Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-14
HAMS TRIAL IS BEGUN
Witness Is Summoned as
TaIesman and Discharged.
PROCEEDINGS TO BE BRIEF
Court Expects to Dispose of 7. Jen-
kins Hams Case in One Week.
BROTHER THEN FACES JUSTICE
Father and Mother of Prisoners in
Court-Story of the
Tragedy.
BROTHER THEN FACES JUSTICE

/ AnniS. an editor who was shot and Killed
! at the Bayside Yacht Club last summer
! by. Capt Peter G. Hams. jr.. commenced
! this morning before Justice Frederick r.
| Crane in the supreme court.
Justice Crane convened court at 10
/ Ok clock One hundred talesmen, drawn on
| the first panel, which has been protested
/ by the defense on the ground that 1t was
/ improperly drawn. Were sent TO room
below the court chambers. The roll OF
| 1870 talesmen drawn on two subsequent
! panels was called.
| District Attorney Darrin announced that
| the prosecution of Hams would be con-
Quoted by himself, assisted by Special
| Prosecutor Elmer S. White and j. A
| Dayton. together with Assistant District
Attorneys Carey b. Fish and Thorndyke
| Mckenzie
Witness Is Talesman.
t The roll call of talesmen disclosed that
| Charles w. Roberts of Bayside, who saw
| the shooting and is a witness for the de-
| Tense. had been subpoenaed as tales
man. He was quickly excused.
| After the roll call Justice Crane ad-
journed court until 1 o'clock, when
| Thornton Hams will be brought into
court. The first panel was also dismissed
| noon.
All the wheels of legal machinery will
! be put in motion to bring the trial oil
| Thornton Hams to Il speedy conclusion.
that a week should be sufficient time to
| try the case. and it is not unlikely that
| night sessions of court will be held to eX-
| pedte the taking of testimony.
| Early courtroom reports had 1t today
| that the defendant would take the wit
| ness stand and tell the story of those oc-
| currences at Fort Hamilton which coun-
! sci for the defense alleged caused Capt
Hams to send his wife away and take the
life of Annis In this way d foundation
! for Capt Hams defense would be laid.
Flushing Is Crowded.
| The old town of Flushing has not had
murder trial of major interest for many
! years, and long before the hour of trial
| there was quite a gathering of people in
| front of the town hall. where the case
| will be tried. The small hotels were
filed to OVERLOOKING with three hundred
| talesmen from whom a jury will be Sc
| lected.
| Gen. Peter C. Hams lisa. retired,
father of the brothers now confined in the
Long Island City Jail for the Annis murder
and his son. Maj. Hams, came up from
New York city today to attend the trial.
Sheriff Harvey brought Thornton Hams
10 Flushing about 8 O'Clock.
William F. Annis, an editor of an out
ing periodical, was shot and killed while
stepping from his boat to the float of
the Baysde Yacht Club August Ii by
named his victim as correspondent in
suit for divorce brought against his wife,
Claudia Hams.
Counsel allege that brooding over his
wrongs brought on temporary insanity.
While Hams was in the Philippines year
ago his brother Thornton wrote him
that his wife was receiving too much at
tention from Annis.
Story Of Forced Confession.
The absent captain returned to Fort
Hamilton and his wife denied the charges.
Later Mrs. Hams asserts that Gen. Hams
and her husband and Thornton Jenkins
Hams forced false confession from her.
The couple separate and Capt. Hams
brought divorce suit. Hearing that
Anns was still visiting his wife. Capt.
Hams is said to have become enraged and
his counsel declare that from that time
temporarily insane.
In company with his brother Thornton
he went he Baysde Yacht Club last
August and inquired for Annis- When
Annis stepped from the boat Capt. Hams
shot him five times while Thornton waved
the club members away with Il drawn re-
volver.
Attt1tude Oh Ue1enSe.
Special Dispatch Tie Star.
NEW YORK. December 14.-T jenkins
Hams, the first of the Hams brothers to
face a judge and jury, was taken to the
old Flushing town hall today to be tried
| for his life. No matter what the verdict,
the trial of his brother, Capt. Peter G.
Hams, jr. who actually fired the shots
which deprived William L. Annis of life,
will Immediately follow.
The trials Will be expedited Is much as
possible. 1t may be that T. jenkins
Hams will know his fate by Christmas.
The case promises to take its place among
| the most noted in criminal annals of the
country.
promises to be another battle OF alenists
such as the Thaw trial saw. The defense
maintains that Capt. Hams was insane
when he killed Annis and that his mind
was SO wrought up by the alleged con-
fession of Mrs. Claudia Hams that the
moment he saw Annis in his sailboat
something within him exploded and he
shot to kill.
From what counsel for the Hams BROTH
ers have said. it would appear they will
try to show that r. Jenkins Hams did not
become an active figure in the tragedy
until after the captain had begun to fire,
when he attempted to protect him; that
he called upon the crowd to get police
accessory TO the murder OF Annis If Capt
Hams was insane. as the law does not
recognize the responsibility of an insane
man.
The defense will doubtless try to show
that Il. Jenkins Hams had attempted to
exercise wholesome influence over his
brother, rather than baneful one; that
he had tried to persuade him not to harm
Annis. and that the mission of the two at
Bayside that day was an innocent one
and that they went there to talk real es-
tate.
Hams Actions in Cell.
They will try to show by the subsequent
actions of Capt. Hams while incarcerated
in the Queens county Jail that his mind
was unsettled and that he was unable to
confer nationally with his counsel on those
points they wished to be enlightened on.
Doubtless they will also introduce testi-
mony to show that the two brothers were
inseparable, that where one went the
other went. and that, as matter Of fact
Capt. Hams has been left in his brothers.
charge.
Gen. Haines, who is said to have been
present when the alleged confession was
made. will probably be called TO the stand.
The general and his wife are here from
Washington. Gen. Hams has been pres
emf frequently during the proceedings
preliminary to the trial. Mrs. Hams has
remained In Seclusion until now. She
is said to be in state of partial col
laDse the Sifua tisn in which hoyS