Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-12

Hamon, a lawyer came here to build
a railroad and then branchcd into the
oil business. He was followed soon
afterward. the prosecutor said. by
Clara Smith. then a mature woman
of e..
time she acted as stenographer and
they Immediately began living togeth-
er. Mrs. Jake Hamon and Jake Jr..
remaining at Lawton. Their life then
became one of open and notorious
adultery"
The attorney general referred to Mrs.
Jake lannon's visit to the rooms Ha-
mon and Clara occupied and asserted
Hamon sent his wife away and con-
tinued to live with Clara. He referred
to many trips Clara and Hamon took
and to Hamon having sent his protege
to schools in Texas and Missouri. He
spoke of frequent quarrels and said
that at one timo Hamon called an
officer to force Clara TO give him pa
pers and that Mt that time Clara at
tempted to obtain pistol nearby.
II was testified that few days be-
fore Mr.. Hamon was shot fatally in
the hotel suite he and the defendant
occupied, Clara Smith Hamon had pur-
chased an automatic pistol and n mag
azine of cartridges in Oklahoma City
and that on one occasion in 1915 the
defendant had been seen standing near
Hamon in his office here with what
apparently was small pistol. on that
day she ran out when he appeared
Michael German, vice president OF an
Ardmorc bank testified. 1t was also
testified today that the defendant, who
is the former wife of nephew of
the man she is charged with hav-
ing killed. for a time worked actively
as n stenographer and private secre-
tary for Hamon after his arrival in
Ardmore in 1913.
on another occasion, Freezing said.
n visitor found Clara with n pistol
pressed against lannon's body" The
attorney general told Of another visit
OF Mrs. Hsmon to her husbands apart
ment where he said she found costly
lingerie and toilet articles and also a
I revolver which she removed.
| Mr.. Freeling touched upon Hamon' S
| political rise to the position of Repub-
| lican national committeeman of Okla
homa and OF the Republican victory
! last November. He said the quarrels
between him and Clara increased 10
| estrangement. and that Mr.. Hamon
concluded that he should return to his
family and become a church member.
When the defendant learned this de-
cision she purchased pistol at Okla
homa City. two weeks before the
shooting. he said.
on the day OF the shooting. Mr.
Freezing said, Hamon was with friends
when summoned by telephone to his
room about 6 o'clock in the evening
| Two hours later. he said, Hamon left
the hotel and walked quickly to a hos
| pital and there told DR.. Walter Hardy
that Clara had shot him and advised
the doctor, don't tell Until you have
to: spare the wife and children"
| During her arraignment by Attorney
General Freezing in his talk to the
| jury. Clara Hamon at one time sob
l 40 n Nd fnI har for IN lNs. nd
kcrchief II came at the point in the
description of lannon's alleged state
mcnt to his business partner, Eric
Dunlap in which Mr.. Hamon was
| quoted as having said;
Il knew she would do 1t sometime,
but l thought she would have given
the old man chance. She never
gave the old man "A chance She shot
him while he was lying down"
The first state witness, j. 5. Null
| len. former business partner of Ha-
| mon, testified he frequently had seen
the two together in their hotel suite.
He said he had been on trains with
thom and that they had occupied the
| same drawing room. DIR. +. c. Har-
low, an Ardmore eye specialist, testi-
fled he had seen the younger Mrs.
1iamon with an automatic pistol a
few days before Hamon was shot.
w, II. Meyers, an Oklahoma City
hardware salesman, testified he had
sold Clara b. Smith an automatic pis-
tol and defense counser submitted that
their client was the person who had
made the purchase.
Spectators during the noon recess
scurrled about with platters of sand
wichcs, hard boiled eggs and pies,
while numerous others who remained
in the courtroom had brought lunches
with them.
Tho morning following the shoot
ing Clara went to the infirmary and
saw Hamon for two or three minutes
and Immediately left Freezing said
The attorney general said Hamon at
first told Frank l.. Eetch his bust
ness manager that Clara did not
shoot him. but later admitted 1t when
Ketch said he knew She did. Ketch
was told to give Clara $4,000
land get her away Freezing con-