The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-12-17
TRIAL OF HAMS BEGINS
BROTHER OF ANNIS'S SLAYER
TO FACE JURY FIRST.
Startling Testimony Expected III
Trial Of Thornton Halns,
Charged with Being an Ac-
cessory to the Crime.

Flushing. N. Y, Dec. 13.-Com-
bining all the elements of modern
social tragedy, in which the charac'
ters and situations are developed IN
army life, the trial of Thornton
jenkins Hams, Jr., author and
writer, which will begin here TO-
morrow, promises to rival in public
interest many of the country's noted
murder trials. Hams will be trled
as an accessory to the murder OF
VIM. E. Annis, a magazine writer,
who was shot and fatally wounded
at the Bayside Yacht Club last sum-
mer by the defendants brother,
Capt. Peter G.. Hams, Jr., U. S. A.,
stationed at Fort Hamilton.
Counsel for the Hams brothers,
who will set up the defense of tenn
porary insanity in the trial of Capt.
Hams, which will follow that of his
brother, have indicated that the de-
fense of Thornton Hains will be
that one may not be held as an &C
cessory to the act of another who is
temporarily insane.
The whole story which led up to
the Staying of Annis will be unfold
ed. These attorneys declare there
is no parallel case in criminal juris-
prudence.
Capt. Peter c. Hains, Jr., son of
Gen, Peter Hains, U. S. A., retired,
was sent to the Philippines in the
summer Of 1907. His wife remain
ed at Fort Hamilton, just below
New York city, with her young chill
dren. The defense alleges that
while away, Capt Hains received
word from Thornton Hains, of his
wife's conduct toward VIM. E. An
mis-, a friend of the family. Letters,
alleged to have been written by
Mrs. Hains to her absent husband,
will be read into the evidence.
The army captain returned, and,
according to Mrs. Hains, upbraided
her. AS the result of an alleged
confession, which Mrs. Hains states
was wrung from her under duress,
there was separation, and Mrs.
Hains returned to her home in Mas
sachusetts. A suit for divorce was
instituted by Capt. Hains in Boston
last June
It is declared that Capt. Hains be-
came morose because of his unfortu-
nate marital affairs. On August Is,
last Capt. Hams and his brother ap-
peared at the Bayside Yacht Club,
when the club house was crowded to
witness club regatta. Inquiry
was made for Annis, and when his
catboat drew alongside the club float
Capt Hams walked up to Annis as
he was stepping off and, taking him
by the arm, fired five shots. Annis
fell into the water and died shortly
afterward. Club members and 9TH
ers, it is alleged, were held back by
Thornton Hams, who had drawn a
revolver The brothers surrendered
after the shooting.
Since the shooting, counsel for
the defense assert that Capt. Hams
has gradually recovered his mental
capacities.
This is the second time that
Thornton Hams has faced jury
under charges of murder. In 1891,
while canoeing with a boyhood
chum, Edward A. Hannigan, off
Fortress Monroe, he became involv-
ed in quarrel in which Hannigan
lost his life. Hains was seen from
shore to reach to the bottom of the
boat and raise revolver from
which two shots were fired. Han
nigan used a. paddle in the quarrel.
One of the witnesses at the trial
was Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans.
A plea of self-defense resulted in
a verdict of acquittal.