The Detroit times., 1909-04-13
MRS. HAMS MAY
GIVE TESTIMONY
Wife Of VIM. E. Annis' Slayer Fears
Silence Will Blast Her Reputa-
ton Forever.

NE WYoRK. April l3.-Feeling that
her reputation may be blasted forever
IL she remains silent. Mrs. Claudia
Libby hains may appear as witness
against her husband, Capt. Peter {.
Hams. Jr., when he is placed on trial
before Justice Garretson In the su-
preme court in Flushing. l.. l., a week
from yesterday, FOR the killing OF VIII
liam f. Annis at the Bayside Yacht
club on the afternoon OF Aug. is last.
Distrlct-Attorney Dewitt, OF Queens
county, and Detective-Lieut. John A.
Butler went TO Boston and had talk
with Mr.. Hams.
With divorce proceedings pending
against her and her three small chill
dren In the custody of her husbands
parents, II Is argued Mrs. Hams car
not permit stories about her friendship
for Annis TO go unchallenged, and the
desire to clear her name and regain
possession OF her children may bring
her TO Queens county when the Cap
tain is placed on trial.
Before he started for Boston Dis
trict-Attorney Dewitt sent out sum-
monses for ten OF the most important
witnesses for the prosecution to meet
him In his Office in Long Island City.
Among those summoned were Mrs.
Helen Annis, widow of the murdered
man; Charles III. Roberts, Harvey g.
Rockwell, Merle Downs, Edwin An
drews, Herbert Funke, John C. Stew
ems, G. A. Birchfield, Louis Harway
and Frederick Leavttt, all eyewitness
es OF the shooting.
John F. Mcintyre, chief counsel for
T. Jenkins Hams when the novelist
was tried. will have full charge Of the
captains case. He will be assisted by
Eugene n. l.. Young, a former assist
ant district-attorney OF Queens county,
who. aided Mr.. Mcintyre In the first
trial; Joseph A. Shay. who figured In
the defense of T. jenkins, but is now
under indictment in Manhattan, VIII
not appear In the case. Daniel OReil-
ly has been retained In his staed.
District-Attorney Dewitt intends to
retain a prominent criminal lawyer TO
assist him.
1t cost Queens county about $4,000
to try t. Jenkins Hams for alleged
completely in the murder, and Queens
taxpayers are wondering how much Ii
| Is going to cost them to get rid OF the
daily come in contact with Captain
Hams counts. it will be a hard task to
prove he is in a normal frame of mind
| Jailors and keepers assert his mental
condition Is worse now that II was
when he was arrested. Men who come
lin contact with the captain say they
have to watch him continually and
never feel safew It'll him.
Justice Garretson will preside at the
trial. Judged by his rulings in other
cases, II is not deemed likely he Will
take kindly to either the ''unwritten
law" or to the plea that the defendant
was insane at the time or the commits
sion OF the crime and that he has
since regained his normal mental ba.-
ance. The getting Of jury Is one Oh
the hardest tasks confronting botn
sides. Unpleasant notoriety still at
taches TO the members OF the jury
which acquitted T. jenkins Hams. Be-
sides It would lie hard to ind man
| i'm Queens county who has not dis
| cussed the tragedy In all Its phases
1t was regatta day at Bayside Yacht
club in Queens on Aug. 10 last. when
Capt. Hams and his brothered went "a
that place ostensibly to find q real es-
tate agent. They say II was their In
auiry for him that led them to the
Yacht club, OF which Annis was mem
Der. Anuis was nearing the float on
his sailboat Pam, when Capt. Hams
stepped forward on the noat and
opened fire with an automatic maya
zine revolver. The lower part OF An.
mis- body was riddled, and he died
soon afterward in the Flushing hospi-
tai. Mrs. Annis, who stood near the
float saw her husband killed.
The Hams brothers were indicted
for murder in the first degree, and I.
eJnkins was placed on trial In Decem-
Der last. The trial extended over int
January. when he was acquitted.
The woman or man who notes de :