The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-03-10
Trial of Clara Smith Hamon for Murder of
Millionaire Oil Man Opens at Ardmore;
Prospective Jurors are Rapidly Selected
Courtroom Is Crowded;
Defendant Sits With
Mother and Sister

AisIN N'NlAlas ''llh.H NIfl'I l'
Tho trial OF clara Smith Ilrmou.
charged win the murder ot Jake g..
HAmpn, millionaire OH man and Co..
publican national committeeman of
Oklahoma began shortly after o
O'Clock this morning Judge Thomas
W Champion is presiding. IN" case
is generally regarded as Olluhoma's
most celebrated murder TRIAL HJmuu
was shot and killed last fall
Tho court room which had been
virtually ompty until few minutes
bcfur" tho trial opened. filled rapidly
when the ulal started every seat was
filled and persons were lining the
walls on an sides.
Mrs Clara Smith Htmon, the de-
fcudtnt. and mother 1ud sister took
seats behind her counsel several
friends came up Co where she sat ana
shook hands with her.
Mrs Jake T.. Ilamou was not n
the court room
Nt,r examination ~ 20 you,rcm"u
o. mon who had mot disqualified
themselves wcr" iu "a" jury huN.
Much surprise Vas caused hy th"
ease and rJpiii'N ui selection "i
loft nine pcremptory challenges.
The defense sprung 1 surprise hF
waving right ut p'rrmpturN rhNll'uL'
after 'h' jury huN was filled Al
though the twelve m'u had not quail
r,d finally, Tor 1Dv"ptuuD" of IN"
panel. both sides ut noon said th,y 'N-
pHptrd IN, jury tu b, completed hN
utd-uTtcruuou and Expressed sltlslIr-
Uau with IN. rupiiity of the selection
Attorney General : T. Freezing, iu
charge uf the prosecution occasionally
exercised p,rvWUturt challenge
during the examination uf y'uirru'u
ON, asked 10 ~ would tu'lu'u,,
verdict u it wor" shown that Mr..
Hnmun was q man ut "'h" rrnNost
faults and had not been loyal TO hiH
family"
Mr. Juk. l.. Ilpmon appeared iu
the court room It y m. aud took
n sent across u table from clara
uHmuu she VGs lu mourning dress
and appeared very pale She was
accompanied rs her children Jake.
Jr. and Ily" Belle
tn, dcfcueIu'. whispering 60 h,l
counsel did mot H"c IA" widow ,ut".
but when she g-3uoyd around and
looked toward h,r she maintained De-.
gnmpusuro
Joe Hcu Chmutuu. twin brother uf
the iudg, ,oUdu,t.. th" examination
iur the dvfuUs"
Defendant Seen In Auto
Seen on th' streets. Mrs clara
Hnmon IL well dressed. apparently
somewhat more trail than when sh'
surrendered last December at FL
$50. she drives about iu l motor
car and mods and Smiles ls sh" rorug
ui2es acquaintance
Mrs JAKE l.. lltwWou today took
up her residence iu new bungalow
recently pure hU''i Iur her
Court attaches have rvarTtrgcd seats
0f tho court room tu accommodate ~
many persons AZ possible. When a
number 90 folding chairs had been
taken into IA, chamber and the FUR
uiturc switched about u still was i'm.
possible to accommodate moro than
$50 spectators
Mrs Jake L. lhmou said today that
her greatest fear was that IN" de-
fcnduut would go free" She said Sh"
felt tu % greater extent than ever that
years ago when her husband and thv
Young woman first became auquAIut-
I'd she should haN, taken some action
I'm that she was deferred. she doClar-
ed, by the fact that sh. was chtis-
,ian woman and could do nothing
uf viul"n," against the then Miss
Clara Barton Smih
Mrs Ilumuu. aa tears wcll"d into
her uNop said that time and again
she had contemplated som" action Co
break up the assugiitiuus uf her hus-
hand and IA, Erl hut could mot bring
herself tu that point
Planned Ncid Attack
Mrs IInmon pld that many many
times Hho had debated with herself
whether 10 throw acid In Clara
Smiths face. tu disfigurr hrr 90 she
would not he so beautiful aud ut-
tract tho attention ~ liamuu. but
that she could never bring herself To-
that point
ON if ! only had" sh. said u
might have had him and these chill
drrn night have had their father"
Mrs IlHWoU spol, bon bitter terms
~ Mrs clara smith llUmun. referring
tu her MS "a vampire who repeatedly
had refused 20 consider Nh tirmuu'a