The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-04-30

ON THE STAND
General Hams Tells of
Sons Life.
EVIDENCES OF INSANITY
Capt Peter {. Hzins Was Irritable
From Childhood.
A. . Boy slight Nsa.<s Away. Exest-
e Hin--Cenauct at Tsme Of
wises Cenfessioa is
Describsd.
MURDERER c0MMIIs SUICIDE lEv

Flushing, L. I..sApril 2s--sAn affect-
Ing scene was presented today at the
trial OF Captain Peter G. Hams, Dr..
when General Hams. the aged father
OF the defendant. related with sup
pressed emotion. the Incidents Of his
when driven TO madness by his wffe's
alleged infidslfty. he shot down thy
man who. the defense claims. was the
cause of Il
Beginning with the boys tendency TO
nightmares and general eKcitabilify
during HIS earlier years. the old gener-
al traced his career through the CAIN
paigns Of the spanish- American war,
when he fought under his father at
Porto Rico. and was always IN the way
on the firing line
In 1900. the captain wooed and MARI
vied Claudia Libby the general says.
and lived in unbroken happiness with
his wife until 1905. when they met
William Il. Anpis.
The narrowing scenes which ensued
ut the family conference held after the
captains return from an. eight months
tour OF duty in the Philippines, were
depicted BY the general In trembling
voice. l.ssasrf
Thornton Hains. the brother who WAS
tried and acquitted Of cofnplicity IN the
same crime. appeared In court during
the afternoon, but left almost imnedi-
ately upon being told that he would
be sent for when wanted.
Or. Graem Hammond and several
alietists who viii testify for the de-
Tense, will appear In court tomorrow.
John r. Mcintyre. counsel for the de-
PENDANT. occupied three hours with the
direct examination Of the gsperal tax
| ing him over many Of the incidents OF
his aonSS life. to show the Captains
| irritable and nervous temperament as
4 child and his many irrational ACTS,
previous TO May, 1908, when he hrsf
| learned OF the alleged improper con-
duct Of his wife Claudia with Annis.
| The defense contends that bis troubles
drove him into a state OF total insanity,
subject to violent naaniaeal outbursts
During one OF which he shot down the
man he believed had ruined his home.
| while his father was testifying. the
| prisoner sat with HIS face toward the
| jury ana paid no attention to him.
General Hains testified that no dis
covered at an early period Of CGpthtp
| ffainsS life, that the boy was suffer-
| ing from excessive nervousness. he
| said Peter was graduated from the
| Naval Academy az Annapolis in 1883,
but did not enter the naval service on
account of defective eye-sight. He de-
scribed the conduct of Claudia Hams
| toward her husband. the Captain, du-
ring their early marriage as that OF
"a loving wife" He said they were
/ very happy until 1908. During the
| Porto Rico campaign the Captain. then
| a lieutenant OF artillery, was member
OF his command. the General said. and
they all suffered excessively from the
suItry and bad climate Of the island.
Describe your sons conduct at the
battle of Guayama," said Mr.. Mcintyre.
! HE was always getting in my way
m the firing line" replied the witness.
''and when l told him to get away. he
/ said had no right to wear that big
| white helmet on the hring line. Then
j told him / would have to put him In
| the ranks if he did not stop bothering
me-"
Fell into Hatehway.
! REWRITING to the earlier years OF the
| DEFENDANTS life, the General said he
| would fly into a passion when contra
dicted and-was Subject to violent night
mares He feil'into the hatchway of a
| steamer, when he was ~ years old,
| striking on his head and for a long
| time afterwards suffered from nervous
| excitement and depressing headaches.
! Slight noises always excited the boy
and made him turn pale, the father
said
In September, 1907, the Captain was
detailed to the transport service be-
/ tween San Francisco and the Philip
pines, the General said. He was away
/ for seven months and returned in May
! 1908. The General met his son 81 the
/ Hotal Astor. New York city, on May 80.
when asked him what had brought
him from the West" said the witness,
3"he showed me a package Of letters
and said he was greatly troubled. He
| had heard reports from Claudia, his
wife, but did not believe them, he said.
She may have been indiscreet.' the
Captain said" continued the witness,
/ "and / told him she ha0 Oeen more
| than indiscreet; that abe had been I'M
| faithful. My God, you don't think
| that?' exclaimed the Captain. He ask
| ed me II I believed the reports, and ]
| told him she had been away for week
and nobody. not even the Servants
1 knew where she was. and when she
| returned she was In bed week. The
| Captain censured me for not letting
| him know about these things. and said
| he wanted me to help him investigate
/ and settle IL. We can go to the coun-
try where Claudia said she had been
and nnd out II It was true said the
Captain"
The General said his son was greatly
\ oXClLCu az khat tAAAO, JUL WO0Aa hOk SAY
| his condition was irrational
The following day, the General told
him he appeared very nervous and
! looked haggard.
He told me she had confessed ev-
| erything," said the General
District Attorney Dewitt objected
to the examipation OF General Hams
| In regard to the inf1delity of the Cap
tains wife and Judge Garretson ruled
that the wIfe's infidelity could not be
proved until. evidence of prior insanity
! In the defendants case had been as-
tabIished. After getting General Hams
Ito say his father died from senile in
sanity Mr.. Mcintyre excused the wit
| ness
| AMenlat Testffaes.
DR.. L. Samuel Manson. the alienist
who next testified. described an exam
| nation OF Captain Hams which he made
in the Queens County jail on Septem-
Der s. 1908.
II found him sitting on q chair star
ing into vacancy" said the doctor.
when / spoke to him he made no re-
suense. put my hand on his shoulder
ana said loudly. How do you feel?'
and still there was no response. j
"A.