The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-19
STATE SCORES
IN HAMS CASE
Witnesses for Prosecution
State There Was Interval
Between the Shots.
DEFENSE PLANS TO SHOW RE-
VoLvER WAS FIRED so RAP
IDLY NO AID WAS POSI-
BILE.

Flushing. \. ". Dec le.-The trial
of Thornton jenkins Hams on charges
of aiding his brother. Captain Peter c.
Hams. Jr., in the killing of William
E. Annis. was adjourned last night
until Monday. after a day In which the
state developed the strongest testimo-
ny so far a6duced. Two witnesses,
Herbert F. L. Funke and Arthur An
drews, both eye witnesses of the
shooting. swore that there was an In
terval between the first shot fired By
Captain Hams at Annis and the others
that came IN fairly rapid succession.
Both of these club members declar-
ed positively that Thornton Hams
pointed his revolver at those on the
float after the first shot and before
the succeeding shots were fired. An
exhaustive cross-examination on this
point, material TO the Prosecutors
case. failed TO shake their testimony.
Andrews stated that following the first
shot he saw the defendant point his
revolver at witness father.
Teiis Of the Firing.
There was first shot. then an in
terval when there was some more shots
in quick succession. then pause and
a last shot. which went through the
sail. | ran when | saw Thornton
point his revolver at my father and
stood under the DOCK said Andrews
The witness. Funke. gave a graphic
description of the shooting of Annis.
n. x.-ss L.. 81 n.
army captain waited until Annis'
boat swept up beside the float. said
the witness. then lifting the obscuring
sail Captain Hams fired several shots
at the publisher.
The prosecution claims that this ev-
idence is another proof of the states
contention that the defendant was
principal and was aiding his brother
TO kill Annis.
Counsel for Thornton j. Hams are
preparing for unique demonstration
with the automatic revolver with
which William +. Annis was slain 10
show that the writer was not a princi-
pal with his brother, Captain Peter c.
Hams Jr., in the shooting. In the pres
ence of witnesses the replica Of Capt.
Hams revolver will be fired to prove
that the seven shells in the weapon
can be discharged within one and
fiyeeights seconds. II is hoped by
counsel that the evidence showing the
rapidity with which the weapon Is dis
charged will refute the states con-
tention that while the shooting,of An
mis- was in progress Thornton Hams
drew his revolver and prevented An
MIS- friends from coming to his assist.
ance.
Heard Only Four Shots.
DR. L. NJ Mcbride of. Manhattan. .
member Of the club. was another wit
ness today.
Il was on the float when l heard
the first shot," he testified. Il was
looking under a rowboat when heard
the shot. ! looked up and heard more
shots. I saw the figure Of a man with
his hand holding q revolver and his
arm concealing his face. / stopped
down again."
| After the shooting the physieian
said he got out Of the way. He heard
only four shots. On cross-examin-
alton DR.. Mcbride said he did not see
Birchfield. Andrews or Roberts on the
dock. and heard none OF the express
sions which II has been testified that
the defendant made about keeping
off," that he was running this af-
fair and similar threats to bystand-
ers.
| John Tonning, the boatman who
seized Captain Hams by the wrist at
the time of the shooting. and who has
been missing since early i'm October,
has been located and he will likely be
witness In the case.
/ Court then adjourned until Monday.