The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-03-10
MOST SENSATIONAL HOMICIDE
TRiNi. KNOWN TO CRIMINAL
ANNALS BEGAN THIS MORNING
Continued from page y

Continued from page y
the Information filed against the de
fendant charging murder would in
fuence the veniremen in arriving a
a verdict if he were accepted for jury
service and whether the venremer
recognized the law of self-defense.
The presence here ef $. +. Freeing
state attorney general. and his parti.
cpation in the trial by direction OF
governor j. b. A. Robertson. led ia
several Indirect clashes of state and
defense cuunsels.
Defense counsel in questioning ve-
niremen asked if the presence Of the
state official and anything he might
say or do would sway opinion ana in
sisted that the veniremcn treat him
in their consideration as "a common
lawyer"
Defense counsel explained that the
law did not make II mandatory that
the governor appoint the attorney
general to participate in this case
and that it was not the usual GUS
tom.
Attorney General Freezing was cQu-
ally insistent in his questioning as 10
whether his presence would have an
opposite effect,
The counsels' remarks were not ad-
dressed to each other, but to the We
niremen.
Court was called to order at 9:lS
o'clock and within five minutes two
minor felony cases were disposed OF
and the Clara Smith Hamon case ad-
mitted to trial.
TIE defendant, nattily dressed in
blue tailored suit, hat to match. black
silk stockings and patent leather slip
pers, appeared in the court room
promptly at o'clock when her case
was scheduled
She was recognized by the few
hundred spectators, but no demonstra-
tion other than a cranng Of necks
ensued. She took a position immeda-
tely behind her counsel of five MEM
bers. From time to time she conferred
with them and as the vcniremen were
being examined, slipped a note book
fran her skirt pocket and made no.
tations She appeared wanly cheerful,
and, before court was called TO or
der smiled ana shook hands with a
number Of friends wao came TO her
side.
Mrs Jake l.. Hamon, the widow,
did not appear in the court room,
although Attorney General Freezing
had announced his intention to ask
waiver of the witness rule in her case
Her son. Jake i. Jr., arrived in court
late and was forced to stand along
side the wall
Both state an, defense counsel ex-
pressed pleasure at. the rapidity with
which the case was proceeding and
said that they expected a jury to be
during the afternoon session,
which will last until p. m.
At the opening of the trial this
the first action was that of
attorney general Freezing in filing
his order from Governor Robertson
directing him to take charge OF The
and James II. Mathers,
county attorney for Carter county,
flied his disqualification to prosecute
he case on account of having been
retained by the defendant and state
agreed that the true name of the de-
'endant is Clara Smith Hamon, and
{ was so stipulated in the record.
The former Miss Smith obtained uhe
name Hamon by her marriage to |
Frank Hamon, nephew of the man
'he Is charged with having killed. and /
rom whom she later was divorced
AS soon as order was restored. fol- |
owing the cry of the court bailiff !
in stentorian tones that |