The recent tale of the tragic killing of 39-year-old grandfather, George Washington Campbell, elicited quite a number of phone calls and face-to-face conversations. Many of these asked a common question, “Are you also going to write about one of his older brothers, James Alexander ‘Big Alex’ Campbell, whose life was filled with tragedy?”

My father, Alex Dean Campbell (George’s son), was always called “Little Alex,” which meant that most people assumed he was the son of “Big Alex.” He was, in fact, a nephew.

“Big Alex” was born on September 2, 1883, the third child and son of Elford Furman and Lee Anna Newman Campbell. He lost a younger sister, Nancy Emily, age 2, in 1892, and a younger brother, Sam Boyd, at less than 3 years of age, in 1900.

He married Tallie Center, the third daughter of George Runyan and Lettie Barton Center, in 1910. She was ten years younger. Their first child and son, Troy Manus, was born in 1911.

Their second child and son, Russell, was born in 1913 and their first daughter, Lois, was born in 1914. Russell died before his third birthday of diphtheria in December, 1915.

In 1919, at age 36, “Big Alex” was charged with murder in the death of James Garvin, but was acquitted by the court for acting in self defense, when it was proven that Garvin had threatened both “Big Alex” and his son with a pistol.

He lost another sister, Eliza Mary, who died of pellagra at age 29, in 1921. Two years later, his mother died of “carcinoma of the stomach,” at age 64.

His brother, George Washington, was killed by Ernest Lewis and Bob Wolfe in the tragic stabbing, which severed his jugular vein, during a wrestling match that occurred in October, 1927. George lived only twenty minutes, even though he was taken to the office of Dr. Thomas E. Morrow just over a mile away.

On March 28, 1932, Tallie Center Campbell was shot in the back at her home. She died on April 1, at the age of 38. “Big Alex” was convicted of her murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment on September 1. The sentence was commuted to four years on October 14, 1934, and he was paroled on January 11, 1935.

In April, 1937, “Big Alex” was charged in U.S. District Court with illicit distilling, along with Ernest Watson, Harley Watson and James Harrison Howard.

Harley Watson pled guilty to one count of the indictment and was sentenced to 20 days in the Greenville County jail. The case of James Harrison Howard was continued to a later court date.

“Big Alex” and Ernest Watson pled not guilty on the morning of April 21. Watson was acquitted by the jury in the afternoon. “Big Alex” began his court appearance soon thereafter.

He took the witness stand and began his testimony, being interrogated by Assistant District Attorney E.P. Riley.

He was approaching the completion of his testimony when the prosecutor asked him if he knew another defendant in the case.

As reported in the Greenville News the next morning, “Big Alex” murmured ‘I’d Know Him in Hell,’ Says Defendant and Dies In Court.

(Though the official record of the trial has never been checked for his response, two persons present in court say that his answer actually was, “I might know him, if I met him in hell someday.”)

“Big Alex” stiffened momentarily, then sank lower in the witness chair. Judge C.C. Wyche asked him to step down. As he started to rise, he groaned loudly, and then fell back. Judge Wyche ordered Marshall Reuben Gosnell and his deputies to attend “Big Alex,” and instructed another deputy to find a doctor.

The deputy returned in a few minutes with Dr. R.C. Bruce, who pronounced “Big Alex” dead.

The official death certificate dated April 21, 1937, states, “Seen after death by order of Coroner of Greenville, SC…coronary thrombosis.”

He was only 53 years of age.

There was one family tragedy “Big Alex” did not live to experience. On October 28, 1955, his son, Samuel Leroy “Jake” Campbell, at age 32, was riding his motorcycle in Greer and was struck and killed by a train.