Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-17

were " DC dis hCd tiSiS. iC NehoN
was thereupon adjourned until tomor-
row and Capt. Hams and his brother
were once more handcuffed and taken
to the Queens county Jail, where they
were given a large and comfortable
room on the second floor Among the
new developments in the case was the
discovery made today that Annis had
received several threatening letters
within the past few days. These let
tiers. according to Annis' fellow club
members of the Bay Side Yacht Club,
were found in AnniS' pockets after his
death, by Harvey Rockwell, who had
been the dead mans most intimate
friend, and turned over to District At
torney Darrin.
Charles H. Roberts, who helped to
pull Annis out of the water after he
had been shot and who was prevented
from going to his assistance by Thorn
ton Hams leveled revolver, said to-
day, in recounting the incidents of
yesterdays shooting:
Il was standing not 20 feet away
and saw the whole thing. Annis was
seated at the tiller of his sloop, bring
ing her to the float. Louis Harway.
forward, warding her off from the
float Peter Hams saw Harway first
and, walking up to him pressed his
revolver against his chest. Harway,
thinking the performance a joke, play
fully brushed the captains arm away
Hams by that time had realized his
mistake, and, crouching down so as to
get on level with Annis, emptied his
revolver into him. Annis was in his
bathing suit, unarmed, defenceless 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 Saturday afternoon races,
called shrilly: Look out Will. AL
most at the same time l rushed to-
ward Capt Hams, but before | had
gone two steps his brother, Thornton
Hams, with a revolver in his hand,
stood before me. Stand back he SAID
This is a matter between these two.
II naturally hesitated Charles
Bearch- Field then attempted to go to
the assistance of Annis and Thornton
turned from me to him, calling our:
stand back or | fire
"Ry this time" continued Roberts,
Potter Hams had completed his work
Annis, with six bullets in him, rose
from mis- seat in the boat and attempt
ed 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 from under him and he top
pied over into the bay. Wounded, TO
death as he was, Annis still had the
.rrt n and SWIM 10
the float. He took two strokes and this
brought him near enough for me to
grab him and pull him onto the float.
Meantime John Tonning, our boatman,
had knocked the now useless revolver
out of the hands of Peter Hams. 1t lay
on the float as | turned from putting
a bundle of sail cloth under Annis
head and l picked it up. Thornton
Hams still stood with his weapon in
his hand, however, and for time re-
fused to surrender it.
There was no violence attempted.
Mearle L. Downs, Edward Andrews,
Jr., Joseph Hill and several other men,
bers of the club faced the two brothers
and simply demanded that Thornton
Hams give up his revolver. Peter
Hams, who was much the cooler OF
the two, finally demonstrated with his
brother and persuaded him to surren-
der his revolver. Before doing so,
however, Thornton Hams broke open
the breech of lis revolver and emptied
the chambers, pouring the cartridges
into his hand, saying: You viii be
good enough to observe that none have
been exploded
"Annis, who was moaning family,
stretched out on the float, then turned
to Peter Hams and said: Captain, you
have made horrible mistake
Peter Hams hestatcd a minute and
replied:
"'T may have, but l don't believe So
ARMS then turned to our Swede boat
man, and asked: John have they got
towards like these in your country
by this time DR.. Henry Houghton
had arrived. A brief examination con-
WINGED him that nothing could be done
to save Annis. At the suggestion of
Mr.. Bearch- Field he pulled out torn
envelope from his pocket and wrote
on it: Shot by Captain Peter c. Hams.
l.. s. A.. This he gave to Annis, who
with a firm hand signed his full name:
William f.. Annis'
'"The others on the float had been
trying to get some explanation as to
the cause of the shooting from the two
brothers. Finally Thornton Hams, who
had filed his pipe and was comfortably
smoking. said:
1--WE been trying to keep him from
doing this for some time
"Annis kept up his nerve to the end
Before being placed under ether he
told his friend, Harvey Rockwell, who
sal at his bedside: Good bve, Harvey
I MAY neuer soc Won a ga in :, >,