New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-19
HAMS DIVORCE HEARD
Wife of Army Captain Who Killed
AnniS Makes No Defence.
GIN. P. C. HAMS A WITNESS
n J. Hams Testif1es and Court
Reserves Decision-Plaintiff
Still in Sing Sing.

7ns trial Of the divorce action brought
NJ CAPTAIN Peter c. Hams against his wife,
AIRS Claudia L. Hams. was held before
rustice scudder. IN the Supreme Court,
prooklvn. Yesterday morning. The core
snondent named was William Z. Annis.
vrbor, CAPTAIN Hams shot and killed at the
psvsjde Yacht Club. August 10. 1908. The
divorce action was begun on Juno /, 1908,
,yban Thornton J. Hams, a magazine
,,r,tAr and the plaintiffs brother, served
.ha napers on the defendant at the cap
.o,,,s home at Fort Hamilton. The suit
ros based on confession Of the defendant
"a unon statements Of servants At first
7Irs Hams put in an answer and asked
Gov aunony and counsel fee. When the
court denied her motion. she withdrew her
o,swer and has since made no effort to
oppose the action.
T,bA plaintiff who is serving an eight"
,,.or term in Sing Sing prison for killing
,rnis. was not in court yesterday. but the
.,ial was allowed to proceed, as the ac-
zion had been started prior TO his convio-
.,on OF manslaughter In the third degree.
rha brother Of the plaintiff was tried for
coronlicity in the murder but was not con-
,.,eted. His part at the scene Of the shoot
,ng had been 10 draw a revolver and TO
,rt,rnate that he would shoct any one VINO
eoenpted 10 interfere with the killing OF
ArnIs. No one was in court 70 represent
Yrs Hams. II was believed she Is at
rresent at Narragansett At the con-
c,usion Of the trial the court reserved de-
c'sion.
n thn stand nX
W z. Percy. the plaintiffs attorney was
Thornton J. Hams. He testified that cap
tain and Mrs. Hams were married on April
81 1900. at winthrop, Mass, by the Kew
DIR. Carter an Episcopal clergyman. he
then told Of serving the summons and COM
,io,nt In the action David c. Bennett j"
q LAWYER. who first represented the cap
rain. followed Mr. IIains. He told OF Sc
.cs~,1g the confession from Mrs. Hams
or was at her home In the officers quar-
.e-s AZ Fort Hamilton. L had been toIu
,bet she had made a confession. ne salu
,rrbis was on May 81, 1905. 1 Informed her
that her husband wished TO secure o'-
vorce. told her that had been nlorIIeu
that she had made a confession, out that
!, Was in such general terms that desfeu
n get II into more specific language 0He
admitted that she had made such con-
fsssion. and said she had no op1ectlons ~
repeating it, .sos
The witness then described the COMES
,,on adding. "I heard what she SAID ana
vbsn she had left the room wrote II
49,, AFterward she returned and l read
Il TO her, and she stood by me looAl's a'
what l had written. After reauihs IL "
her asked her if she had any oDJec'i'l.S
~ signing H. She said that she hau nut
and signed Il, after which l witnessed IT.
Tho confession was then producea' iuen-
,i6ed by Mr.. Bennett and placed IN e'l,
SArca Justice Scudder asked for 1t ana
,ca6 il over. The captains brother was re-
called. and told Of corroborating some OF
The statements which his sister-in-iaw MA
made.
General Peter c. Hams. father OF the
nla,ntiff. was then called 20 the stand. He
said that the three children of the plaintlh'
--H-tovs ard the eldest ten years DID, were
al his home IN Washington. His SON. ne
testified, had gone TO the Philippines IN DC
tober. 1907, and had returned late in May
1905. Mrs. Hams confessed 10 him the truth
Of the statement which she afterward maue
~ Mr. Bennett. lie was present at tho lat
,sr interview also. At the time Of her first
confession he asked How could this hap
pen. ehild?"
Il don't know" she answered. Il sup
pose that I must have been IN love with
Annis."
II asked her If Captain Hams had treated
her in an ungentlenanly manner at any
time" the general continued, "and she said
he had not then told her it would be
necessary for Captain Hams TO get q d.
vorce. I asked her when she had begun
this relationship with Annis. and she said
it was about ten days after her husband
left for the Philippines"
Emma Lavelle. who was chanbermaid
IN the Hams home from December. 1901, to
May, 1913, followed the general
L knew Annis," she testified. He came
20 the house while Captain Hams was
away. generally three or four times q week.
Hrs. Hams introduced him 10 mo as her
affinity"