Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-17
HE CHOOSES TO WAIT
Hams Trial Will Not Come Of Be-
fore September.
THE CIRCUIT COURT TO HEAR THE CASE
Charges and Specifications in the
Compton Court-Martial.
NITRO-GLYCERINE EXPLOSION
CIRCUIT COURT 10 HEAR THE CASE
N1TRo-GLYCERINE EXPLOSION
TO BE TRIED IN SEPTEMBER.
Young Hahn. Elects 20 Appear Before the
Circuit Court

Circuit Court
Special DsrAtch TO THs EVENISe sr,a.
HAMPTON, VA, Juiy l7.--Thornton J. Hhins
will not be tried in the criminal court Of Eliza
beth county. Tins morning before he
raigned. IN accordance with the law Of Virginia,
he was asked whether he wished 10 be tried in
the criminal court OF the circuit court The
defense chose the latter tribunal
According 20 Mr.. Joseph Shi.lsugton, jr.. Of
the defense. this action on their part was taken
for two reasons: First, their client Vas not la
a physical condition to stand the STRAIN of =
proiructed trial now. or 10 do himself Justice
under crosse NHminatiun. la addition t. thls
was the absence Of three Of the most material
witnesses FOR the defense when the ca-e Nas
called Tor irIal yesterday. it l. hoped that they
Viii De here when the circuit court meets.
~ opUEr THIS MORNING.
The trial Of young Hams for shooting Ned
HRnnegan last month WAS RESUMED In tie
county coart here this morning. There wss
larger crowd present az the ol',uirs Of the ser
ond DAY than there was Yesterday morning.
| he court adjourned Yesterday afternoon a.
the request OF the defense. who wanted
chance u consider the situation. The
refusal of Judge Peek TO grant either = continu-
nnCe or = pO~tI on, meut was some hat IA the
nature of setback. and the defense Nere left ~
decide whether ti"s would 40 on with the
I'm the county court ~ elect o. nave It 40 over
4 u
The results Of the first day uf the usse of-
fered plenty oi material for CONVERSATION and
conjecture here and at Fort Monroe Even
the prosecution we're at sea as 90 what the de-
tense would do.
READING rHr INDICTMENT.
At the opening Of the trial today Judge Goode
entered general demurrer 20 the indictment
and the several counts thereto.
Thornton Hams, stand up" said Judge
Booker, clerk oi the court. and young llains,
who had come in before the court convened
arose to his feet, while every eve in the court
room was turned upon him. Iiains well
dressed as usual and bore the trying ordt al
well the clerk read the indict-
ment against him charging him with
wlltGl and malicious murder. The indictment
wac lengthy document. and the CLERK pro-
ceeded with the reading Of tie indictment.
which reviewed in detaIl all the circumstances
attendant upon the shooting, Hains appeared
TO be some v hat nervous and his eyss glanced
around the room in restless sort OF
way, showing that he appreciated the un-
pleasant position in which he placed. As
Judge Booker finished the reading Of the grand
iurys indictment there Was moment Of in
tense quiet In the court room.
HAMS CHOOSES THE CIRCUIT COURT.
Before Hains was formally ARA gned or called
upon to plead TO the charge Of murder in the
first degree the clerk told him that he might
elect IN which court he would be tried. Il
Will be tried In the circuit court, sand Hains,
IN an almost lnaudIble tone.
linen he sat down and the case was over with
50 far as the county court was concerned
WITNESSES PUT UNDER BONDS.
Commander Eobley ID. Evans and Col. Bird,
who two of the most important witnesses
! tor the commonwealth, were called to the bar
| and placed under 500 bonds 10 appear As wit
| nesses before the circuit court at its neNt ses-
| sion. Commander Evans has been ordered to
New York TO take command Of the Yorktown.
lie informed the court of this fact and remarked
I that he wss placed ia a very awkward position.
Tie said that if he were in the West Indies at
/ the tine court met 1t would be difficult mat
| Ter for hin TO put IN an appearance here. while
| on The other hand. II he did not recognize the
! order Of the Secretary of the Navy IL would lay
him open TO a court-lnBrtiaL
| Judge Peek said the court would try TO ar
| range il there would be no trouble about the
| matter. Att@r tue other witnesses had been
! placed under bonds and warned to be on hand
| two months hence the Hams case was ad-
| journed for the present and the court at once
| proceeded with the next case on the docket.
PROBABLE TINE OF TRIAL
| The circuit court Will meet in Hampton on
| Tuesday. September : but as the term is only
of a weeks duration ii is hardly likely 1t will AZ
be devoted to the Ilains trial Ii Is more prob
able that Judge GuBter OF the Circuit court Will
hold special term late IN September for tie
| hearing Of this case.
| Immcclately alter the adjournment of the
case Young Haius was taken back TO the county
jail, where he will he kept until he is ne 1t
called upon 10 stand trial. unless, as is more
lAely, the counsel for the defense come before
! the court at some carly date and apply for his
4 admission TO bail lk