Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-09
KILLED IN THE BOAT.
TIVE TRIAL OF YOUNG HAMS FOR
THE MURDER OF. hANNEGAN.
rmposiss Array Of ccunsci-Pics. "Not
Guilty "A yary obts'"ed-resu-
mony of Commander Evans.
telegram to tho pi.pasch.l


HAMPTON. Va, September s.--Judge Cum
tar took his seat few minutes after ~
M. to-day and the Circuit Court came TO
order. A largo crowd was in attendance,
drawn by the Hams trial, several ladies
being in the audience. Among the promi-
nent ATTORNEYS present were Senator Voor-
hees. Colonel Nelson, and Colonel Hanne-
gan (father Of the young man killed.,
OF Indiana; Judge Henley. of James
CITY county; Judge Heath. OF Norfolk;
Mr.. A. G. Garrett. OF Newport News; Mr..
Phil. Hubbard, Of York. and MIR. 4. =. NAL
Tory, OF Tennessee. Senator voorhees, at
tractcd much attention. senator voorhees,,
Mr.. Lpscomb. and MIR. Shillington quail
fed to practice law IN this court.
The prisoner was brought in looking
quite pale, but about the same as when he
came before the County Court. He was
accompanied by his parents and seated
himself near his counsel.
READY 70 PROCEED.
The witnesses in the case being called
and found present. both sides announced
a readiness TO proceed. Clerk Booker
arose and calling Hams TO his feet read the
long indictment, Haines standing as If In
deep thought.
NOT GUILTY.
At the close when asked Are you guilty
or potDcuilty 2" he answered firmly Not
guilty" and resumed his seat. The Jury
was next called and no difficulty was ex-
perienced in finding sixteen men who had
no opinion in the case. Messrs. ~. z.
Shepherd. William l.. Young, Elias Todd.
and + G. Phillips were stricken from the
list by defence. and the following Jury was
duly sworn y. l.. Sealy, John Williams; j.
w. Topping, I. X. Landrum, w. w. Chellis.
T. p. Davis. John Thomas. /. i. Amory,
@. h. Jones, Jr., d. w. Nettles. A. j. Gill
bert. and q. Walker Watts.
Proclamation was made by the sheriff,
the jury charged by the Clerk and then a
recess was taken 10 o'clock p. Nj.
COMMANDER EvASs's TESTIMONY.
The court reassem bled at 3:l5 p. M.
and Commander II. ID. Evans was
called. All other eyewitness to the
homicide were excluded from the
room. Colonel Evans stated that in
company with his son he walked out on
the beach in front of his house. and seat
ing himself in small boat that was
beached noticed small boat with sails up
about 800 yards TO the left. He recognized
Hams and Hannegan. Hams was stand
ing in the stern sculling. Hsnnegan seated
smidships pulling the port-oar. The
boat passed right across the front saw
Hams stoop down in the boat and pick up
coat, and in moment put IL down.
THE SHOOTING.
When the boat passed it was about one
hundred feet away on the right saw Hams
step toward Hannegan. who was rowing,
and stretching his arm down toward him
j heard snap" "snap!" as of pistol
shots. flanagan pulled one or two strokes
and then tell backward in the boat. the oar
80 IN. hn halh I'M
pistol for moment and then sculled
around toward the wharf. Then | saw
Hannegan grasp the gunwaie of the boat.
pull himself up and call, Help helpi
this man has shot Inc and killed me-" He
then disappeared. Hams then sculled off
the shore and towards the Rip Raps. He
disappeared in the boat for three or four
minutes, then appeared, then as squat
came on Hams pointed the boat ashore and
beached her about q quarter of mile off.
Commander Evans had gone to his house
and was sitting on the porch as Hams
passed on his way to the hotel.
SoT PRANK.
Commander Evans thought il was not
serious affair. but thought the young men
were playing prank in the boat TO at
tract attention; heard in short while
that flanagan had been killed in the
boat. and Commander Evans sent word to
affair. He afterward identified the body
of flanagan. He did not see Hannegan
strike or attempt to strike Hams, and was
sure he would have seen anything of the
kind.
NOT SHAKEN.
Commander Evans was subjected TO a rigid
Characterization, but his testimony was
not shaken. The defence brought out the
fact of the strained relations between the
witness and the prisoner for some time.
THE WOUNDS.
Doctor Peek was called and testified as
TO the wounds--one in the bend of the
causing death. The man might have lived
three or four minutes. The Doctor thought
the wound IN the chest was made first.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
1t will be remembered that this is the
sequel to the sad affair of June 18th last,
when Ned Hannegan lost his life at the
hands of Hams while the two were sailing
in large open canoe opposite Fort Mon
roe. The two young men had come down
to Fort Monroe from Washington in Mr..
John Paul Jones's yacht, the Cygnet,
earlier in the week. Both OF them were
very well known IN Washington social life
rs well as at the Fort, where they had.often
visited together. On that fatal Fri
day evening the two went out sailing in
q big canoe that belonged to the Engi-
neer Department. Hams, who had the
reputation Of being an unusual skilful
sailor, had often used the boat before, and
v as thoroughly familiar with its manage
ment. Toward shutdown a squat came up
from the direction of the mouth of the
James river, and il would appear from the
stories of the witnesses of the occurrence
that flanagan was anxious to come ashore
before the storm broke. He was dead
when the canoe was beached near the
breakwater, Just beyond Commander
Evans's house and few hundred yards
from the Hygeia Hotel. For some reason
or other. which still remains 10 be made
public, TONY" Hams had shot two bull
lets at his lifelong friend. The second
shot proved fatal. Hams run his boat out
into the teeth Of the storm and was out
some little time before he returned TO
shore. When he did so he went at once to
the telegraph Office in the hotel and sent
o message to his mother. Mrs. Peter =.
Hams. in Washington, in which he said:
" have shot Ned Hannegan. He threat
ened to strike me-" This was the first that
was actually known OF the affair
Hams at once gave himself up to the
military authorities at the post and was
taken to the county Jail of Elizabeth City
county, here at Hampton, where he has
since been confined.