The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-03-12
HE Sent
WORD TO
HARDING
and Died
Witness at Hamon Girls
Trial Says Jake Was Re-
publican Leader of U. S.
ny CARL VICTOR LITTLE


BY CARL VICTOR LITTLE
COURTHOUSE. Ardmore. Okla,
March 1.-THE dead Jake Hamon's
political power was revealed today In
the trial OF Clara Smith Hamon. his
secretary-protege. charged with his
murder.
Jake Hamon's pal. w. ID. Nichols.
former police chief OF Ardmore. ana
now In the oil game. in testimony for
the state. said:
Il was with Jake just before he
died. Jake and talked politics.
think he was the republican leader
OF the United States. He told me he
would die and begged me to 80
straight to Warren Harding to get
some Of his friends taken care Of
with political jobs"
LAWYER ASKS ABOUT
REPUBLICAN VICTORY
Nichols testimony came as the ~
suit OF cross-cxamination of wild
Bill" Mclean. Fort worth. counsel
for the accused girl. 1t was brought
about by this leading question:
Didn't you and Hamon discuss
the great republican victory at the
pollsf'
Nichols testimony was chiefly
concerned with corroborating the
testimony OF DR.. Hardy yesterday
who stated Hamon. before he died.
said that Cara shot Hamon while he
was lying on the bed and while she
carcssed his hair.
Nichols stood UP well under cross-
examination.
Es 8. Sails. chauffeur. who drove
Clara from Dallas on her Wild fight
toward the Mexican border. was
called TO the stand after Nichois-
He said that the defendant tried 70
| get an airplane at Dallas. but when
she failed she hired him for the trip.
for which she paid him $50 and .
500 tip.
"She rode in the front scat with
me" he said. AT one time noticed
that she had two pistols on her lap.
She told me she had shot a man.
Attorney General Freezing. prose-
cutor, brough; out the point while
examining Sails. that Walter Scott.
one OF the defense attorneys. and the
defendant had called on the chauf-
feur recently for a statement.
on cross-examination. Mclean
asked the witness II he had ever been
convicted OF felony or charged with
a crime. Sails made denial
You didn't give the defendant .
statement because she didn't offer
you any money exclaimed Mclean
PASTOR TELLS OF
HAMON'S STATEMENT
Sails said he had sold a statement
OF Clara's flight to a newspaper for
$50.
Rev. r. ]. Irwin, First Presbyterf-
an church OF Lawton. lannon's min
lister, was called to the stand.
He said Jake Hamon told him the
following before he died:
Il have been living with Clara
equally guilty"
Mclean fought hard TO keep Rev.
Irwin's testimony out Objections
were continually made by defense
counsel.
Excerpts from the sermon Irwin
preached over Jake lannon's body.
! in which he said IL Jake Hamon
didn't go to heaven, he didn't want to
go. were read.
At the time OF the sermon IL was
believed lannon's death was acciden-
tai.
Mclean read the following from
| the sermon:
why God permitted this accident
I do not know.
SAYS HAMON'S SINS
WASHED AWAY"
| If Jake Hamon Is not safe In the
hands OF his Master. then am lost"
| Rev. Irwin said he knew Hamon
had accepted Christ before he died.
that his sins had been washed away.
| "Hamon told me he prayed to be
relieved OF his sins" said Rev. Irwin.
He said he repented his life with
Clara Smith.
Il know his sins were forgiven"
Court was adjourned at noon until
. A. m. Monday. following Rev. Ir-
| wins testimony.
Jerry Foster, garage man. was the
| first witness for the state when
court opened today. He said he had
seen Clara Hamon toting a gun sew
eral times in the last year.
| Foster said he saw Clara the day
after Hamon was shot. He declared
Clara's hands and throat were not
SCARED, as the defense maintains
the result OF lannon's alleged abuse.
Judge Champion Is going to recess
at p. m. today until Monday. he
announced
SAYS HAMON PAID
CLARA'S GARAGE BILL
Foster testified that Hamon al
ways paid Clara's garage bill.
Under cross-examination by wild
Bill" Mclean. defense counsel. the
witness did not recall whether the
bills contracted by Clara before Joe
died had been paid by the Hamon
| estate.
"The defendant was planning a
trip TO California shortly before
IIamon was shot" said Foster.
w. Il. Nichols. former chief Of po
CTurn 10 Page 4, Column u