Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-03-15
Defendant Cool and
Collected; Demon
strates Action With
Revolver

Cara Smith Hamon, charged win
'he murder of Colonel Jake L.
Hamon, took the witness stand 4,
ner trial here today and told her
story OF the incidents OF the dav
ana night of November 81 wban
colonel Hamon was shot.
AFTER a few preliminary ones.
'ions, In which she said she ,,u
Colonel Hamon was married ana
'""' ne mad educated her SO sha
might work for him. she was asrs
10 tell the jury how the shoo,,nr
happened.
When the defendant triad 90 -,
now Colonel Hamon after ba n,a.
shot had said, Il am hit" ana ~,
showed her the blood spot forming
on his shirt, she broke down anS
sopoed into her handkerchief
re laid on his bed to rest No
o"iy stayed short time. perhana
iess than an hour, .hree-o,iar.nrs
Oh an hour. / would say. then NJ
went back to the office or he toId
me ne was going back; said he bad
some friends waiting or some noIl-
ucians, somebody, | don't tnst 70
l,eniper VINO. l was very busy
cleaning up my room, reading news
papers and getting my clothes
ready to go away 10 California Yor
my trip. and l decided .hat | wouJd
lke TO have little ride. so pot
In my car and went for a ride: thai
was about 6 o'clock and [ think
rode about an hour, perhaps a IItt,c
more than an hour. IL was abo,,t
dark enough for the street liphfs
TO be on when / came back. when
l drove up In front OF the hotel Mr..
Hamon was sitting in front of The
motel In chair, between MIR. Ham
on ana the door of the hotel there
was another chair.
Says He Cursed Her.
He Immediately grabbed mo ~
passed and showed me down I'm
the chair and said he wanted 10
taik to me and used profane Ian
guage.
Il told him please don't curse
mere don't make scene, II Won
want to curse and be mean to me
ana abuse me, let's go to the roon1.'
lie continued to curse me and no
ticed that the lights in the car were
on and ! said wait minute. I want
to turn the light OF my car OFF,
He turned me loose ana walked 10
the car and switched off the LIGHTS
when passed by him and
turned TO get through the door he
again grabbed me by mo arm and
ierkei me down on a chair and
again cursed. ! said go to the room
Mr.. Hamon, IL you want to abuse
me, there are some men standing
there, you must not talk that way
here In public so he got up and I
went upstairs to my room.
HamOn Very Drunk.
"I was afraid of Mr. JIamon, very
afraid OF him. l saw LOOK on his
face that had never seen before.
He was drunken than 1 had ever
seen him in all the years / had
known him. He was drunk and
crazy. ] don't think the whisky was
good red whisky as Mr.. Nichols
said. He usually drank good whls-
KY and he wasn't usually crazy like
hat. He was crazier and drunker
han he had ever been in ali the
years l had known him. When
got to my room the doors were
ocked between our rooms. that Is
he bathroom door was locked. 1
'ang for Bill, the porter thought
had better eat something. | hadn't
lad anything to eat all day. AT
breakfast could not eat my break
asst. / seldom eat breakfast and
when Bill came and knocked on
he door he came in with ice water
md Mr.. Hamon slipped in with
him. ] had 10 unlock the door for
Bill. / was afraid OF Mr.. Hamon.
wantedt o KEEP away from him for
a more hours so I could go to CAL
fornia and walt for him to sober up
md come 10 me looking the sweet.
Iind, lover he had been before. So
ie came I'm as Bill came In. Bill
poured the ice water In the pitcher.
dr. Hamon paced up and down
uning his hands through his hair
" he did when he was agifated and
he minute Bill went out and the
Ioor was hardly closed when Mr.
Iamon said with an epithet where
ave you been2 ? and grabbed me al
he same time and choked me and
le choked me until / was blind and
couldn't seem to think.
Attorney Interrupts.
Now. Miss Clara" interrupted
". p. Mclean. OF her counsel. Just
minute
Il VIII finish the story. Mr.. Nc
can" she said. He choked me
nd hit me and somehow he threw
ne over on the bed b. one OF his
icks and after he got me on the
ed he beat me and slapped me and
Tapped me and nit me two or three
lines and took me by one foot and
erked me off the bed on my back
nd / have been operated on In the
.ack and Il hurts me extremely.
nd he took pains 20 Kick me In tho
.ack and he kicked me and choked
Continued on Page Five.)