The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-03-16
HAMON MURDER TRIAL
NEARING ITS CLOSE
ADJOURNS IN ORDER TO
PERMIT JUDGE TO PREPARE
INSTRUCTIONS.

OldTd OfulCn f1dDlOIl, charged W1Cn Cn6
murder of Jake L. Hamon today
ruled as, inadmissable as evidence a
number of letters Hamon had written
the defendant. The defense then
rested.
TIL states rebuttal testimony ended
at 1928 and court recessed to p. m.
to permit Judge Champion to pre-
pare instructions to the jury. Each
side was allotted five hours for argu-
ments
The jury will be charged on three
points: First degree murder, with
sentence of death or life imprison-
ment;.. first degree manslaughter,
with minimum fine of 81, and mot
guilty. or acquittal.
Mrs. V. B. Walling, sister of the
defendant, had testified that for some
time she had not known of the rela-
tions between her sister and Hamon
but chat when her father, j. L. Smith
of Ell Paso, Texas, learned of the
fact, he had come to Ardmore, she
said, "to kill Hamon" and was dis
armed by the sheriff. State objec-
tions were sustained W. P. Mclean,
of the defense counsel, insisted that
the way the family accepted the mat
ter should be brought out.
Further details of the quarrel pre-
ceding the shooting of Hamon were
brought out the defendants testi-
mony. Clara testified she was 90
years old and had been living with
Hamon for eight of nine years after
he had sent her to a Missouri school
to be educated and had frequently
visited her at a point some distance
from the school. Coming down to
the fatal Sunday when Hamon was
shot, she gave the details of the
fight.
"We had breakfast about II
o'clock" she said. After breakfast
Mr.. Hamon left me; | presume he
went to his office, he usually did on
Sunday morning. | went back to my
room and in the afternoon about 2:30
or 8 o'clock. don't just remember,
he came back to the room and we had
a very pleasant conversation.
''He laid down on his bed to rest.
He only stayed short time, perhaps
less than an hour, three-quarters of
an hour, | would say, then he went
back to the office or he told me he
was going back; said he had some
friends waiting or some politicians,
| don't just remember
gho, was very busy cleaning up my
room, reading newspapers and get
ing ready to go away to California
FOR my trip, and / decided that
would like to have little ride, SO I
got in my car and went for a ride;
hat was about 6 o'clock and | think
rode about an hour, perhaps little
more than an hour. 1t was about z
,'clock, dark enough for the street
lights to be on, when | came back.
When I drove up in front of the hotel,
Mr.. Hamon was sitting in front of
he hotel in chair; between Mr. Ha-
non and the door of the hotel there
vas another chair.
"He Immediately grabbed me as l
passed and showed me down IN the
hair and said he wanted to talk to
ne and used profane language.
II told him please don't curse here,
lon't make a scene; if you want to
,urse and be mean to me and abuse
ne. let's go to the room He con-
inued to curse me and | noticed that
he lights in the car were on and I
said wait a minute, / want to turn
he lights of my car, off, He turned
ne loose and | walked to the car and
off the lights.
"When | passed him and turned to
set through the door he again grab
,ed me by the arm and Jerked me
lown on chair and again cursed. l
laid Go to the room, Mr.. Hamon, II
you want to abuse me; there are
ome mon standing there, you must
lot talk that way here in public so
lie got up and / want upstairs to my
oom.
II was afraid of Mr.. Hamon, very
Lfraid of him. | saw a look on his
ace that I had never seen before.
Ie was drunker than had ever seen
i'm in all the years l had known
i'm. He was drunk and crazy. |
ont think the whiskey was good red
vhiskey as Mr.. Nichols said. He
sually drank good whiskey and
yasn't usually crazy like that. He
vas crazier and drunken than he had
yer been in all the years ! had
nown him. When / got to my room
he doors were locked between our
ooms. that is the bathroom door was
,cked. | rang for Bill, the porter. l
hought I had better eat something.
hadn't had anything to eat all day.
It breakfast / could not eat my
reakfast l seldom ever eat any
reakfast and when Bill came and
nocked on the door he came in with
e water and Mr.. Hamon slipped in
18th him. l had to unlock the door
,r Bill. I was afraid of Mr.. Hamon-
wanted to keep away from him for
4 hours so could go to California
nd wait for him to sober up and
2me to me looking the sweet, kind
,ver he had been before. So he
ame in as Bill came in. Bill poured
le ice water in the pitcher. Mr.
anon paced up and down running
is hair as he did when he was agi-
ted and the minute Bill went out
I'd the door was hardly closed when
r. Hamon said with an epithet,
Where have you been?' and grab
ID me at the same time and choked
e until / was blind and I couldn't
'em to think"