Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-07
PROSECUTOR BRINGS ADMISSION
FROM DEFENDANT IN ANNls
MURDER TRIAL THAT HE CAN'T
REMEMBER DETAILS.
DENIES HE HELPED
HIS BROTHER STAY
in DIRECT EXAMINATION tE
TOLD OF ATTEMPTS TO GET
BROTHER TO &C WHEN HE
FOUND ANNIS WAS NEAR.

Flushing. n Y, Jan. >. Under the
incessant fire Of cross questioning by
District Attorney Darrin, Thornton
J. Hams declared today that he could
not remember the minor details OF
some parts of his testimony yesterday,
The contrast between the defendant
when on the stand yesterday he told
with celebrity and much detail of the
important Incidents and his inability
to recall under cross examination
much of what he had recounted, was
sliillfully brought out by the prose
cutor's intarrogations. The defendant
declared he was tired, but was tax
ing his recollections the best he could
under the circumstances, which gave
the district attorney an opportunity
to ask the court to take an early ad-
journment Or a recess to give the wit
ness a chance to rest himself.
Hams Direct Testimony.
Hams took the stand yesterday and
related in detail the story of the
shooting Of William e. Annis and of
the coniugal troubles of Capt. Peter
G. Hams Jr.. that counsel assert,
caused the mental urbaIancing of the
army officer and led to the killing
The defendant declared that when
he went to Bayside to look at real
estate on August Is he had no idea
his brother was armed and that he
dbl not know that Annis was at the
yacht club. He told the jury that all
the shots had been fired by Capt.
Hams before he rushed to the float
to protect his brother from John Ton
ming, the boatman. and the club men,
bers, who he said he thought. would
harm the captain.
Didn't Point Gun at Mrs. Annis.
The witness denied that he pointed
revolver at Mrs. Annis. He stated
that he had no idea how many shots
Capt. Hams fired, and that when
Charles Roberts, a club member, pick
ed the revolver up and the muzzle of
the weapon pointed at him, he drew
his own gun and told Roberts not to
shoot.
'At the depot at Bayside," con
tinued the witness, 81 asked a boy il
he knew where Mr.. Jesperson was
He said he never heard Of him. and
then told him to drive me to the Bay
side Yatch club, saying to my broth
er If we find Jesperson, we can at
least look at the lots.
Tried to Get Captain to Go.
while I was talking to Storm con.
tinued the witness, 81 heard Birch
field call out, How do you do Mrs.
Annis?' and I asked him if the woman
was the wife of William E. Annis, and
he said she was. Then ! asked if
Annis was around, and Mr.. Birch
field pointed out Mr. Annis' boat,
which was about twenty feet from the
dock.
81 turned to my brother and said ::
Pete, Jesperson is not here, let's go
home The captains face was pale
and he made no answer. and I re
peated the words to him. then start,
ed back for the surrey"
did you know that the captain had
a revolver on his persona
Il did not.
did you put your hand on the
captain?"
Yes. | put my arm on his to lead
ulN away, saying. come, l. m GOING
home | turned back and supposed
! he would follow me. 7 had got off ten
or fifteen feet and not hearing him
coming, | turned round. I could not
see him and then I went to the head
of the runway. When l got there
heard a rapid fire of shots"
When He Drew His Pistol.
"What did you see?"
Il saw my brother rise up from the
float and | started down the runway
Naturally l supposed it was Annis
Saw sailorman rush UP and hit him
on the shoulder, causing him to DROP
the revolver.
81 saw Roberts pick mp the revolver
and. while | don't say he aimed it al
me, the muzzle was pointed in my di
rection, and pulled my revolver and
rushed in front of my brother, say
! ing, Don't you shoot. He's my broth
er Get an officer"
Did you go down on the float tc
aid your brother in the shooting Of
Annis9"
r did not. 1t was all over at thai
time"