The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-03-25
CLARA HAMON IS
FREED BY JURORS
Acquitted of Murder of Jake L.
Hamon, Oklahoma Million
aire and Politician.
VERDICT QUICKLY REACHED
is Announced by 73-Year-OId Foreman
After Taking of Only One Ballot
Clasps and Falls Forward, but Re-
covers and Thanks Deliverers.

Ardmore, Okla.-Clara Smith Ha
mon was acquitted of charge of hay
ing murdered Jake L. Hamon, Repub
lican National Committeeman iron
Oklahoma and railroad and oil pro
moter.
The jury took the case at 400 D. m
and returned to the courtroom forty
minutes later. B. F. S. Loughridge
aged seventythree, foreman, said only
one ballot was taken, a secret one
confirmed by a rising vote.
Clara Hamon obtained the Informal
ton fully seven minutes before the
verdict was rendered in open court
and sat, surrounded by members of her
lieve the mods of assurance that were
bent toward her.
When Judge Thomas w. Champion
mounted the bench and received an af-
firmative response to his question,
Gentlemen, have you reached a ver-
dict?" her eyes followed the motions
of the bailiff as he received the ver-
dict from Mr.. Loughridge and handed
it to the clerk to read.
Clara Hamon gasped audibly In the
tensely silent courtroom, dropped for
ward in her seat, only to be seized
from behind by her younger brother,
"Jimmie," squeezed and violently kiss
cd har fbo
other members of her family cried with
her as she crossed to the standing
Jurors and, hating, thanked them for
their verdict.
81 am the happiest woman in the
world" she said.
She used secret passage from the
courtroom to escape the crowds which
threatened to overwhelm her with
congratulations. She and members of
her counsel of six attorneys said she
was considering number Of business
proposals. According to Walter Scott
of Fort Worth, one Of her counsel,
what she shall do in the immediate
future is undetermined.
None of the members of the family
of Jake l.. Hamon was In the court
room when the jury returned its ver-
dict. Mrs. Hamon, the widow, and her
nineteen-year-old son. Jake L., Jr., left
when the case was placed in the jury's
hands Mrs. Hamon at that time was
In tears
Mrs. Hamon attended all sessions of
the trial, except two, clad in deep
mourning and sitting directly opposite
Clara HamOn. Not once during the
entire trial, which began a week ago,
did the two women appear to be con-
Scious Of each other except on the
days they testified, when each regard
ed the other closely.
Mr.. Hamon was shot on the night
of November q last as the culmina-
ton of what was brught out in evil
dence introduced at the trial as being
a vicious fight with the young de-
PENDANT. He was shot once through |
the upper right body with a % cali !
Der bullet and died five days later.
Clara Hamon Immediately left Ard !
more, department on November %. 1t |
was established during the triut
she left upon instructions of Mr.. !
Hamon as he lay upon hospital cot. |
Frank l.. Ketch, former business man.
ager for Mr.. HamOn and now admin |
istrator for the Hamon estate, furnish
ed her $1,000 under direction Of Mr..
HamOn.
She went to Chihuahua City, travel !
ing part way across Oklahoma and 1
Texas by automobile, and trying in
once to obtain an airplane
for her flight. She surrendered to the
Carter county sheriff at FL Paso and
returned to Ardmore on Christmas
Day.
The states case was based upon al
legged dying statements of Mr.. llamon,
In which he was quoted as having said
that he had been shot by Clara Hamon
as he lay upon the bed in his own room
of the two they had together occupied
for number of years in an Ardmore
hotel