The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-12-03
Dream of Lifes Golden
Treasure Shattered
Clara Smith lannon's Diary
Reveals Secrets of Tor
tured> Soul.
HAM0N CALLED DEMON
"0il of Soul That Fed Flame
of Desire for Cruelty Must
Exhaust Itself"

-
Chicago, Dec. 3.-U. N. S.)--ReveaI
ing the secrets of tortured soul Ion
pursued and finally trapped by 9TH
colonel" who'she alternately terms 9TH
demon and 1.-The living devil" the diar
OF Mrs. Clara Smith Hamon alcge
slayer of Jake l.. Hamon, multimil
hcnaire politician and. oil magnate be
came public here today. The dar
was found in the trunks beonglng 4
Mrs, Hamon which were llppc1 her
nom Ardmore, Okla, after the shoct
ing of Hamon.
In the form of a man there was
demon (often referred to as the col
oneio who tried to terrorize me,
says the diary" and, although ny If,
hung by a. slender thu cad, l did no
show the slightest weakness, ant
should l be founr stabbed or cholleC
or beaten to death / want the worlt
rights, and that l have never been 9
coward or a sneak-or guilty of UNI
fair play
Some years ago l tried to quit-be-
/. fore all my dreams of lfe's golden
Sg1asure were shattered-but he would
not let me.
Il swear here before the all-knowing
God thatI would never have become his
sweetheart II he had not told-again
and again-t1at he was going to get bis
divorce anyway and promised faithfully
to marry me. He held out every possi-
bile alluring picture for a wonderful
future until he had me in net from
which l could not extricate myself
The oil OF his soul that fed the
flames OF desire for cruelty must eX-
haust itself and l was doomed to be
tive victim.
Il can hear the public say. Those
who brutally murder are worse, but ]
don't believe God thinks so, for he
would have murdered me physically
besides numbering my SOUL if he could
have covered 1t up and shielded him
self, but he has been too cowardly to
do II with fair chance to us both.
Murder has no place in his insan-
ity--taking life is abhorrent to him,
but to destroy innocence-to kill vir-
tue-to murder a soul--those are COM
mon to him and his type"
Apparently sensing the tragedy that
was to come later the woman wrote in
her diary under date of May IL:
Before another day passes and ere
my life is taken | want to leave this
word of warning to any other girl or
woman who may be ready to embark
upon the sea Of companionship with a
man.
LET my poor, sad, broken heart.
warning.
Know your man before you give
him your soul and when ! say know
him. / moan not only the good and the
sunny side-~.fhfs ssirar-coated side. the
p,rtentious fiattering. false side but
know the side that is not at his best.
Know the side the world fails even to
see. Now the side that comes to life
only in the presence of the four walls
and you
L. II,
best, before you sell your soul and be-
come ever afterward his slave. For
once you give It to him. you can never
get It back again-no matter how hard
you try.
when he is madly in love and wants |
all she's got to give. Once given the |
charm is broken-for him the battle is
won."
Search Continues.
Ardmore, Okla, Dec. 3.-With police |
officials OF many cities on the lookout,
Ardmore authorities today awaited |
word Of the arrest of Miss Clara Smith, |
of Ringing, Okla, sought in connec- |
tion with the fatal shooting of Jake L.
Hamon. republican national committee
man of Oklahoma.
warrant charging assault with intent
to kill. disappeared Immediately after
the shooting two weeks ago, ana al
though trace of her has been found in
have been unable to apprehend her
!. Interest In the case was divided here
To-Day between the search for MISS
Smith and the purpose of a visit to
Texas by Frank L. Ketch, R1l ,bI business mess
Fort Worth said Ketch had registered
at a hotel there last night, but could
not be located later. At the time OF
the shooting ketch issued a statement
saying Hamon had been injured by the
accidental discharge of a revolver he
was cleaning.
No further announcement Of plans in
with the handling of the
case. should Miss Smith be arrested,
was forthcoming early today y,,i1or from Rus
Net Being frightened.
Ardmore, OKLA. Dec. 3.-The intan-
gioe skeins OF a huge police net We're
being frightened today along the leNas
border as the search for Mrs. cara
Smith Hamon, so-called affinity ana
alleged slayer OF Jake L.. Hamon null
IT, millionaire Oklahoman, seemed APP
parently about to reach climax
County Attorney Russell +. Brown
was en- route to Fort Worth today 10
take personal charge OF the search fol-
lowing receipt of a mysterious tele-
gram.
Frank l.. ketch. business manager
for the late multi millionaire repub-
lican national committeeman, was
also engaged in checking up the de-
tails OF the statement given- pohce ny
h. W. Sails. a Dallas taNtcab driver,
that Mrs. Hamon had confessed shoot
ing the wealthy oil magnate during
her hight with Sails to the border.
Jake l. Hamon. Jr., the lS-year-oid
son OF the slain magnate, also was en-
route TO the border today. The reason
Tor his trip is not known, although It
was reported that he accompanied At
torney Brown.
Mrs. Hamon, the widow, today was
nearing Chicago where she was going
10 settle her aiiairs.'
Looking After Property.
Fort Worth. TEX, Dec, 3.-Frank l..
Ketch business manager OF the late
lake l.. Hamon, republican national
Of oklahoma, and ad-
OF his estate was said to-
d7v to he en- route to west TEXAS.
" lere Mr. Hamou had railroad and
other property interests.
Mr. KetCh arrived here late yestcr-
dav and LETT last night for the western