The San Francisco call., 1908-08-17
HAMS Will FACE
TRIAL FOR MURDER
Army Captain Who Slew Will
liam AnniS TO Be Arraigned
With His Brother
Eye Witness Describes Shooting
and Declares Victim Said
Slayer Was Mistaken
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

efHCiAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
NEW YORK, Aug. 16-Captain Peter
c Hams Jr, Z. S. A. who yesterday
shot and killed William Annis, adver-
tising manager Of Recreation and Burr
McIntosh's Monthly, will be arraigned
on the charge of murder tomorrow be-
fore Magistrate Matthew J. Smith in
Long Island City.
Thornton J. Hains, brother of Cap
tain Hams. the amateur yachtsman
and author, who held the crowd at bay
with a drawn revolver while the cap
tain accomplished his work Of ven
geance, viii be arraigned at the same
time
The men spent the night in separate
cells at the Flushing police station and
were taken before Magistrate Smith
In Long Island city this morning. The
brothers appeared absolutely unper-
turbed, but exhibited some embarrass-
ment while handouts were being
placed on them. They smoked ciga-
rettes calmly while riding in the Flush
ing patrol wagon. and after the mag
istrate had postponed the case they
were taken to the Queens county jail,
where they were given a comfortable
cell
DESCRIBES SCENE ON SLOOP
Charles H. Roberts, who helped to
pun Annis out of the water after he
had been shot, and who was prevented
from going to his assistance by Thorn
ton Hams leYeled revolver, in recount
ing the incidents OF the shooting. said:
Annis was seated at the tiller Of
his sloop bringing her TO the float
Louis Harway, who was in the boat
with Annis, was forwarding her of
the float Hains saw Harway first and
walking up to him, placed his revolver
against his chest. Harway, thinking 6
the whole performance a joke, play
fully brushed the mans arm away.
Hams by that time had realized
his mistake and, crouching down so us
10 get on a level with Annis, who as
1 saw was sitting in the stern of the
boat, emptied his revolver into him.
Annis was in his bathing suit, un-
armed. defenseless and unprepared.
With the firing of the first shot, Mrs
Annis. who, with fully half hundred
ladies and children, was on the pier
watching the preparations for the usual
Sunday afternon races, called out
shrilly, Look out, VIII" Almost al
the same time I rushed toward Captain
Hains, but before 1 had gone two steps
his brother, Thornton Hams, stood be-
fore me, a revolver pressed against
me. Stand back he shouted, this is a
matter between these two
ANNIS SHOWS MUCH GRIT
BY that time Peter Hams had CON-
pleted his work. Annis, with six bull
lets in him, arose from his seat in the
boat and attempted TO step from it to
the float. One of the bullets had
lodged in his knee, however, and as he
stood up his leg gave way under him,
and he toppled over into the bay.
Wounded to death as he was, Annis
still had the marvellous grit to try to
swim to the float. He took two strokes
and this brought him near enough for
me to grab him and pull him upon the
float.
Thornton Hams still stood with his
weapon in his hand and for time re-
fused to surrender it
-Annis. who was moaning family,
stretched out on the float, turned to
Peter Hams and said: Captain. you
have made a horrible mistake Peter
Hains hesitated a minute and replied:
I may have, but I don't believe it
Annis then turned to our Swede boat
man and asked: John, have, they got
towards like this in your country? 2
The others on the float had been try
ing to get some explanation as to the
cause Of the shooting from the two
brothers Finally Thornton Hams, who
had filled a pipe and was comfortably
smoking, said: I've been trying to
keep him from doing this for some
time "