Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-18
Thornton J. Hams Discus
es Recent Murder Trial.
Says connie Is Bugs" and
Will Never 60 On Trial.
Is Sorry For Mrs. Annis, But Claims
Evidence Was False.

Cowny bed at the Hotel Aston Satur-
day morning in the midst of luxury
He lay back luxuriously as a visitor
entered The defendant of Friday was
busily engaged in Sitting open a great
leap OF letters. all of them containing
congratulations on his good fortune
and some of them from persons who, as
he said himself. he thought were dead
The prison pallor was still on MS
face. but he looked much more cheer
full than he diG when the jury went out
that blue Thursday afternoon.
Il couldn't sleep i'll this bed last
night" he said. After l had been
spendin,, so many nights on hard iron
cot l found that getting back to CIV
iiizel bed was something l had to get
used to.
Il would just as soon be over there
now if it wasn't for the place Mi. Ditr-
lin had put me in. There are some
things he has done ! don't think | can
eyer forgive him for.
"Darrin made good prosecutor
I'll say that much for him But if the
case had been left with the jury when
he asked NE those questions about
Claudia if l. had ever made improper
proposals to her-I think they would
have shouted not guilty! | looked at
one OF the Jurors, saw him nod MS
head and said to myself, its acquittal
row, sure
Il felt like jumping out of my chair
ut Mr.. Darrin when I heard that, but
Mr.. Mcintyre was watching. He sprans
I'D and said he wanted the question an
| swered--you heard him."
"What would you have done if Mr.
| Mcintyre had not objected: Hams
was asked. There was a pause.
| Il would have appealed to the judge,
vas the reply. THE judge treated me
| sGuarely. l got UP and thanked hin
hen he finished his charge
| When Thornton Hams was asked il
the night the jury was out was not the
worst he ever spent in his life ne IT
| 1lied carelessly:
| "Oh, no, there have been worse nights
| than that for me. 1 have been in ship
| wrecks and l guess my brother JACK
| here can testify to some worse nights
! that I have had than that one. Gacl
IS Major Hains). When the jury went
| ont just the same / wouldn't have
| given a scent piece for my chances
why, J tell you how it is. It's just like
| sitting i'll d poker game with your life
| against something else as the stakes
| Right here some of the imagination
which Thornton Hams weaves into his
| sea stories cropped out. He SAW Z
| chance for a good smile and didn't lei
t pass.
It's like sitting in a poker game,
| M, lint wv
1cuces ard the other fellow holes -four
| ices the game doesn't look 50 good t.
| you.
Some of you folks think I was
| cold blooded. That's where YOU made
mistake-just because I smiled ant
| aughed once in a while--but 7 felt az
serious, I guess. as any other mar
| would in suCn Il position.
| 1T was hard thing to sit there anG
| have Darrin re"cr to me as a com
| mander of light artillery and a mas.
| or mind who plotted 4 murder You
| remember how he waved those guns
| grounds while he was doing it-ugly
| 'oCking things. weren't they--and how
! nc glared at me. 1t was funny. but j!
had its effect and I could see it was
Influencing some of the jury. Wher
YOU sit there and lave to listen to such
| things over and over it is very trying.
| Il was asleep when the jury was
ready to come in with the verdict. One
| If the deputies ran in ard awoke me. !
| knew what the jury was going to dc
| the moment they filed in. 1 saw No
grin at me and smile before he sat
! down, and I said to myself it's the
| Strcct for mine
| You know how the jury stood yester-
day morning. don't you? They were
| eight to four for acquittal."
How did you know that?" queried the
visitor in surprise.
What do you suppose l was doing all
the time? I knew how they were going.
got word during the night that only two
men We're standing out against me- I did
| feel rather nervous when they came in
for instructions during the morning and
| Juror Mclean stood up and asked Justice
Crane to explain the manslaughter
charge. I thought they might switch
| around at the last moment to man.
| slaughter verdict
Il depended upon the Irishmen on that
jury. | believed they were for me and 1
believe that if the jury had decided lust
n'tSi 4hNiHtSIe Hdu llnISfleO MS ADDRESS
they would have said Not guilty. But
when Darrin summed up he made the re-
suit doubtful.
According to report Hams will write a
book 1t is already announced that the
title of the sensational-t rial-seller will be
The Unwritten Law" Hams, notwith-
standing the fact that his plea was that
he was in total ignorance of his brothers
intention to shoot Annis, considers that
the 'unwritten law" had a good deal to
do with his case
Captain Peter c. Hams, Jr. passed Fri
! Gay night alone in the Queens county
Jail. 1t was Warden Van Sise of the
county jail who took the news of Thorn
tons acquittal to the captain. Sheriff
Harvey had telephoned the news to the
Jail. The captain was called to the door
leading to the corridor of his cell and
Van Sise said:
Thornton has been acquitted. He has
been found not guilty"
The captain stood still for at least two
minutes. He did not move muscle or
utter sound. then suddenly a perspira-
ton broke out on him. and stood in drops
all over his face and hands. Finally