Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1909 — HAINS WITNESS AGAIN TODAY [ARTICLE]

HAINS WITNESS AGAIN TODAY

Says He Probably Saved Club Member’s Life. MET ANNIS ACCIDENTALLY Declares That When He Accompanied Army Officer to Bayside It Was to See Real Estate and That He Had No Idea His Brother Was Armed. States There Were Shouts of “Get a Rope!” and “Lynch Him!” and That He Drew Gun to Protect an Insane man. Flushing, N. Y., Jan. s.—Taking the witness stand in his own defense, Thornton Jenkins Hains related with a wealth of detail the story of the shooting of William E. Annis and of the conjugal troubles of Captain Peter C. Hains, Jr., that counsel asserts caused the mental unbalancing of the army officer and led to the killing of the publisher.

When court adjourned Hains’ direct examination had not been concluded and he will likely be on the witness stand all day today. Met Annis by Chance.

Thornton Hains told his story in snappy, crisp sentences that fell from his lips as soon as his counsel bad completed bis Interrogations. The defendant declared that when he went to Bayside to look at real estate on Aug. 15 he had no idea that bis brother was armed, and that he did not know that Annis was at the yacht club. He told the jury that all the shots had been fired by Captain Hains before he rushed to the float to protect his brother from John Tonning, the boatman, and the club members, whom he said he thought would harm the captain. The defendant stated that he had no idea how many shots Captain Hains had fired and when Charles Roberts, a club member, picked the revolver up and the muzzle of the weapon pointed at him, he drew his own gun and told Roberts not to shooL “Get a Rope!'*—"Lynch Him!” "J did not intend to shoot anyone," he said, "I only intended to protect my brother. There was much confusion. Men swore and shouted: 'Get a rope' Lynch him!'" To several club members the defendant testified he said he was very sorry for what had occurred and to Roberts he said: "I have probably saved your life.** "You have said that when you reached the dock the revolver had been knocked from your brother’s hand?" asked Judge Crane "What did you mean when you said to Roberts, 'I have saved your life?’" "Well t.e was a • razy man. and I didn't know whether he had other revolvers wiii, him or not J didn’t know he had any • ■ olvr-r with him until I saw it after th shooting."