The San Francisco call., 1908-08-19
MIssives Sent Dead Magazine
Manager Challenged Him
TO Mortal Combat
Divorce Complaint of Mrs. CIau-
dia Hains Charges Captain
Was Morally Degraded
Doctor Who Attended Victim
Declares He Denied Cause
for Attack
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
NEW YORK, Aug. 1S.-It became
known today that the threatening
letters" said to have been sent to Viii
liam E. Annis, the advertising man.
sger, by Captain Peter c. Hams, who
shot and killed Annis at the
Bsroide club, while T. Jenkins Hams
held the crowd at bay, were really
challenges to fight a duel On June
20 the first letter was written. That
was the day Mrs. Claudia Hams con-
fessed to her husband, his brother
and General Hains, the father, her
relations with Annis during the cap
tain's absence in the Philippines. AS
soon as Mrs Hains signed the written
confession Captain Hams took the
same pen and on the same table in
the presence Of his wife wrote a cnal-
lenge TO Annis
Hains pointed out-not knowing
whether or not his rival was familiar
with the code Of duelling-that Annis
had the privilege of naming the
weapons to be used in the affair.
The officer then wrote second let
ter. He waited three days and wrote
the third challenge The wording Of
the letter is not here given verbatim,
but it was about like this:
I viii demand a combat at the nrst
opportunity. SO be prepared"
-.
District Attorney Darrin.
WIFE CALLS HAMS DEGENERATE
dispatch from Winthrop Highlands,
Mass. gives Charles II. Libbey. father
Of Mrs. Hams, as authority for the
statement that in the divorce papers
that were served on Captain Hams a
week ago last Monday Mrs. Hams al
legged that her husband was a morally
degraded person and made charges OF
the most sensational character At tile
same tine the complainant demanded
in her petition that the case itself b.
tried in open court
The allegations are along the lines
OF the exposure at the round table in
Berlin where Count Eulenburg was
charged with misconduct with others
While no names are mentioned there
are instances related which date back
10 the time when Captain Hams and
his wife were on their honeymoon and
while the captain was stationed al
Fortress Monroe It is alleged thai
Mrs. Hains caught her husband in the
quarters of an officer whose residence
was very close to the one occupied by
the Hainses.
SCANDAL SURPRISES OFFICER
Lieutenant Colonel H. II. Ludlow. ir
command Of Fort Hamilton. said today
Tho in 10 morning r7anerS n
the effect that this reservation is z
hotbed Of scandal surprised me. Per
haps I might be the last person to heal
OF such condition.
In regard to Mrs. Hams character
] have seen her as a guest IN my home
never saw her smoking cigarettes
and ] never saw her intoxicated She
always conducted herself as a lady in
my presence and any reports to the
contrary 1 should look upon with
suspicion"
The wife Of Captain Hains decided
today to petition for the custody Of her
children, VINO are now at the home of
Peter c. Hams, father of the captafn
at Fort Hancock
ANNIs DENIED JUST CAUSE
When the inquest over Annis' BODY
is held on Wednesday evening, it was
stated tonight. one of the physicians
who attended him viii testify that Just
before the snesthetic was administer
ed Annis said: There was abso1utelx
no reason for the shooting"
What the attitude of Mrs. Hains will
be toward her husband is of paramount
interest 10 the lawyers for the Hains
brothers and TO the district attorney
Rumors were rife today that Mrs
Hams will drop her hostile demeano,
and will take her place at her hus-
bands side when the trial commences
Mrs. Hains, it is said has returned
10 her home in Massachusetts,. Hel
lawyer, Frederick L. Norton Of Boston
who came here TO advise. announced
today that he viii have a statement
from her within a day or so
NOTED COUNSEL RETAINED
Captain Hains and his brother vii
be represented by the best counse
that can be procured. John F. McIn.
tyre, a former assistant district attor
nev and one of the ablest lawyer,
practicing at the criminal bar, was re
tafned today and It was said that al
effort would be made TO get Martin w
Tfttleton. who defended Harry K Thavv
10 Join the defense. Littleton is now il
Europe.
An evening newspaper quoted Nc
Intyre as saying that insanity will b,
the defense
General Hams and his brother. Pete
A. Hains. a lawyer of Boston. who. i
is believed will be associated viii
counsel for the defense. visited tn,
two prisoners in the Queens count,
fafl today Captain Hams and hi
brother remain calm and. on advice O
counsel. refuse TO make any statement
The movements Of the Hams brother
for several days before the shootin;
are being traced. One OF the wit
nesses who viii be summoned at tn
trial is J. c. Page. a publisher o
Boston. who 1t is alleged, recently re
ceived letter from T. Jenkins Hains
in which the latter is said to hav,
written that his brother was broker
hearted because OF his home being de
stroyed by a magazine writer.