Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-19
Jury Acquits
Clara s. Han1on
In Murder Case.

ARDMORE, OKLA, March it,
Clara Smith Hamon was freed of the
charge of murder in connection with
the death of Jake l.. Hamon, for-
mer Republican national committee.
man from Oklahoma and millionaire
oil promoter, by jury in Carter
county district court which late to.
day returned a verdict of acquittal
after forty minutes elaboration.
After trial lasting a week. the
jury in the Hamon case debated it's
verdict only forty minutes, agreeing
upon acquittal on the first ballot.
"I am the happiest woman in the
world" Clara Hamon said, with tears
streaming down her face when she
heard the verdict. Mrs. Jake l.. Ha-
mon. the widow, who attended nearly
all sessions of the trial, went home
when the jury retired, and members
of her family said she had not yet
been told the verdict.
The states final plea attacked the
theory of self-defense on which Clara
lannon's case had been built, but
less than an hour after Attorney
General S. P. Freezing had made the
final address in the trial, the de-
PENDANT was receiving the congratu-
lations of scores of the attendants
at the trial.
A suit for part of the Hamon mill
lions will be the immediate outcoma
of the acquittal Of Clara Smith Ha-
nf
nounced today.
Attorneys said, however, they were
not ready to reveal the exact MAJ
| ture of the suit nor the amount to
be demanded by the girl, who was
freed last night from the charge or
numbering Jake L. Hamon, millions
| aire oil man, with whom she lived
The jury was given the case at 4:3O
p. m. and returned to the courtroom
forty minutes later. B. F. c. Laugh.
ridge, nty-three-year-old fore-
maa, said only one ballot was taken,
a secret one, confirmed by a rising
vote.
Clara Hamon obtained the informa-
ton fully seven minutes before the
verdict was rendered il open court
her family, half smiles, half afraid
to believe the mods of assurance that
were bent toward her.
When Judge Thomas w. Champion
mounted the bench and received an
affirmative response to his question::
"Gentlemen, have you reached a ver~
dict?" her eyes followed intently the
| motions of the bailiff- as he received
the verdict from Mr.. Laughrirdge,
! walked across the courtroom aid
| handed it to the clerk who read 1t in
| a nervous voice.
Clara Hamon gasped audibIy in the
| tensely silent courtroom, dropped
forward in her seat, only to be seized
from behind by her younger brother.
! Jimmy" who kissed her. Tears
came to her eyes and the members
of her family cried with her as che
crossed to the standing, Jurors who
had passed judgment on her ana
haitingly thanked them for their
verdict.
thank the newspaper workers. hang.
ing on the arms of Sheriff Buck Gar
rett and her brother, and with tears
streaming down her face, said:
II am the happiest woman IN the
world"
She used a secret passage from
the courtroom to escape the crowds
and went to g. lower floor or the
county building, where she sat 1or
some time receiving CONGRATULATIONS.
Her plans for the future are in-
complete, she and her attorneys said.
| She is considering a number of bust"
ness propositions. according to Wal
ter Scott, of Fort Worth, Tex, one
of her counsel.
She probably will remain In ARD"
more a day or two at the home she
leased to be here for the trial and
then probably will go to Wilson,
eighteen miles west of here, to stay
with her sister for few days. Her
father, J. l.. Smith, is seriously Il!
at Ell Paso, Tex, and 1T was sald
she might return there to be with
him.
Not once during the entire trial
which began a week ago, did the two
women appear to become conscious
of each others presence except on
the days they testified, when each
regarded the other closely.
Last night at the home here ofs
Mrs. Jake Hamon it was said that
she had not been told of the ver--
dict and that she would not be until
Friday because of her physical and
if his mother was given the infor-
nation of the acquittal after such
brief consideration by the jury 1t
would tend to throw her into a COLI
lapse"
Young Jake made no comment, in
quiring, however, is to the details
of the courtroom scene when the ver-
dict was returned and as to how
Clara Hamon had accepted the ver-
dict.
Mr.. Hamon was shot on the night
of November 81, last as the culmina@
ton Of what was brought out in eve
idence introduced as being a fight
with the defendant. He was shot
once through the body, and died five
days later.
Clara Hamon Immediately left
Ardmore on November %, and it was
established during the trial, upon
instructions of Hamon as he lay
upon a hospital cot, and Frank L.
ketch, former business manager for
Mr.. Hamon and now administrator
for the Hamon estate, and with $5,-
600 furnished her by Hamon through
Ketch. She went to Chihuahua City,
Mexico, travelling part of the way
across Oklahoma and Texas by auto
mobile, and trying Intellectually once
to obtain an airplane for her flight.
She surrendered to the Carter county
sheriff at Ell Paso and returned to
Ardmore Christmas day.
The trial has been remarkable by
it's startling developments, accord
ing to counsel. A jury was obtain.
ed in less than six hours, although
Mr.. Hamon was regarded as prob-
ably the best-known man in Car~
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