARIS.
Metropolitan Company to Give Per?
formances Next Spring.
New York, Oct. 21.?A reversal of
the usual?an Invasion of Europe by
an American opera company?is an- j
nounced by the Metropolitan Opera
Company in an official statement
given out tonight.
With the close of the season in New
York the principal elements of the
Metropolitan Opera Company?its
greatest artists, etc.?will be taken to
Paris, there to appear during May
and June, in a series of Italian operas
at the Chatelet Theatre, the largest in
the city.
The statement says, In part:
"Both the Parisian projectors and
the Metropolitan officials feel that the
season is so certain of success that
they are confident of repeating the
season in the months of May and
June, 1911, when German operas,
sung in German, and possibly French
operas, sung in French, will be pre?
sented as duplicates of the peform
nace at the Metropolitan Opera
House."
The plan is undertaken, the state?
ment adds, to demonstrate the artis?
tic standard of the Metropolitan
forces rather than for financial gain.
STUDENTS HAVE HOOKWORMS
Campaign to Eradicate the Parasite
At the University of Georgia.
Athens, Ga? Oct. 21.?The preva?
lence of the hookworm which certain
scientists have ascribed as the cause
of laziness among students of the
University of Georgia, is causing the
faculty alarm and a campaign has
been determined upon to eradicate
the parasite.
Dr. J. C. Bloomfleld, president of
the city board of health, has been ex?
amining the students at the request
of the faculty, and he reports that at |
least 30 per cent, are suffering from
hookworms.
Many examined, Dr. Bloomfleld
states, are members of wealthy fami?
lies, which, in his opinion, discredits
the belief that the disease is prevalent
only among the poorer classes.
One of the interesting sidelights of
the recent dinner of the Newark
board of trade was the meeting of
Gov. John Franklin Fort, of New
Jersey, and United States Senator
Robert D, Taylor?"Fiddling Bob," of
Tennessee?for the .first eime in 40
years. They were classmates at Pen
nlngton Seminary, at Pennington, N.
J., but had not met since graduation
day, 40' years ago, until the Newark
meeting.
Mrs. Mabel R. Brown, who has
been made superintendent of the
schools of Portland, Ore., seems al?
ready to have proved that she bus a
good business mind, as the hook
agents have discovered. She says that
it is folly not to consider that the in?
creased cost of living affects teachers,
as well as other people, with the ne?
cessity for higher salaries?.
IOs a Top Notch I>oer.
?Great deeds compel regard. The
world crowns its doers. Thafs why
the American people have crowned
Dr. King's New Discovery the King
of Throat and Lung remedies. Every
atom is a health force. It kills germs,
and colds and la grippe vanish. It
heals cough-racked membranes and
coughing stops. Sore, inflamed bron?
chial fcuhes and lungs are cured and
hemorrhages cease. Dr. Geo. More,
|, Black Jack, N. C, writes, "it cured
me of lung trouble, pronounced
hopeless by all doctors." 60c, $1.00.
Trial bottle free. Guaranteed by Si
bert's Drug store.
A GREAT FEATURE.
Of tho South Carolina State Fair at
Columbia Will be the Visit of Pres?
ident Taft.
*
The Atlantic Coast Line announces
very low round trip rates from all
points in South Carolina to cover the
above occasions, tickets to be on sale
October 31 to November 6 inclusive,
with return limit to leave Columbia
up to and including, but not later
than, midnight of November 8, 1909.
Tickets will include admission to the
fair and transportation to and from
Fair Grounds on local trains of the
A. C. L. which will make frequent
trips.
Saturday, November 6th, will be
TAFT DAY,
When the President will meet and
address the people at the Fair
Grounds and review the Military and
Civic Parade.
Inquire of M. F. Duke, Agent, Sum
ter, or any Agent of the Atlantic
Coast Line, for information as to
rates, schedules and tickets.
W. J. CRAIG, T. C. WHITE,
Pas. Traffic Mgr. Gen. Pas. Agt.
WILMINGTON, N. C.
-
CHARLESTON'S GALA WEEK
Will Occur Tliis Year From October
25 to 11,
and the
ATLANTIC COAST LINE
Offers Very Low Rates.
As usual the progressive citizens of
the City by the Sea, are out with an?
nouncements of their Gala Week, but
this year with a longer list and a
higher class and more pleasing at?
tractions, than in former years, and
they are accompanied by a cordial in?
vitation to visit Charleston which
promises a warm welcome.
The distinguishing feature will be
j the five great musical concerts. The
i Russian Symphony Orchestra, fifty
pieces strong, will make its first ap?
pearance in the South and a chorus
of more than two hundred picked
voices will take part in these con?
certs.
Numerous torpedo boats, the com?
pleted navy yard, parades, decora?
tions by day and illuminations by
night, added to the assured hospital?
ity of the people, will make this trip
one long to be remembered pleasantly
by every visitor.
Low rate round trip tickets will be
sold to Charleston by the Atlantic
Coast Line from all points in South
Carolina, and from Gibson, N. C, Sa?
vannah, Ga., and intermediate points
October 25 to 31, inclusive, good re?
turning to leave Charleston up to and
including, but not later than, mid?
night of November 1, 1909.
. For tickets and Information regard?
ing rates, schedules, etc., call on M.
F. Duke, Ticket Agent, Sumter, S. C
or any Agent of the Atlantic Coast
Line.
W. J. CRAIG, T. C. WHITE,
Passenger Traffic Mgr. Gen. Pas. A.
WILMINGTON, N. C.
Safe Either Way.
An Elk county citizen who has just
graduated from a law school, wrote
to a prominent lawyer in an Arkan?
sas town to find out what chance there
would be for him in that part of the
country.
MI am a Republican in politics,"' he
wrote, "and an honest lawyer."
"If you are an honest lawyer,"
came the reply, "you will have no
competition, and if you are a Repub?
lican the game law will protect you."
?Kansas City Journal.
ve just received a new stock of
S^UT GOO
et Water, 4 ozs.
et Water, S uzs.
et Water, 4 ozs.
et Water. 8 OZS.
Toilet Water. 4 ozs.
Cream, Tube, ...
I Cream, Jar,
3ap,.
1, - - ~ " " "
>ap, .
oap, .
We also have a large stock c
Perfumes and Soaps.
TELEPHONE 283. SIBERT'S DRUG!
EXCURSION TO CHARLESTON".
On Account of the Visit of President
Taft.
For the above occasion the Atlan?
tic Coast Line offers very low round
trip rates to Charleston from, Sumter,
Florence, Hardeeville, ? Young's Is?
land, Ehrhardts, and Intermediate
Points.
Tickets will be sold for trains
scheduled to arrive Charleston by 5.1$
p. m. November 5th, limited to return
until the following day.
Mr. Taft is due to arrive Charles?
ton Fridcy afternoon November 5th
and will meet and address the people
that evening, thereby giving every
visitor an opportunity to see and hear
him.
Inquire of M. F. Dukes, Agent
Sumter, S. C, or any Agent of the At?
lantic Coast Line for information as
to rates schedules and other pre?
liminaries.
W. J. CRAIG, T. C. WHITE,
Pas. Traffc Mgr. Gen. Pas. Agt.
WILMINGTON, N. C.
PRESIDENT TAFTES
Visit to
FLORENCE, S. C.
The President is to visit Florence
the evening of November :8, and ad?
dress the people of that oUy and sec?
tion of the State. For this auspicious
occasion and the . f ? ..
PEE DEE INDUSTRIAL CONGRESS
which convenes in Florence, No?
vember 8 and 9, the Atlantic Coast
Line will sell round trip tiekets at
very low rates from Wadesboro, Ben
nettsville, Rowland, Chadbourn, Lanes,
Sumter, Clio and intermediate sta?
tions. ; .,
Tickets will .be on Bale November 7
and 8, limited to return, on or before
November 10, 1909. ; t
Rates, schedules, tickets and any
desired information can be procured
from M. F. Duke, Ticket -Agent, Sum?
ter, or by addressing..the undersign?
ed: . ... .. ;
W. J. CRAIG, T..-C. WHITE.
Pas. Traffic Mgr. Gen. Pas. Agt.
WILMINGTON, N. C.
GEORGIA-CAROLIN A FAIR.
.At
i
Augusta, GaM November 6-15, 190?.
The Atlantic Coast Line announces
very low excursion rates to Augusta
for the above Occasion 'rhd for the
visit of
PRESIDENT T*AFT.
The President is scheduled to reach
Augusta, Saturday evening November
6, spend Sunday there and meet and
address the people of South Carolina
and Georgia on Monday. November 8.
Another great event during the Fair
will be the Football Game between
the Clemson College and University of
Georgia teams on November 10; and
still another will be Childrens' Day,
November 12th.
Round trip tickets will be sold from
Savannah, Charleston, Congaree, Flor?
ence, Darlington, Oamden, and inter?
mediate points, Nov. 6 to 12, limit
to leave Augusta not later than mid?
night of November 15th, 1909
For tickets, rates, schedules and
any desired information, call on M. F.
Duke, Ticket Agent, Sumter or any
Agent of the Atlantic Coast Line, or
address:
W. J. CRAIG, T. C. WHITE,
Pas. Traffic Mgr. Gen. Pas. Agt_
WILMINGTON, N. C.
The Abbeville cotton mill has closed
down for one week. The high price
of cotton and the low price for goods
is supposed to be responsible for the
shut down.
