The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-03-08
Trial to Bare Cause of Hanon Killing;
Girl Whom Oil Millionaire Decided to
Cast Off Faces Court on Thursday


y ANh'ftNIsf 'hltAat NhAAl % " ~
Jake IIamon broke with Clara
Ilamon is a story OF national interest
that will be FUZZY revealed at the
young woman's trial. starting here
Thursday. on the charge ~ murder
ing the republican national commit
tccmnn and oil multimillionairc.
Il will be drawn piccemca! from
witnesses for the prosecution ia or
der to prove clara Hamun guilty Of
prcmcditatcd killing
In word II IL this; llnnon
sought to renew his rcspectability In
Keeping with the new political estate
IN which hc found himself as u result
Of his successes IN the last political
campaign,
To r.hhblluatc himself he had de-
trrminrd to forsakc Clara Hamou.
with whom he had associated openly
Tor 10 years. and to rcsnstatc him
sclf with the wife whom he had de-
serted and his two children.
II was with this In view that
Hamon had negotiated the separation
agreement with the girl who was To
XIII him in the hour Of their parting
HELPS Harding
That Ithmon had won the favor Of
President Harding to a degree gem
orally unknown has been learned
since his tragic death. liz swung
his influence from Wood to Hard
ing at the Chicago convention III"
contributed LITERALLY 10 Hardiug's tA-
pens"s In G icago And after Undue
ng Harding 10 quit the front porch
to make a campaign speech tn Okla.
homa he spent $4,000 t. insure
Harding "a gloripuA reception.
To top all this OF, liamon, as ma
tiunnl committeeman. delivered OK
ahoma to the republican party the
first time In It's history.
II was believed In oklahoma after
the Harding victory that Hamon
could hav, anything he asked. 1, was
oven regarded a. highly probable
that he would be- made secretary uf
the interior.
Fears scandal.
But Hamon perceived that his PVT
Vate life would become "A national
scandal unless hc got rid Of Clara
lamon. Even the fact that she bore
the Hamon name which she ac-
quircd by marriage to nephew nT
Jake Hamun whom she shortly after
ward divorced would not save his
face.
So h. decided to bring his wife,
son OF ie and daughter uf II, back
from Chicago to Ardmorc.
All arrangements were completed,
Mrs Hamon and the children were
preparing to move. Clara IInmon was
going to live In California On q s"'tle-
mcnt-even had hcr railroad ticket
Then came the shooting IN the no.
tel suite in Ardmore whore they mad
lived ever since liamnu dominated
her as a girl of ~.
Did clara HAmun shoot him In
self -detvnsc on what was 10 De their
last dAy together, or did she shoot
him deliberately rather than give him
up to his wife and children This is
thu question the trial IS To answer
Hnmon's Message.
Il was accidentally shot b. the
message liamou sent tu the world
white he lay dying In Ardmurc.
II was the last gallant act of a
contradictory character.
Hamou wan poverty -strlDk,ut whom
he met Cara Smith. "A clerk ia a dry
goods store. lie often said his luck
changed the day he put his eyes on
her She became his business ad-
wiser. many know her as his aocrc'
tarN.
Hamun was known as "a politician
a shabby politician at thdt--when
he took up with Clara Smith No
one ever had suspected he had real
business ability.
In territorial days In oklahoma he
had risen to som" prominence IN re-
publican circles then slumpcd. u,
| became involved In a land deal and
was indicted FOR fraud, but from this
| he got clear As late as 1919 b" was
| q uckctlcss WandcTcr around the re-
publican national conycl ion hall,
Then came his railway and town
| site sChorav.
"A pipe dream said hiH friends.
In his boyhoud in kansas. liamor
had worked as u circus roustdbuut
| Thinking over this experience gave
| him q hunCh.
lie travelled to New York ON hur'
| rowed money Entered the Naldor
bar, Ranged himself alongside o
prosperous gentleman Seemingly
| by accident he knocked over hii
ncighbors cocktail. Apologies. Ia
| change Of names
| Courts Ningiing.
| 80 you are John Ringling, th'
| circus man" exclaimed Harmon
| Wen. YOU owe me some money
"How's that2" asked l,ingling
suddenly turning cool
| Il had sass coming when | Iui
as rouStabout for your circus. au'
| | never sent la bill vNcldlmri
| IIamon. laughing.
| Another meeting. liumon Interest
ed Ringing in his projects FOR a RAJ
| fn4I frnTN A a "A tnM nNlft N