The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-08
Trial to Bare Cause Of Hanon Killing

Ii - Okla, March S.-Why
$500 broke With Clara
= ) story q national inter-
~ I'm - fully revealed n the
- wolnAn's trial. starting here
Il. O. the charge Of murder
~ Rspublicau national CON-
~ and oil multimillionaira.
11l - drawn piscemsal nom
- Tor the prosecution In
e r prove Clara Hamon guilty
raditatad killing.
"a word It ID this Hamoa
~ q renew his respectability
esainG with the new political
~ r. which he found himself -
rrK q his successes in the last
ssdSieal campaign.
ArshabfAtate himself hs had de-
.saned 70 forsake Clara Hamon,
~ Vhcm he had associated openly
\ Years, and to reinstate him
st~tfh the wife whom no had de-
~ md his two children.
4 ~ with this in view that
80 had negotiated the separa-
-. Agreement with the girl who
r y kill him in the hour OF their
Helps Harding.
nj Hamon had won the favor
prseident Harding to q degree
ssesIly unknown has been
srued since his tragic death. He
.ee his influence from Wood to
rsrdiar At the Chicago conven-
- He contributed literally to
ps,dings expenses in Chicago. And
~ inducing Harding to quit the
traat porch to make a campaign
s.seeh In Oklahoma he spent
aa0oo to insure Harding , glorious
rottion.
r. tor all this of, Hamon, as
..fioaal committeeman. delivered
oklahoma to the Republican party
~ Arst time in its history.
II vas believed In Oklahoma
.fter the Harding victory that
Hamon could have anything he
,sked: it was even regarded as
biehly probable that he would be
made secretary of the interior.
Fears Scandal.
But Hamon perceived that his
nriyate life would become a ma
tionsl scandal unless he got rid Of
clara Hamon. Even the fact that
she bore the Hamon name-which
she acquired by marriage to a
nepbew of Jake Hamon whom she
shortly afterward divorced-would
not save his face.
So he decided to bring Lis wife
son Of 10 and daughter Of IL. back
from Chicago to Ardmore.
All arrangements were compiet'
Cd: Mrs. Hamon and the children
we're preparing to move; Clara ha'
mon was going to live in CalifOrnis
on q settlement-even had her rail
road ticket.
Then came the shooting in thu
hotel suite in Ardmore where they
had lived ever since Hamon domi
mated her as girl Of II.
Did Clara Hamon shoot him IL
self-defense on what was to b,
their last day together, or did sh'
shoot him deliberately rather thai
give him up to his wife and chill
dren! This is the question tn,
trial is to answer.
lannon's Message.
II was accidentally shot," Il
the message Hamon sent to tn,
world while he lay dying in Ard
more.
1t was the last gallant act Of 1
contradictory character.
Hamon was poverty-strickel
when he met Clara Smith, a cler
In 3 dry goods store. He oftei
said his luck changed the da
he put his eyes on her" She be
came his business adviser; man
knew her as his secretary.
Hamon was known as a POLITICAL
"a shabby politician at that-whe
be took up with Clara Smith. N
one ever had suspected he had res
business ability.
In territorial days in Oklahom
he had risen to some prominence i
Republican circles, then slumpet
He became involved in a land des
and was indicted for fraud. bu
from this he got clear. As late q