Richmond County GaArchives Obituaries.....William Joseph Bignon August 9 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Beth Hemingway bmheming@bellsouth.net March 25, 2004, 11:27 am Augusta Chronicle, 8-11-1918, page 3C Wm J Bignon was Buried Last Afternoon One of Victims of Tragedy Involving Two Lives, Friday, Sleeps in City Cemetery The funeral of William J Bignon, who was one of the victims in Augusta's double tragedy on Friday, took place at 3 o' clock from St Patrick's Church. The body was laid to rest in the City Cemetery. Augusta Chronicle, 8-10-1918, page 5A WJ Bignon Kills Mrs Sallie Aiken and then himself Well known August Business Man Committed Suicide at Noon Yesterday After Murdering Wife of GW Aiken. Tragedy occurred at Mrs Aiken's Home on Seventh Street Bodies Found in Back Bedroom. Bignon Alive at the Time, but died hour later at Hospital. Mrs Aiken's Death Instantan eous, Bullet Piercing Heart-No Known Cause Advanced for the Tragedy-Mrs Aiken's Husband Working at Douglas, GA- Bignon Formerly in Wood and Coal Business. After shooting to death Mrs Sallie Aiken, wife of Glenn Wyatt Aiken, at her home, 810 Seventh Street, WJ Bignon, a well known business man of Augusta, turned the gun upon himself and sent a bullet crashing through his brain which resulted in his death at the University Hospital one hour later. Inquests were held over the two bodies yesterday afternoon by Coroner R E Elliott at which verdicts of murder and suicide were returned by the coroner's jury. The inquest over the remains of Mrs Aiken was held at the R E Elliott Fune ral Home, and a verdict of death at the hands of Bignon wa s returned. At the inquest over Bignon's body, the jury returned a verdict of death at his own hands. Police Find Bodies There were no eye witnesses to the tragedy, but about noon yesterday neighbor people in the neighborhood heard shots in the house occupied by Mrs Aiken. The police department was notified and Plainclothesmen Turner, Davis and Moore were dispatched to the scene. Arriving the officers were unable to enter the house by the front door, and so went around and gained entrance through the back. In the rear bedroom on the north side of the house, the officers found the corpse of Mrs Aiken and the body of Bignon. Bignon lay on his back in the middle of the floor while a thirty two Smith and Weston revolver was clutched in his hand, with blood streaming from a gaping wound in his temple. Mrs Aiken lay several feet away, with no indication of being shot except a splotch of blood just over the left breast. The officers gave their attention to Mrs Aiken, upon entering , but finding her dead directed their attentions to Bignon, and finding that his heart still beat called for the University Hospital ambulance which made an immediate response . Prior to his removal to the hospital Officer Turner removed the pistol from Bignon's hand. There Was No Disorder The room showed no disorder. A chair containing freshly laundered clothing of a woman was between the body of the woman and that of the Man and had not been disturbed. On the bed there was the print of a reclining body but no other evidence of disarrangement. A pint bottle about a third full of whiskey was found upon the dresser. Both Mrs Aiken ad Bignon were completely clothed. No one is very clear on just how many shots were fired. The six cartridges in the pistol were discharged, but the effects of only three could be ascertained by the police and coroner. The bullet which proved fatal to Mrs Aiken entered her heart and lodged in the spinal vertebrae; while the bullet which caused Bignon's death entered the right temple passed through the brain and lodged against the front bone. A third bullet entered the plastering of the wall near the fire place. Whether the other three shots were fired or not remains a mystery. Bignon never regained consciousness or showed any evidence of animation with the exception of uttering a groan when the officers entered the room and of snapping the fingers of his right hand while on the way to the hospital. He died about 1 o'clock in the afternoon, an hour after the shooting. Mrs Aiken's death was instantaneous. No Known Motive No motive for the tragedy can be offered by friends of the victims, neither were any advanced at the coroner's hearing. GW Aiken, husband of the murdered woman, is an employee of the Georgia and Florida Railroad, and is stationed in Douglas, GA. He was wired immediately of the shooting and his wife's death. Aside from her husband, Mrs Aiken is survived by a young son, Virgil, who at the time of the shooting, was in a nearby store where he had gone immediately upon leaving the residence shortly before. She is 28 years of age. Bignon is well known throughout Augusta, having for a number of years been affiliated with the Heffernan & Bignon Coal an Wood Company and later for himself. At the time of his death he operated a grocery store. He resided at 644 Crawford Avenue. He was married, and leave his wife, Mrs Ola M Bignon and two children. This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb