The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-11-12
CAPTAIN HAMS
IDOLIzED WIFI
Brother Tells Of Shock at Dis.
covery Of Wife's Relations
With Annis.

| HainS, indicted with his brother, Cap.
tain Peter C. Hams, jr., for the murder
OF VIM. e. AnniS, gave to the World
IN exclusive signed statement in de-
Tense of his brother Peter, which In
part follows:
my brother, Captain Hams. was all
ways a delicate, high-strung, v
child. His was a most sensitive and
generous nature. With a high sense of
honor, he was gentle n obedient,
tractable and a mothers pet. I re-;
member once when he was a small boy
he accidentally killed a bird. He cried
over the bird all that day and was
much upset. This was not normal for
a boy.
When, a little later, Peter rel with
General Hams in u lighthouse tender,
he fell down the open main hatch and
landed on his head in the hold. He. was
ward acted queerly. The doctors were
afraid for him to go to school until he
was well into his teens, and he was
1ar behind the other lads in his studies
until his natural diligence and perse-.
verance brought him to the front.
ut is only just that the public know
these facts, for it will show beyond n
possible doubt that the horrors he has
lately undergone, that would shake
the strongest man., would naturally
break him down.
A Nervous Child.
Poor Peter never took part in any
Of the usual games of boys. He would
sit at home and read or draw pictures.
A defect in speech caused by a ner-
vous affection made him timid with
more robust lads. 1t affected him so
much hat he devoted several years OF
study on how to overcome it, and
finally did so by a method which made
talking very difficult indeed.
THE way he accomplished it was to
keep time to his talking by tapping On
a able with his finger. He talked slow
ly, and at every syllable there was the
ficult indeed, for Pete to keep it up, but
he stuck to it until he had mastered the
defect in speech.
always Pete HAD the highest sense
of honor as a boy and never was
vicious or bad. Once q beggar came
for not ringing the bell. The beggar
told a pitiful tale of starvation and
misery, and then a revulsion of feeling
came upon the lad. He gave the mendi-
can all the money he had and with
tears in his eyes insisted that the beg
gar wear his ~overcoat, a costly gar
ment.
.These incidents simply go to show
the generous impulses. the high moral
tone of his a t That he was weak
minded when he grew up was absurd.
That he aver showed the slightest dew
iation from the high deals and moral
atmosphere Of his early youth is also
not true. His conduct to his wife was
always loving n most affectionate,
and the opinion among all his friends
is tina he was a model husband and
father. In the perfect o~bscurity of his
own conscience he always believed good
of every one else, and this in my opin-
ion shows the true side OF a mans ma
ture. Evil he never thought of. Vice
was a thing unknown. He never drank
aycant ao a Danf1annp NAV G.18A s#t
He never knew his wife was ad-
dicted to the alcohol habit. as her own
testimony shows. Believing good of
every one, he naturally could not form
the slightest suspicion Of h woman
he loved and honored.
Il seldom went to Fort Hamilton
even when Pete was there, but several
years back, when my own wife was
alive and we were all together in Cen
eral Hams home, 1 can state positively
that there vas no drinking, no smoking
Of countless cigarets and gambling.
Pete never had but n love affair
That was with Claudia She was the
only woman he had ever really known
and she was to him something fan
above human-his idol. OF course
some men and women of the world may
laugh at this romance, but it was typi,
cal of his nature, the soul of a Raleigh
a southern gentleman-a soul she never
could understand
THE public has overlooked the fac,
that the packet of letters, some OF
which have been made public, were no
received by Captain Hams until his
return to a Francisco, just prior tt
his sudden and wild departure for New
York.
THAT the doings %chronicled in som
Of them are not typical Of army life is
emphasized by the fact tina the cap.
tain became frantic, and on receiving
other letters from his wife was upse'
SO completely that he boarded the frs.
train for New York. He would run
nome at once and see just what wa:
taking place, and, If she had gotten int
trouble, try and get her out Of it a
once. The tales of wild revels appalled,
him.
1T Is wrong to blame him for lovins
n trusting the woman the way HI
did, loving and trusting her SO tina
nothing could shake his faith until h
had heard the story from her own lips
She told him that she had loved Ami.
for years and had used Peters higf
ideals to fool and deceive him.
1T has been said that he nhoult
never nave left her and gone to tn,
Philippines. This is absurd. He ha,
sworn to do his duty as d soldier, an
If every soldier refuses duty becaus,
his wife cannot be left alone, what car
be the answer? But, in this case. sh
urged him to go. He was talking witt
her before going about resigning ant
going into private life, but she urge,
him to go. begged him not to think O
giving UP the service. What NOR
natural hat he should leave her an,
the children in a comfortable home
well provided for. among friends, Will
he answered the call of duty? VIVA
more could a man do for the womal
he loved?
What can her thoughts be of he
children? To be sure they are care,
for by General Haincs. But what /
physical comfort to the mental aron,
they must endure when they are oil,
enough to know? When my own littl
Mollie, my little orphaned daughter
cries for ME as she does every night
Papa, papa, come to little MolIie.' /
is dear little Peter who takes her f
his baby arms and soothes her to slice
on his own little bed. Molly. moo
Molly, Peter will ake care of Won
don't cry. don't cry This is his wor
of comfort. Peter, the dear little lar
bushes her to sleep.
ct. JENKINS HAMS"
GRAFT DISCLOSED
Enrnro -r,.- $50,