The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-08
GIVES DETAILS
OF ANNIS MURDER
Thornton Jenkins Hams Tells of
Circumstances Leading
Up to Shooting.
TRIED TO SAVE VICTIM
SAYS THE KILLING WAS NOT
PREMEDiTATED.

New York Nov, 7-Thornton Jenkins
Hams in his cell in the Queens county
Jail today made a statement in which ne
gave additional details of the circum-
stances Immediately preceding and lead
ing up 10 the murder of William J.. Annis
by Captain Peter g. Hams. Jr-. at Bay
side, i. J.
Thornton Hams was present at the time
OF the shooting and Is charged with hav-
ing assisted his brother in the commission
Of the crime by holding Oft at the point
of a revolver members of the Bayslde
Yacht club WAC had attempted TO go 10
the assistance Of Annis-
Both brothers are under indictment for
murder in the first degree. While Thorn-
ton Hams. unshaven. collarless and with
a strand of rope about his waist DONG
service as a belt. was relating MS grim
story the captain. gaunt and unkempt
stood less than ten feet away. his long,
monlSish bath robe trailing the floor, his
eyes staring fixedly at the white walls
Of his prison. He took no part in the
conversation.
culated concerning Peter and myself,
said Thornton Hams. that l must ask
the Associated Press to set us right in the
eyes Of the world. | am not des-
perado and neither IS Peter.
Thought He Was Far Away.
ION the day of the shooting | imagined
Nnnis to be IN Mount Vernon. Neither
run across him at Bayside. Ever since
the terrible night when my brothers wife
admitted her wrongdOing with Annis
had been Peters constant companion.
General Hams feared that Peter would
XIII himself and so he gave him over
into my keeping. | took him with me 10
live and in order TO take his mind off his
trouble | took him out with me days at
a time, cruising IN little mptor boat
had"
Thornton Hams then told of his inten-
ton 10 buy a site along the water some
where. and this led him 10 Bay View.
They have made much of the fact
that we went armed, he continued AS
far as Peter is concerned. did not know
that he had a gun with him. 1t was not
until after he had used IL on Annis that
] realized the situation AS for me. the
gun / had Is the same ] carried for four
teen years. Most of my life has been
spent at sea, where primitive passions
rule and where men i'm their cups need
more than words to subdue them
''They have also said that when we ar
rived at the yacht club our first move was
TO ask where Annis was. There was never
anything said further from the truth We
had not been on the ground long. how
ever. before the name of Annis came to
our ears. l Immediately began to urge
him 20 come away. He would not be per-
suaded. however and after while l gave
up trying
at was SO unexpected and it all hap
pened so quickly that l was powerless
10 interfere. As soon as Annis came up
to the float Peter opened fire. IL was
over in a second. A dozen men rushed
for him and saw the big boat man grab
him by the throat and swing his fist
TO strike him. X was then I pulled my
gun.
Says He Saved Annis.
II certainly had no feelings of affec-
ton or regard for Annis. but I had saved
him from being shot by Peter once before.
and i would have done so again if had
had the chance.
tine night that Peters wife made the
written acknowledgment of her nIiscon-
duct with Annis she asked that 1 get