The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1921-03-17
CLARA ! |. ! | HERSELF
On STAND TO SAY
| AM INN0CENT
Widow Of Dead Millionaire
Tells Startling Story About
Him and Girl Defense's
Love Notes Barred.
BY SAM BLAIR,

i
BY SAM BLAIR,
Ardmore. Okla, March 15.Clara
Smith Hamon takes the Witness stand
Tuesday in her own behalf, the last
direct testimony witness in the trial
which Is to determine whether she
shall be punished for the fatal shoot
Ing Of Jake L. Hamon, politician and
southwest empire builder.
Tho Widow Testifies.
Defense testimony already entered
In direct and cross examination has
given clear indication OF the story she
can be expected to tell. This story
will contain few novelties and 1t ID
assured she will repeat version Of
the shooting coincident with that CIV
en- in interviews with this correspond
ent and published after I found her
last December in Chiahuahua, Mexico.
So far evidence in chief is concerned.
the state has played !:.s last cscs2. Il
the game Of which woman's free
dom Is the stake. The last card--the
states last witness-was the widow
OF the oil king. At points her testi-
mony may have been technically out
Of bounds but the defense attorneys
seemed to have little desire to bring
forth the deluge Of tears the indica-
ton Of which showed in the dimness
Of her eyes, the tight clinching Of her
fingers and the contractions that
came and went across her throat. Not
word Of cross examination was
asked.
Was on Clara's Heels.
Mrs. Hamon, costumed in the dead
black that compels attention. raised
her head high when she took the witt
ness stand, gazed fixedly above the
Jurors heads and began telling an
ordinary story Of an Ordinary early
married life. But very abruptly the
narrative swerved from the usual.
She was telling of her first visit to
Ardmore, hard on the heels OF her
husband and Clara Smith eight years
ago. She was describing the room
into which she had forced an entrance
and in which Hamon and the defend
ant had lived together. She was
speaking with as much rapidity as
possible, realizing, perhaps, that her
statement was not admissible as evil
dence and determined. therefore, to
pour out the words before the ex-
pected objection.
Again Visited Their Rooms.
II saw in the room picture OF Miss
f Smith with very beautiful dress on
"a beautiful dress indeed. The at
torney general noted the evidences
Of breaking restraint. The attorney
general did not desire that the state
be accused Of the staging a tear ep-
peal to the jury. He asked soma
other questions, and, finally, brought
the subject of the examination around
to Mrs. Hamond's second visit to Ard
more, about three years ago. She
told again Of visiting the Jake Ha-
mono Clara Smith rooms in the Randol
hotel here.
Demanded cIara's Fur Coats.
She told Of seeing Clara Smith
Eamon whlrl and leave one of the
communicating rooms as she entered.
She told Of finding In the woman's
room a revolver, which she confls-
Gated, photographs Of her husband,
which she reQuisitioned and two
beautiful fur coats"
Exhibit Love Letters.
And she had two magnificent fur
coats and I never in my life even
had one fur coat" she cried with q
touch Of violence that brought one
defense attorney to his feet with an
unconscious objection
OF course, the objection held good,
but it was evident that the defense
had not obtruded any complaint
against the testimony Of this one wilt
ness. Mrs. Testimony" was effec-
tive. Just how effective can only be
determined when the jury Tuesday
will receive testimony of the other
woman. Before the state closed it's
testimony, three exhibits were ex-
hibited. Two were love letters, writ
ten by Clara Smith, as she was then
in 1915-before her marriage to
Jake Hamon's nephew, through which
she entitled herself to the name Of
Hamon. The third was an unex-
planned contract, which read:
For consideration Of 81 and other
valuable considerations, the receipt
OF which Is hereby acknowledged, !
hereby release any and all claims that
! have or may have against Jake L.
Hamon and this is in settlement in
full for relations existing between US
and for claims Of money
(Signed) Clara Smith"
Clara Warned Hamon.
The date of the contract was jan
uary 81 1916. The letters We're sent
from Kansas City. One of these let
tiers begins with a condemnation of
Hamon because he permitted Mrs.
H" to write one OF Clara's associ-
ates who didn't even know you were
married and to tell everything"
81 won't do that any longer" wrote
Clara. "And I'm telling you for the
last time. If you don't stop it 1 will
one way or the other. 1 know you
can do that much to keep me. If you
ever go to see her again, don't speak
to me-"
The Womens suffrage movement in
France celebrating last Sunday the 5Oth
auuiIerSa " of the founding, Of tha