The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-01
Mystery Woman in Hamon Case
Near Ell PaSO.
Chauffeur Tells of Wild Ride to
Escape Pursuers.
DRIVER SAYS She CONFESSED
Carried Three RevOlyers and
Great Roll of Money.
Was in State of Nervous Col
lapse, Declares Witness.

Dallas, Tex, Dec. Clara Smith
Hamon. charged with shooting with
intent to kill Jake L. Hamon, oil mil
lionaire and Republican committee
man, fled thru Texas into Mexico and
Is now in 100 miles of Ell Paso, ac-
cording to an interview printed here
today in the Dallas Dispatch, quoting
E. w. Sails, chauffeur, who said he
drove the woman from Dallas to Cisco
and whose name the Dispatch with
held at request of the police"
The chauffeur is quoted as saying
that after Mrs. Clara Hamon slipped
thru the net of police she tried to find
but was unable to find one.
Said She Admitted Shooting.
Sails in repeating to newspaper men
the story he previously had told to
Dallas policemen, said the woman pur-
chased a railroad ticket to Ell Paso.
Sails said the woman told him that
she had shot Mr.. Hamon because of
misunderstanding that arose over
certain things Mr.. Hamon wanted her
to do.
According to this chauffeur. the wo-
shooting in her mind.
She Was In Disguise.
1.-The woman was well disguised,
| with a fur coat and pair of black
trimmed spectacles." said the chauf-
feur. II did not know who she was
atsrthe time, but she told me that 1
| would know within twenty-four hours.
She has a brown bag. and I think I
| saw three different reyolvers she had
| with her. She had a great roll of
| money-there must have been $4,000
at least.
I'VE started originally for San
Antonio, where she told me she was
going to meet a man she knew there.
We stopped at Waxahachie and were
eating in aarestaurant when a town
| marshal came in with a big shining
| star on. She became frightened and
we left Immediately.
/ He Can Find Her.
| AT Waco, she saw another officer
and became frightened again. so we
| changed our destination and drove to
Cisco. She caught the T. & P. pas
/ senger train there at $3.50 wednesday
| morning for Ell Paso. I am positive
! that she is within a 100 miles of E.
! Paso, and 1 know 1 can go and find
her.
"She told me how 1 could find her
Her brother, who was arrested in West
Texas, was supposed to meet her neal
Ell Paso.
In Nervous Collapse.
/ The woman appeared in a state OF
almost nervous collapse. She wal
panic stricken for fear she would be
4 arrested and every time we saw ar
officer she would go to pieces with
fear"
/ The chauffeur was reluctant to dis.
cuss the case. because he said there
too much money mixed up in it."
I'm afraid somebody will bumr
me off if 1 talk too much" he de
clared.
Hamon Left No will.
Hamon left no will, according to
petition for the appointment of an ad
ministrator filed in county court yes
terday.
County Judge NJ. Winifrey appoint
ed Frank L. ketch, lannon's bushes
manager, as administrator of the es
tate of the deceased.
The petition was filed by Georgi;
| Hamon, widow, Al years old; Jake L
? Hamon. Jr. IS years old, and Oliv
Bell, IL years old, and requested tn
naming of Ketch, whose bond ha
been fixed at s1,000.000-
+ The value of the estate will excee'
81 900, 900. the petition said.
Mrs. Hamon received the following
wireless message from President-elec
Harding:
Greatly grieved over Mr.. Hamon'
J death. He was a great citizen an
, good friend. Mrs. Harding joins il
! sympathy"