The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-03-18

during the debate which followed. He
stated that he was confident that his
first vote Of guilty" would not
cause any change Of opinion among
his fellow members of the jury. or else
he would never have cast his ballot
that way. Thus, it may be seen that
Clara Smith Hamon wac practically
acquitted on the first ballot.
From The Attorneys
S. Prince Freezing. attorney general
OF the state, who directed the pro ecu
ton, had no hope of obtaining any
form Of a guilty verdict
'Of course" was the comment also
Of Charles a. Coakley, j. w. Cham
pion, James w. Mathers and William
Mclean, leading counsel for the de-
fense. That is a verdict those jurors
always will be proud Of"
There was one, however, who did
not content himself with a casual
shrug of the shoulders. This was II
H. Brown, appointed special prose
cutor to assist Mr.. Freeing. and the
attorney who won the admiration,
even from the defense for the fear
less fashion in which he attacked the
accused girl and demanded her pun
ishment.
Brown Indicts Citizens
Knowing the sentiment and char
acter Of Carter county as I do" he
said and tensed the muscles of his jaw
as he spoke, Il could expect nothing
else. This community had known of
Jake lannon's and Clara Smiths re.
lationship here for years. The COM
munity did nothing to correct this
display OF immortality while Hamon
was alive, so why should the jury be
supposed TO draw a moral from his
death and teach the county q lesson
through a guilty verdict?"
Mathers Is Modest
James H. Mathers, Of counsel for
the defense. who made the most mast
erful as well as eloquent plea for the
acquittal Of his client, modestly dis
claimed that his speech had done
much toward securing that acquittal,
and stated that the jury could not
have found otherwise than for the
defendant
1t will long be remembered by those
who We're in the courtroom and heard
the speech Of James Mathers, that his
effort was a masterpiece. For almost
two hours he swayed the audience
and held the jury in the hollow Of
his hand, while women sobbed aloud
as he pictured the manner in which
client had first been led from the
path of rectitude and lured into pluck
ing apples Of Sodom from the tree Of
immortality, only to reach, in time,
the fatal elimination which has come
to such love as hers ever since the
day upon which it was first written,
THE wage Of sin is death"
How Mclean Got Into Case
1t is interesting to note the man
ner in which the firm of Scott and
Mclean attorneys of Fort Worth,
became identified with the defense in
the case OF the State of Oklahoma
VS.. Clara Smith Hamon. The defend
ants uncle, Ben Harrison, who spent
a few days at Fort Worth while Clara
was hiding in Mexico, temporarily
resided in the house of a resident
there. and asked the landlady as to
which firm Of Fort Worth lawyers she
recommended to him for an ''impor-
tant case" The lady, whose husband
had been released from Jail, where he
had been confined on federal
charge, by the efforts of wild Bill" |
Mclean, Immediately referred Harri- |
son to Mclean, and after a confer
ence between Harrison and the firm !
of attorneys, Mclean made the jour
ney to FL Paso where he met Clara
Smith Hamon for the first time.
Attorney Thanks Court
A tribute TO the district court Of
judge, Tom w. Champion, was paid in
a most commendable manner imme-
1iately before the verdict was deliver.
ed by the jurymen. when Attorney
Scott, member Of the defense corps,
the court and spoke OF the
fine manner in which the trial had
been conducted and the courtesy
which had been shown the attorneys
In the case, with especial reference to
The firm OF which he Is a member,
and which had practiced in Oklahoma
Tor the first time in this case.
Judge Champion replied, and after
thanking the attorneys for the com
Dliments, stated that the court felt
n a similar manner towards the at
.orneys in the case, and that the
spectators and everyone connected
with the case had conducted them
selves in a most orderly manner. with
ona aycention and that WAS
Cost OF Prosecution
The actual monies which have been
1aid out by the county as expenses
# the state OF Oklahoma VS.. Clara
smith Hamon. in the case to date