The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-11

Ardmore, Okla, March 9.--Mrs.
Clara Smith Harmon will be brought
to trial here charged with murder in
connection with the death of Jake
L. Hamon, republican national COM
mltteeman from Oklahoma and
wealthy Gil operator Mr.. Harmon
died November 25, last, five days aft
er he was shot. The shot that caus
ed Mr.. lannon's death was, consis
tently declared by Frank l.. Ketch.
his business manager, to have been
SELF inflicted" through the ''acci-
calibre automatic pistol, which Mr..
Hamon was cleaning. So
Clara Smith Hamon was charged
with assault with intent to kill In
in information filed by County Attor-
ney Russell B. Brown the day fol-
slowing the Shooting, which later was
changed to charge Of murder. A
separate information was filed Jointly
charging Clara Smith Hamon and
jake Hamon with statutory offense.
Warrant on this charge was never
served. She was graduated from the
common schools Of Lawton, Okla.
at Fort Worth, Tex, and Oklahoma
City, Okla, and later assumed a
position as cashier and bookkeeper in
several stores at Lawton. ,
Mrs. Clara Hamon entered the en-
ploy Of Jake Hamon in the summer
Of 1912 in the capacity of a private
secretary, which position was main
tanned until until short time before
Mr.. Hamon met his death 1t had
not been established at the time of
her trial whether Mrs. Hanon was
in Mr.. lannon's employ at the time
of his death.
Mrs. Clara Hamon disappeared the
day following the wounding of Jake
Hamon and despite a search which
gained nationwide scope, was not
discovered until she voluntarily gave
herself ND at Juarez, Mexico, shortly
before Christmas Ardmore county
officials and ATTORNEYS from Fort
Worth, Tex. who had been retained
Nv Mrs. lannon's uncle. Ben amin
Harrison. of Iowa. as counsel shortly
before she surrendered. accompanied
her back to Ardmore.
Came to Ardmore Christmas Day.
Clara Hamou arrived in Ardmore
on Christmas day and was granted
her freedom under bond of $4,000
only a few moments after entering
the sheriff's office. which served as
a court room foy her preliminary
hearing and serving of bail. She
pleaded not guilty. Following her
release Mrs. Hamon spent the great
er part of her time with her rela-
tives at Wilson and Ringing. Okla
west of Ardmore, and in consultation
with her ATTORNEYS at Fort Worth.
1t was many DAYS after the search
for Mrs. Hamon BEGAN before it was
learned that Clara Smith at one time
bore the name of Hamon. which she
later asserted was the name to which
she responded This was bought out
through the allegations of Ruth
Walker Hamon of San Francisco
who declared she was the wife Of
Frank Louis Hamon, former husband
of Clara Smith and nephew of Jake
Hamon.
Ruth Hamon in her statements de-
clared that Clara Smith and Frank
Hamon were divorced at Weather
ford. Tex, May %, 1917. This state
ment was later corroborated by rec
ords on file in the court clerks Of
further stated that Frank Hamon
was paid 500 a month by Jake as
compensation for m/ryir1g Clara
Smith. RAYMOND Hamon, Franks
brother and also nephew of Jake
Hamon, declared his uncle paid FRANK
500 monthly because of the latter's
i'll health.
Interviews purporting to have been
given newspapermen and others dur
ing her travel to Mexico and before
she surrendered were denied by Mrs.
Hamon in signed statements, made
after she stated back to Ardmore.
Mrs. Jake L. Hamen of Chicago,
widow, stated when in Ardmore and
Oklahoma CITY that she did not a.
that time desire to apprehend Clara
Smith nor was it her wish to have her
prosecuted She declared then that
Mr. lannon's death bed statement
that he died from accidental wounds
was her belief.
Injection of Clara lannon's clairn to
a share of Jake lannon's estate
threw another angle into the case
upon which, defense counsel .leclar-
ed. would be brought to bear the dis
closures that would follow Defense
counsel maintained strict secrecy