The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-04-30
By Associated Press.


Peter c. Hams, father of Peter c.
Hams, JT., on trial for the murder of
VIM. E. Annis last August, took the
stand as the first witness for the de-
tense at the resumption of the trial
today. John F. Mcintyre, counsel for
the defendant. expects to occupy two
or three hours with the direct purpose
of taking him over many of the incl
dents of his sons life to show his
sons irritable and nervous tempera-
ment as a child and his many ira
tional acts previous to May, 1908,
when he first learned of the alleged
improper conduct of his wife, Claudia,
with AnniS The defense contends
that his troubles drove him into a
state of total insanity subject to vio-
lent maniaical outbursts during one
of which he shot down the man he
believed had ruined his home.
While his father was teStifying the
prisoner set with his face toward the
jury and paid no attention to him.
SUFFERED FROM NERVOUSNESS
General Hams testified that he dis
covered at an early period of Captain
Hains's life that the boy was suffer-
ing from excessive nervousness. He
said Peter was graduated from the
naval academy at Annapolis in 1898
account OF defective eyesight. He de-
Scribed the conduct of Claudia Hams
toward her husband, the captain. dur
ing their early married life 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 sultTy and bad climate of the
island.
Describe your sons conduct at the
battle of Guayama," said Mr.. McIn-
tyre.
He was always getting in my way
on the firing line" replied the wit
ness, and when / told him to get
away he said | had no right to wear
that big white helmet on the firing
line. Then I told him I would have to
put him in the ranks if he did not
stop botheTing me-"
Reverting to the earlier years of
the defendants life the general said
he would fly into a passion when
contradicted and was subject to vio-
lent night mares. He fell into the
hatchway of a steamer when he was
- years old. striking his head and
for a long time afterwards suffered
from nervous excitement and de-
pressing 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 wa away
for seven months and returned in
May. 1908. The general met his son
at the hotel Aston, New York City
on May 80.
RETURNED SUDDENLY.
when I asked him what had
brought him from the west" said the
witness, 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
indiscTeet,' the captain said contin
ued the witness. land l told him she
had been more than indisCreet; that
she had been unfaithful. My God,
You don't think that exclaimed the
captain. He asked me if ! believed
the reports and I told him she had
been away for a week and nobody, not
even the servants, knew where she
was. and when she returned she was
in bed a week The captain censuTed
me for not letting him know about
these things and said he wanted me
10 help him investigate and settle II
We can go to the country where
Claudia said she had been and find
out if it was true said the captain
The general said his son was great
" excited at that time. but would nc
say his condition was irrational.
The following day the general told
him he appeared very, very nervous
and looked haggard- He told me she
had confessed everything" said the
general.
District Attorney Dewitt objected
to the eXaminai ion of General Hams
in regard to the infidelity of the cap
tain's wife and Judge@Garretso ruled
that the wife's infidelity could not be
proved until evidence of prior insan-
ity. in the defendants case had been
established. After getting General
Hams to say his father died from
senile insanity, Mr.. Mcintyre excused