The Washington herald., 1909-04-30

New York. April s.-Peter C. Hams.
U. s. A.. spent all day on the witness
stand in Justice Gauetson's court al
Flushing to-day telling the story Of how
his son Of the same name. on trial there
for the murder Of William E. Annis, was
shaken, out Of his reason BY revelations
Of what he believed 10 be the faithless-
ness Of bis wife.
At tbe end OF the day the army or
fcer was exhausted by a rigorous cross
examination which was only half com
pIeted
II was not an easy task for a man on
the generals years. More than ouae
when be was detailing the agony Of
mind through which his son had passed
the witness had 10 stop and fnd bis
voice. When he saw his son with his
arms covering his eyes and shaken by
sobs that sounded through the whole
court room Gen Hams found his task
almost beyond his strength.
Confession In Evidence
Through the testimony Of Gen Hams
counsel for tie defense succeeded IN get
ting before. the jury the signed confession
15rs. Hams made after Capt Hams re-
t,rn from the Philippines and which she
afteruard repudiated-
y letter that the woman had written
TO William Z. Apais after the making
Of this confession in which she advised
him that her husband knew alT' was
also put before the jury through Gen
Hams Identification.
There were many minutes during TO-
days session that we're tense with the
drama Of raw emotions.
When this confession was read 10
Capt. Hams IN his home on the night
of May p last. tell 10 the jury what he
said and what his actions were. was one
Of the questions pat 20 the witness Gen
Hams paused for a long minute and then
he replied in a lowered voice
He hung down hss head as Z crushed
by blow He put both of his hands 20
his face. He moaned almost unin-
telliEibly. My God my family Is ruined;
my wife IS ruined, ] an ruined. What
shall I 6o2'
His eyes bulged from his head He
Vas staring seemingly at nothing The
muscles OF his face twitched- he shook
ike this The write haired man IN the
chair Strengthened ont MS limbs and
tEitched. All the while the prisoner. who
had been acting so sto!Cal q part during
the course OF his trial, sobbed with a
heavy catching Of the breath.
Tells OF Wife's Weakness.
When Gen Hams first took the stand
John ?. Mcintyre, chief counsel for the
defense and the one who undertakes the
interr~ cation OF the witnesses. led him up
10 the statement that during the first few
years Of his married life his wife, who
had been Virginia jenkins. the daughter
Of Admiral jenkins. suffered from recur-
rent fits Of acute hysteria- He continued
10 detail the weaknesses that had beset
the youth OF his son. Peter c. Hams. +.
He was nervous. irritable. and easily ex-
cited. Gen Hains said. and had been so
frzfl a child that his early education had
20 be modified 10 favor his III health
The witness next recited the record his
son had made as Volunteer officer under
his command in the Porto Rico cam
paign OF the Spanish-American war. the
intimation brought out by the skiilful
questioning Of the attorney being that
the tropical weather o. Porto Rico had ex-
ercised 4 deleterious effect upon Capt.
Hams health.
Relates Sens Married Life.
Through the facts Of the prisoners
marriage and his early married life Gen.
Hams story ran until he brought his
narrative down to the time Of Capt.
Hains' hasty return from san Francisco
last Nay, with the seeds Of suspicion
planted in his mind by the letters his
wife had written him.
Ny son came 70 see me az the Hotel
Astor,- said the general. and he said
that reports had reached him about the
conduct OF his wife. He did not believe
them. although he admitted that doubt
less she had been indiscreet-
+" Your wife has been more than indis-
Greet said I; she has been unfaithful'
" Ny God" exclaimed Connie. YOU
don't mean that
Il told him that she once left her home
FOR 2 week and had come back sick He
said that he knew she had been away.
but that she had explained her absence
satisfactorily. She had been visiting
friends, and she gave him their names.
suggested that the next day we should
80 out to the house and question his wife
more at length on the subject Of that
trip"
Visit to Fort Hamilton
The witness said that the next day he
went 70 Capt. Hams quarters at Fort
Hamilton
'T saw my son standing at the top o..
the stairs" was the way Gen Hsins de-
seribed the meeting "His hair was dis
hsveled. his whole appearance unkempt
and his eyes staring wildly. she has
confessed everything. was the way he
greeted ne
Later in his testimony. Gen Hams de-
tailed how his son had gained confess
sion OF her guilt from his wife, using
the words that Capt. Hains had used in
reciting the story. Capt Hams had
asked his wife how she went 20 her
friends home. and she replied that Il
was by the~ boat Wnen sie reminded
her that the spot she mad mentioned as