Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-29
TO ATTEMPT TO
rnnaai nAIAlc &c
OIIUW IIHllVO 10
INSANE PERSON
DEFENSE OF SLAYER OF ANNIS
is DEFINED
AGED FATHER OF PRISONER TO
TESTIFY IN CASE
Counsel for Captain VIII Try to Show
That Alleged InfideIity of Wife
Caused Him to Lose
His Mind


TTJTsHING. l.. l., April 2S.-General
Peter c. Hams, the defendants
n father. will be the first witness
called tomorrow when the defense Will
begin its attempt to establish the in
sanity of Capt. Peter C. Hams, 1r., the
young army officer who shot ana kllieo
William e. Annis at the Bayslde
Yacht club last August.
When court adjourned today former
District Attorney Young haa coilpleleu
his opening address for the defense,
while previously the prosecution hau
stated it's case.
General Hams will be followed by
Major Hams. brother of the defendant,
and then by thirty witnesses VINO Will
testify concerning Captain Hams lr-
rational acts following the revelation
of his wife's alleged int1delity ana her
association with-Annis.
The opening address of the prosecu-
ton was made by George A. Gregg,
formerly district attorney OF queen
county. Mr.. Gregg is now associate
counsel with District Attorney De witt.
Gen. p. H. Hams, father of the &C
cused, was in court today and greeted
his son with affection, but the captain
made no response.
Mr.. Gregg referred to the shooting
of Annis as a deliberate and brutal
murder in the first degree, committed
with cold design.
George Y. Skinner, civil engineer
of Flushing, was called as the first
witness to identify some plans of the
scene of the shooting. Herbert Funke
testified he saw Captain Hams stand
ing upon the float with his arms folded
and when Annis' boat came up the
prisoner exclaimed:
He Shoots Annis
iefs 1tyer n
shot Annis as he was stepping around
the mast to the float. Funke was in
his boat alongside the float, he said,
and when he attempted to step ashore
a revolver was pointed at him.
"Wait a minute" said Mcintyre
1.-THE witness cannot state anything
about a revolver being pointed at him
unless it was in the hands of Captain
Hams
THAT is correct" Justice Garretson
remarked.
On REORGANIZATION Mr.. Mcintyre
asked: Did you notice that the cap
tain's face was pale, his eyes bullying
and his mouth twitching?"
mo; l did not replied the witness
Funke testified he saw the captain
standing calmly on the float with his
arms folded, watching the boats just
before Annis' boat came in.
Charles H. Roberts of Flushing, a
member of the Bayside Yacht club,
testified he heard another member of
the yacht club standing near him on
the float say:
"a negro would give a man a
chance"
After you were attracted by the first
shot did you hear the captain exclaim !:
'Annisl Annis! You have debauched
my wife and taken my children from
me'?" Mcintyre asked on cross-exam-
ination.
The witness replied he did not hear it.
Prosecution Rests
The prosecution rested it's case imme-
dately after Roberts had concluded his
testimony.
Attorney Young. in outlining the case
for the defense, declared Hams was in
sane when he shot Annis.
His father, Gen. Hams, will tell you
how as child this defendant would
wake in the night, trembling with
screaming with terror" said Mr..
Young. His mother will tell you how
he stammered in his speech and had to
BIZ tenderly watched and guarded dur
ing his childhood.
1--WE will show that Captain Hams
fell down a hatchway when 10 years
old and was rendered unconscious from
the blow on his head, from which he
did not recover for a long time.
MI. Young spoke or captain Hams
trip to the Philippines, where he heard
of his wife's alleged misconduct and
FASTENED home.
Those who brought him across the
continent from San Francisco will tell
you of his mad actions said Young.
"TIe never slept at all during the trip,
and paced the sleeping car annoying
the other passengers, night after
night"
Mr.. Young described the effect of the
news of his wife's alleged conduct as
told Hams by his father and brother,
who said Claudia Hams confessed to
them she loved Billy Annis.
"He raved, alternately laughing and
crying, during this time" said Mr..
Young, land went about singing How
Happy 1t Is to Be Married The thread
had broken and his mind gave way"
Mr. Young said he would put in evil
dence the signed confession of Claudia
Hams, the captains wife, of her rela-
lions with Annis, and a letter written
to Annis by her after the captains re,
turn, telling Annis that her husband
knew everything and warning Annis
not to come to the house.
"Captain Hams was told that Annis
kept his collars and cuffs in Mrs. Hams
dresser while the captain was away,
and was called Papa by the captains
own children. We will show by officers
of the United States army that the de-
PENDANTS conduct during several
months was decidedly erratic and IRA
tional. This man was made insane by
grief, shame and mental Shock"
FITTING TRIBUTE PAID