The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-08-27
.W|FE'S CONFESSION
OF INFIDELITY TO
FIGURE IN TRIAD
Attorney for Hams Admits Her
chiId's Paternity Is n
l. Revealed.

OF a wite-Mrs. Claudia Hams frank
admissions of infidelity to her husband
and a statement of her Illicit relations
with her husbands intimate friend, the
late William Z. Annis, will be a most
important element in the defense OF
Captain Peter G. Hams when he shalt
be tried for the murder OF Annis.
The document now is carefully
guarded. 1t lies locked up in the safe
In the office of John II. Mcintyre, for
mtr assistant district attorney. who has
been retained as chief counsel for the
Hsins brothers.
Annis the Father.
1t is stated positively by Mr.. McIn-
tyre that Mrs. Hams 19~-months-old
child, which is now with the army off,
GERS mother at Fort Hancock. is ille-
Ultimate. and that Annis was its fathers
Lawyers say they a prove conclusiye-
ly this this fact Is true. To strengthen
their statements, Mr.. Mcintyre am
nounced that Mrs. Hams can haye the
child; that the captains family. as
well as himself, would be only too will
Ing to part with 1t.
This alleged fact alone, Mr.. McIntyrel
contends, was enough TO drive Captain
Hams mad. When Captain Hams re-
turned from the Pacific last May he
found his wife, Mr.. Mcintyre says. ILL
from the effects of an operation which
had been performed upon he-.
While Mr.. Mcintyre would not 90.
into details as to what Mrs. Hams con-
fession contains, 1t became known that
in the document Mrs. Hams acknowl-l
edges Annis as the father OF her child
Not Dragged.
"In answer to the statement madei
by Mrs. Hams that she was made toI
sign the confession while she was UNI,
der the influence of drugs, / wish toI
say that my clients and their distin-I
guished father have told me that therel
were four witnesses present when thel
confession was made, mi of them BEL
ing a prominent New York lawyerS
These witnesses will testify at the trial.
/ am told also that Mrs. Hams talked
TO several persons regarding the inci-l
dents related in the confession somel
time before she made 1t, and these
persons will be witnesses.
When Captain Hams was called
back from the Philippines he questioned
his wife regarding rumors he had
heard about her, and he became conf
WINGED that his suspicious were wrongl
Later, he said, facts developed which
made him demand a confession from
his wife and she made 1t.
Captain Hams denies that he send
letters to Annis challenging him to a
duel. Stories to this effect are absurd!
What unbalanced Captain Hains1
mind was the counter charges made
by Mrs. Hams in a suit she filed In
answer to his suit for divorce. Captain
Hams believed the statements made
by Mrs. Hams in the counter suit were
dictated by Annis.''
Coroner's Inquest.
After being out 20 minutes, a corona
er's jury last night brought in a yer5
dict that Annis came to his death as q
result of pistol shot wounds inflicted
by Captain Peter G. Hams, IT., u. g. A..
aided and abetted by Thornton Jenkins
Hams. his brother.
When the jurymen filed into the room
and the foreman announced the YER
dict there was a demonstration. A
crowd gathered around Thornton Jen-
kins Hams and began to question him
as to the tragedy in which he played
such an important part, He was asked
If he felt justified in holding a crowd
at bay with a revolver while his
brother shot down Annis. Before Hams
could reply John #. Mcintyre, chief
counsel FOR the brothers. rushed to his
side and shouted: mo, no: don't an7
swer that question" .lgi
Might Have Prevented Il.
Only two witnesses were called. They
were Chas. L. Roberts. of Flushing,
who testified that he was standing by
the club house fioat when he heard
the report Of a pistol shot and saw
Captain Hams in a kneeling position
clinging to the dropping body of Annis
volver into it. and Coroner's physician
Frey, who testified that Annis came to-
his death from the bullet wounds.
Mr.. Roberts said that he would have
had time to interfere had not Thorn1
ton Hams prevented him. E@'# :
Brother Justified.
Major John Powell Hams also made
a statement to the newspaper men be-
fore the inquist. He was asked If he
shooting Annis without giving him a,
chance TO protect himself.
IT can best answer that question by
recalling an incident that happened to-
me at Fort Riley" he said. II was
about to put on my BOOT one morning
when 1 found a snake in It. I quickly
drew my revolver and shot the snake
1t Is the same with my brother; l do
not believe he should have given Annis
a chance" n. r. ..u
knowing what you do of the case.
would you do the same thing?" he was
asked. ...' .aF.. r.
IT, most certainly would he am
swered emphatically. =.
us it true. as the district attorney
said, that your brother. Thornton
jenkins, ~instigated the shooting?" he
was asked.
& mot at all. For a long time Thorn
ton and myself have tried to dissuads
our brother from killing Annis for the
sake of our gray haired father and
mother. Out of consideration for them
our brother restrained himself. but
finally the strain became too great and
he acted. Peter would have killed An
mis- before had it not been for this" !
q Guard for Children.
: A special guard a been placed
over the quarters at Fort Hancock on
Sandy Hook, occupied by General p. c.
Hams nj tho children of Captain
Hams. who are with their grandfather,
The guard was ordered because DUR
ing General Hams absence the family
has been greatly annoyed by unwel-
come visitors, including photographers
who have been trying to get snapshots
of the children.
: The body of the murdered Annis was
inferred yesterday In st. MichaePs
cemetery, Astoria. /. I.
tE MW'g