The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-12-22
CLARACERTA|N
WILLIS SAFE
Expects to Get Fifteen Million
Left by Oklahoma Oil King
She NiIIed.
SURE PAPER WILL TURN UP
BY SAM BLAIR,
star Correspondent Universal serv-
ice and Chicago Herald Ex aminer.

Ice un0 SutCokO
Copyright. 1890. by Universal servics:l
Copyright. 1920. by Chicago Herald -Ex-
amner.)
| (Au Rights Reserved, Reproduction in
Whole or In Part Prohibited.)
Ell PASO, Tex. Dec. 22.-Within
twenty-four hours Clara Smith Ha-
mon will be in friendly hands in the
United States. She will go back to
the town from which she fed after
her farewell with the dying Jake l..
Hamon, Republican national commit
teeman from Oklahoma, in the Ard
more Hospital.
GOES BACK GLADLY.
"I'm going back gladly" she said,
as I interviewed her in Mexico. 81
have nothing to fear. Where is there
a jury that would find me guilty
after l had told it the story l have
told you?"
There have been completed, ] be-
lieve, the arrangement which she re-
quested. She asked that some method
be devised to keep her from falling
into the hands of some petty officers
who might seek to arrest her for the
ponpous 6iory ho' "ouio e'e
thereby.
The legal conflict iato which she
has been plunged as a result OF the
fatal shooting November Il OF Jake
Hamon will not be completed when
the jury that will try the girl on n
charge of homicile returns its Ver-
dict.
MISSING WILL ISSUE.
There is another element in the
situation which may bring months or
even years Of battling in the courts.
This element Clara Smith Hamon
specifies as the "missing WILL"
When the estate OF the oil mag
nate and politician was adjusted in
Oklahoma and Texas recently 1t was
announced that MI. Hamon had died
without leaving a will.
But hear what Clara Hamon said
to me:
"There was positively. a will. 1
believe it still exists. l am trying
to convince myself positively that
it is going 70 be found"
The HnmOn estate, II is estimated.
IL valued Mt more than $15,OOO,OOO. II
the wOmnn's suspicions arc correct
md the will Is found and made to
stand in court, she will become pos
sessed OF n fortune of something like
four million dollars. She told met
ITS not of myself that I'm think
ing. It's OF my family. I've walked
through hell for ten years with only
m occasional glimpse Of earthly
peace. / guess l could continue on
like this were it necessary. We be-
come Injured to suffering. But faith
er. mother and Jimmie. they are at
least entitled to something of what
helped make--the fortune of Jake
SPEAKS PITEOUsLY.
"If these sentences suggest 4 hard
mouthed mercenary woman. then the
writer is not fulfilling his obligations
as a reporter. For the woman spoke
softly-piteously. She wept when
she mentioned the aged father and
mother. waiting, praying in their FL
Paso home, and her nineteen-year-ol
brother sitting beside us in the
Chihuahua Park. She went on:
"The will-Mr. Hamon told me IL
existed before he died. i was TO be
left one-fourth of the estate. l know
that this is 80. l know he drew up
and signed his will just as well as /
know that he loved me and that l
loved him-whcn | was not hating
him for his brutality.
But, my share in the will was con-
ditional. At least that's what Mr.
well, that's what I was told. just be-
fore l left Ardmore and came down
here.
They told me-those in Ardmore
believe to be my friends--that the
will said that If j ever shot Mr..
Hamon ] was not to share In his
estate. They made me believe that
IL was better to have the will ap-
pear to be lost until after I have
been proved innocent of the killing
Then. they allowed me to believe, the
will is to be found and / am to be
given my share.
NOTHING TO CONCEAL.
"But I know i am innocent now
aud have nothing to conceal from the
world and | don't want any one to
| give me anything that is not Justly
mine"
"But suppose" | interposed. Sup
| pose the will remains missing? May
be after all il never will be found"
she replied:
"Why, of course. IL will be found.
told you they said IL was just being
lost until after 1 was cleared.
| "Oh! If IL isn't found, ir l have
placed my faith in men who are not
my frieuds-why, then
whom have 7 to rely on in tho
whole big world?"
one of her two Mexican escorts
! bowed gravcly. He Is OF the sp rit-
ualistic group OF influential states
men Of Chihuahua which has taken
| the girl into it's protection.