The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-12-24
Editorial
of the Day
CLARA SMITHS AMAZING
CLAIM TO HAMON MONEY
Edlth johnson in oklahoman,


Whatever sympathy there is for
Clara Smith in Oklahoma will be d.
stroyei by the effrontery OF her last
statement, in which she lays claim
to one fourth of the estGte OF the
late Jake l.. Hamon.
Still more amazing is her state
ment that the will of the deceased
contains clause, making her heri-
tage conditional on Jake lannon's
death from natural causes. If what
she says is true, apparently. it was
pretty well understood by those two
jungle lovers that Clara Smith was
likely to draw a gun at any time.
BY her own statement, Clara Smith
turned away from clean lover 10
follow the fortunes OF a married man,
in whose capacity for financial sue>
cess she firmly believed. If she mar-
ried the boy, doubtless her condition
would have been one Of medioc-
rity. She was shrewd enough, how
ever, to know that if Jake Hamon
ever made a fortune, she would shar>
generously in II, that she would be
able TO ride around in her own auto
mobile, that she would be able 10
purchase her gowns, furs and hats
from the sm2rtest shops in New York,
that her fingers would sparkle with
diamonds, that she would live life
Of ease, punctuated by the brutal ar
dors of a man morally below the
beast.
According to Clara Smiths UNDER
standing OF her situation, hhe alleged
will, providing that she shall be cut
off from a share in the Jake Hamon
estate in the event that he Eight
die at her hand, is TO remain lost"
until she manages 10 have herself
declared innocent" then friends" will
produce it, and She will receive some
thing like s4,OO0,O00 as a reward for
having broken up another woman's
home and for having shot her para
mour. With the most amazing im-
pudence, she asserts that she knows
she is innocent and that she has
nothing TO conceal from the world.
II defiance of every law OF society
and the shooting of n plramour con-
sutute innocence, then what does the
thing We are accustomed to speak
OF as innocence amount 10, anyway?
The reason We have so much law
lessness in Ehis country is that II
is so very seldom punished. Men and
women commit every form OF lawless-
ness, knowing that the chances are In
favor Of their escaping temporal pun.
ishment. Women break up homes and
destroy the happiness OF innocent
families just because they know the,
can. Men embezzle and steal money,
expecting to clude the law, or at the
very worst, 10 receive the minimum
penalty. The initial sin is bad
enough, but far worse than the initial
shining is the impudent pose OF virtue.
/ the maudlin, sentimental excuses such
offenders hand out for gullible public
consumption.
Clara Smith says that she wants
the money for her family"
II Clara Smiths family has vestige
OF pride, the very last thing they
will want are the millions 10 which
Clam Smith assumes she Is entitled
by reason Of having followed the for
tunes of Jake Hamon for ten years.
And II Clara Smith has an honest
and sincere desire TO partially REIN
state herself in the eyes of the peo-
pie. granting that she escapes con-
viction, she will quit the life OF an
idle, parasitic woman and she will
put into play some OF the energy
and talent ana business acumen she
claims were responsible sfor the up
building Of Jake lannon's fortune in
supporting herself and her family
That il the one and only ooursse o;
action by which she may inspire res
pect IN the minds of decent people
the determination to take up some
useful work ami for the rest OF her
life walk the s.raight and narrow
nth.
When YOU think of the thousands
and tens of thousands OF good iurls
In this country. pretty and c!cye,