Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-28
THORNTON ]. HAMS,
STORY WRITER, GOES
TO BEACH -COMBING"
Gathers Dnftwood and
Catches Fish-Magazines
Reject His Work and He
Gets Threatening Letters.

NEW YORK, Sept. 2g.-Thornton
Jenkins Hams, writer of stories of ad-
venture that gave him considerable cele-
brity before he was thrown into the lime
light by the famous trial for the shoot
Ing of William =. Annis. which sent Ills
brother, Captain Peter Haius. L. :. A. to
Jail, but resulted in his own gcuu ttal as
an accessory, j. nov making a iittug by
beachcumbng and fsuiHS &. Fo,t tiamtl-
ton Brooki,n Tie complains .,., ro mas
been made the victim Of prosecution by
persons who wrote threatening letters to
him shortly after the irol nNtr6 and
also sent protests to tine magazines
against the printing Of any more stories
from his pen. He tried writing under a
nom de plume, he says but that was
soon detected and more letters OF pro-
test were sent to the magazines.
This has led lie says, 20 all ot them
refusing to buy any more Of his writings
and his being reduced to the gathering
OF driftwood ana fishing for LIVING.
Haines shows one of the letters writ
ten to the editor of a magazine In this
city. 1t was signed Thomas Dufy,
came from Philadelphia and was as fol-
lows.
Gentlemen-I see that you have pub
lished another story of that near-mur-
deIer r. jenkins Hains. His brother
committed the crime, but this man is
surely the nstisator, and shou.d have
got 20 years at hard labor.
If you accept and publish any more
stories written by this dirt coward.
will discontinue reading your puolica-
TONS although have done so for #cE-
eral years also, will use all my tn!lu-
encc to prevent others dotnS So
He didn't have the nerve to face the
crowd without a revolver, and would
not dare to tiGht.
| am no relation to the Ann's fam
lily, and never saw them hut ! am
very sorry that wasn't on the jury.
II am not going to retreat under fire
Hains said to visitor who found him
fishing from a catboat in the bay. "h"t
/ wish they would leave ME alone | am
nearly so years old now, and l think l
should be permitted to make living for
myself and my children. The gang of
beachcomberS who frequent the shore
have been trying to prevent this, am
down to hardpan now. | Caught four
dozen crabs yesterday. and that is all we
had to eat The magazines are not taxi
ing my writings, and this war has tied
up the English magazines SO that I can
not sell them anything. So I have to
make what | can catching fish"
\ Hains said he had been forcel 10 amply
10 a. magistrate for permission to carry
gun on account of attacks that had
beeh made upon him by other beach
combers while he was gathering drift
wood and on one occasion a gang came
to his house and assaulted him II
have had them in court" he added, and
one of them was placed under suspended
sentence. but they are waiting for a
chance to frame me up, and if they can
frame me up under the sullivan law be-
cause ! have this rife they will do it,
Hains made a dive into the locker and
fished out an old-fashioned rifle He
held ii up.
"It isn't much to shoot with" lie said.
''and don't want 10 shoot a. anybody,
but If they know l have it maybe they
will leave me alone. But if it isn't right
for me to have the gun, I'll get rid OF it."