New-York tribune., 1908-08-17
ANNIS WAS WARNED
COT LETTER THREATS.
Hains Nearly Shot Hrong Nan
Fotber-in-Laso BIames Brother.

= 4Jains L. s. A. aided and protected by his
>o.ber Thornton ]. Hams. author, had
-.oeived letters threatening him with serious
e-sn,uences it was discovered yesterday. The
80 mere turned over to District Attorney Ira
= marin Of Queens County. who will person
nv conduct the prosecution Of the two brothers
--se letters according to Ahnis's fellow club
..v,hars Of the Bayside Yacht Club had been
- IN Annis's pockets after his death by Har-
roctu-ell who was Annis's most intimate
,,5 They named Saturday the day that
s,oe,er would come to Annis If he visited the
psvside Yacht Club.
:. .lso came out yesterday that Thornton
--t-s had killed a who was, according
. testimony in his trial. helpless TO defend
x,,se1f as was the man his brother shot
,-,o-nton's victim for the killing Of whom he
ss acouitted on self-defence plea had both
hands on oars. pulling .-way from a squail
-,s.e-'s victim was in a bathing suit, and con-
seouently weaponless
charles H Roberts who helped to pull Annis
,r, of the water after he had been shot. and who
was prevented from going to his assistance by
Thornton Fains's revolver. said to-day, in re
csuntins the incidents of yesterdays shooting
81 was standing not twenty feet away and
.u- the whole thing Annis was seated at the
.,fer Of his sloop bringing her to the float. Louis
ps-wav who was in the boat with Annis, was
forward warding her off from the float
HAMS NEARLY SHOT WRONG MAN
Peter Hains saw Harway first and. walking
IN 70 him pressed his revolver against his chest
Earway thinking the performance joke, play
snrv brushed the captains arm away.
..fIairs by that time had realized his mistake
snd croucling down 10 get on a level with
annis who. / say, was sitting in the stern
Of the boat. emptied his revolver into him. Annts
IVES in his bathing suit, unarmed, defenceless
and unprepared-
with the firing of the first shot Mrs. Annis.
who with fully half a hundred women and
children was on the pier watching the prepara-
.ions for the usual Saturday afternoon races
called out shriny, Look out, WIFI Almost at
the same time 1 rushed toward Captain Hams
but before I had gone two steps his brother.
Thornton Hams, stood before me, a revolver
pressed against me. Stand back he shouted.
This is q matter between these two ] natu-
-sIv hesitated. Charles a. Birch-Field then at
tempted 10 20 TO the assistance Of Annis, and
Thornton turned from me TO him, calling out,
Stand back. I fire.
SWAN WITH SIX BULLETS IN HIM
BY that time" continued Roberts. Peter
Hains had completed his work Annis. with six
bullets in him, rose from his seat in the boat
and attempted to step from il the float. One
Of the bullets had lodged in his knee however,
snd as he stood up his leg gave way from under
him and he toppled over into the bay Wounded
10 death he was, Annis still had marvellous
srt 10 try TO swim TO the host- He took two
strokes and this brought him near enough for
ne to grab him and pull him on 10 the float
Meantime John Tonning, boatman had
knocked the now useless revolver out of the
hands Of Peter Hains. It lay on the float as
/ turned from putting a bundle Of sailcloth
under Annis's head. and picked it UP. Thorn
ton Hains still stood with his weapon in hand.
however and for a time refused to surrender
Il There was no violence attempted.
THORNTON COOLLY DELIVERS WEAPON
'Mearle L Downs. Edward Andrews jr-
Joseph Hill and several other members OF the
club faced the two brothers, and simply de-
manded that Thorntown Hams give over his
revolver. Peter Hains. who was much the
cooler of the two finally demonstrated with his
brother and persuaded him TO surrender ms re-
volver Before doing so, however, Thornton
Hams who was apparently afraid that some
one of us might turn his own weapon against
him broke open the breech of his revolver and
snptied the chambers pouring the cartridges
Into his hand. saving: You will be good enough
TO observe that none have been exploded
"Annis. who was moaning family stretched
out in the float then turned TO Peter Hams
and said: Captain you have made a horrible
mistake Peter Hains hestated q minute ana
replied: Z may have, but l don't believe so.
Annis then turned Swede boatman and
asked, John have they got towards like these
II your country
BY this time DR.. Henry Houghton had ar
rived a brief examination convinced him that
nothing could be done to save Annis At the
Eield he pullpd
torn envelope from his pocket and wrote on It,
Shot by Captain Peter C Hains L. S. A This
Ne gave TO Annis. who with firm hand
signed his full name William z Annis
The others on the float had been trying 10
get some explanation as 10 the cause of the
saooting from the two brothers. Finally Thorn
ton Hams. who had filled pipe and was com
'ortably smoking. said: I've been trying to
seep him from doing this for some time
Annis kept up his nerve to the end. Before
Uelng placed Under ether he told his friend Har-
Eey Rockwell. who sat at his bedside: "Goodby,
farVey- may never see you again"
BLAMES THORNTON FOR SHOOTING.
dispatch from Boston last night said that
ne cause Of the tragedy was the filing of
countersuit for divorce by Mrs. Hams. accord
-1s TO Charles II. Libbey, Captain Hainss
isther-in-Iaw
Aooey places all OF the blame for the killing
= Annis on Thornton. He says that jealousy be
01se Annis advised the magazine for which he
worked not to accept Thornton Hainss stories 50
4aIfed Thornton that he hesitated at nothing
y arouse the passions of the captain
Afs Hams last night, with her mother, left
os'on for the western part Of Massachusetts,
hefe they will remain in seclusion until some
the notoriety dies away. Both she and her
her were emphatic in their statements that
s1e would not come to New York and would not
see her husband