Medford mail tribune., March 15, 1921, Page 1, Image 1

'
The Weather '
Maximum yesterday 50
Minimum today ,..41
BFORB
Predictions
Probable rain.
&. JUL
Tnlly Fifteenth Year.
Weekly Kiftiuth Year.
MEDFOKD, ORECiOX, TUKSDAY, MAliCII 1."), 1921
XO. 303
M A TT TWTOITTVn?
1 u 1 1 r h n j (i 11 . n u t i 1 1 t E i i
CLARA SMITH HAIVION DENIES MUST PAY
SHE KILLED MARRIED LOVER. OH DM I MM
GUN INI
Defendant in Sensational Murder Trial Takes Stand in Own Be
halfPaints Lurid Picture of Last Evening With Million
aire Oil Man Hamon Beastly Drunk, Cursed and Beat Her,
and-in Bitter Struggle Gun Exploded Tense Recital Often
. . Punctured by Teajs Wanted Hamon to Live, Willing to
Die Herself Uproar Caused in Court Room.
T.
-AUDMonii,. Qkhi., Mar. 15. Clara
Smith Hii'mon; charged with Uiu mur
der of ColonclJuko.. ..L. Hamon, touk
the witness stand in hor trial hero to
day, and told her. story of Uiu inci
dents of the day and night of No
vember HI when Colonel Humon was
allot. She spoku drftinatieally in a
caul, low pitched voice, hi'sitatini;
only when alio told that Colonel Hu
mon cursed her. Shu answered a few
preliminary ' questiuns and then
launched into her story of their last
day togother.
When she reached the point in her
story Qf the actual shooting shii le'ft
the witness stand, and taking the pis
tol with which Hainon was shot, in
her hand, sho illustrated how the
allot was fired.
'1 Didn't I It."
:"I didn't go . to do it," sho said.
"The pistol went 'off when he struck
it, or I pulled the trigger or some
thing; I know not what."
.The defendant's voice broke as sho
told that Colonel Hamon cursed her
on the evening ho was shot and
tears came into her eyes. Her voiee
dropped low and she said "he was
drunk and crazier than he ever had
been in all the years 1 had known
him.'' , , ,v.,r..
t': After 'a few .preliminary questions
in which she sald she was 29 years
old, Jnc.w Colonel Hamon was mar
ried, and that ho had educated her
so she might work for him, she was
asked to tell tho Jury how the shoot
ing happened.
1 Breakfast at 11 A. M.
"We had breakfast about 11
o'clock," sho said. "After brenkfast
Mr. Hamon left mo; 1 presume ho
went to his office, ho usually did on
Sunday morning. I wont back to my
room. and In .the afternoon about 2:30
or 3 o'clock, -1 don't remember, he
came back to tho room and we had
a very pleasant conversation."
When the defondnnt tiled to tell
how Colonel Hamon after ho was
shot said, "I am hit," and had show
ed her tho blood spot forming " his
shirt, she broke, flown and sobbed
into her handkerchief.
Ho laid down on his bed tu rest.
Ho only stayed a short time, perhaps
less than an hour,' three jiuarlers of
an hour, I would say, then ho went
hauk to tho office, or ho told me he
was Boitlg ' baj'ld Isold, he had some
friends vtf&ltyjfM " Homo1' politicians,
sbntcbiidy, 1 dpri'f ronicihber who, 1
was very busy cleaning up my roonii'
reading newspapers and getting my
clothes , ready to so away to Cali
fornia for my trip, and' 1 decided that
I would like to have a-little rido., so
got in., my car and, wont for a,, ride;
that was about six o'cKick and I think
1 rode about an hour, perhaps a lit
tlu, more than an hour. It' was about
soven, dark enough for tho street
lights to bo on when I came bark.
When I drove up In front of the hotel,
Mr. Hamon was sitting in front of
the hotel in a chnlr; between Mr. Ha
mon and the door of tho-hotel there
was'anothor chair.
"He immediately grabbed me as I
passed and shoved me down in the
chair and said ho wonted to talk to
me and used profane language.
, " "Don't Curse Me."
"I told him 'plonso don't curse
here', don't make a scene. If you
want to curse and be mean to me and
abuse, me,- let's go to the room.' He
continued to curse me and I noticed
that the lights in tho car were on and
1 said 'wait a minute, I want to turn
tho lights of my car off.' He turned
me loose and I walked to the car
and switched off tho lights.
POTTER MS FOR
WHITE PLAINS, N. Y., Mar. 15.
Court proceedings Incident to the suit
for absolute divorce brought by James
A. Stillman, president of the National
City Balik of New York against his
wife, the former "Fifi" Potter, were
-adjourned indefinitely here today be
fore Supreme Court Justice .Morseh
atlser. John F. Brennan of counsel for Mrs.
Stillman, told the justice that counsel
for both sides had agreed to postpone
Indefinitely argument on nn applica
OFF IN STRUGGLE
"When I passed by him and turn
ed to get through the door he again
grabbed me by the arm and jerked
me down on a chair and ugaln
cursed. I said 'go to tho room, Air.
Hamon, if you want to abuse me,
there nro some men standing there,
you must not talk that way hero in
public,' so he got up and 1 went up
stairs to my room.
Drunk and Crazy.
. "I was afraid of Mr. Hamon,' very
afraid of him. 1 saw a look on his
face that I had never seen before. He
wns drunker than 1 had ever seen
him in nil tho years I had known him.
Ho was drunk und crazy. 1 don't
think the whiskey was good red whis
key, as .Mr. Nichols said. He usually
drank good whiskey and he wasn't
usually crazy llko that. Ho was cra
zier and drunker than ho had ever
been In all the years I had known
him. When I got to my room the
doors were locked between our rooms
that is the bathroom door was lock
ed.' 1 rang for Bill, the porter. 1
thought I had better eat something.
I hadn't had anything to eat all day.
At breakfast I could not eat .my
breakfast. I seldom ever eat any
breakfast and when Bill came and
knocked on the door he camo in
with Ice water and Mr. Hamon
slipped In with him. I had to unlock
the door for Bill. I was . afraid of
Mr. Hamon. I wanted to keep away
from him for 24 more hours -so 1
could go to California and wait for
him to sober up and come to me look
ing tho sweet, kind, lover he had been
before, fio he camo in1 as Bill came.
Bill poured the lee water in the
pitcher. Mr. Hamon paced up and
down, running his hands through his
hair as he did when agitated and the
minute Bill went out and tho door
was hardly closed whon Mr. Hamon
said with an .epithet: 'Where have
you been ?' and grabbed me at the
same time and choked me and he
choked me until I was blind and 1
couldn't seem to think."
Choked and Hit Her.
"Now Miss Clara,"- interrupted W.
I. McLean, of her counsel, "Just a
minute." "I will finish the story. Mr.
McLean"' sho said. "He choked me
and hit me and somehow he threw
me over on tho bed by one of his
licks and after he got me on the bed
ho beat mo and slapped me . and
slapped ine and hit me livo or three
times and tooj' me by one foot and
jerked me off the bed on my back
and 1 have been operated on in the
back and he kicked me and choked
ine and I struggled to get up and In
choked wo again and backed me up
against the window und choked l:ic
again and again and slapped pie; and
;thcn lie wasn't satisfied with that,
and ho twisted my fingers back and
tried to break them and then he
said 'I will cut your throat.' and ho
reached for his knife. Tho knife had
fallen out of his pocket in the after
noon while he was laying on the bed
and I picked it up and put It over on
the table after he walked out of the
room: then when ho did not have
the knife in his pocket he reached for
the knife I had given him on a little
gold chain and somehow, somewnv
'hat knife wasn't there. Ho looked
around and meantime he was chok
ing nnd beating me very bad. I can
not remember all of it. it is too much
for anybody to remember."
"Did he make any remarks to
you?" McLean nsked.
Hamon ('! Knife
"Well, I am getting to that, Mr.
Continued on 1-ea Elehtl
CASE DROPPED, FIR
A
tion concerning the examination of Mr.
Stillman for the purpose of ascertain
ing his income, relative to determina
tion of alimony and counsel fees.
Mr. Brennan. when asked If this ac
tion was a prelude to dropping the
entire case, made no reply.
He also declined to discuss reports
that the case might be taken to Cali
fornia or Nevada.
The motion before the court today
involved an application by the defense
for $10,000 a month alimony and coun
sol fees amoun'ing to fl'a.oon.
LU DiLLIUIl
by may i
Germany Called On by Allied
Commission to Carry Out
Article 235 of Versailles
Treaty Appeal by Ger
many to League of Nations
Called Improper.
PARIS, Mar. 15. Germany was
called upon yesterday by the allied
reparations commission to carry out
article 235 of the" Versailles treaty,
which stipulates Germany inns: pay
before May 1, 11121, the equivalent
of twenty billion Bold marks. The
treaty provides that this payment
may be madu In gold, commodities,
ships, . securities or other valuables,
and that out of this sum the expenses
of the armies of occupation are first
to bo met.
Tho commission also took steps to
carry- out article 233 of tho treaty,
which provides that Germany must
be notified before May 1 next the to
tal amount of war damage imposed
upon her by tho treaty. .
"If Ciormany persists in. refusing to
make payment," says the Petit I'ari-
slen in discussing the action of the
commission, "she will force us to im
pose upon her tho integral execution
of tho treaty. That was the signifi
cance of yesterday's meeting."
In discussing the protest made to
the Leaguo ' of Nations by Oe-.-many
against 'the. 'Penalties being enforced
by tlie nllles oh Germany because of
her refusal to carry, out her repara
tion obligations, the Petit Parlslen
says:
"Germany is not qualified to de
mand nrbitH-ation from the league, as
she is not n member of it."
Negotiations between France and
Germany concerning the transfer of
funds collected for the- purposo of
paying disability and old age insur
ance to residents of Alsace and Lor
raine, have failed and France, it Is
declared, is prepared to ask that ar
ticle 77 of the Versailles troaty bo en
forced. This article provides that the
German government shall under
take to pay over to the French gov
ernment a proportion of nil reserves
accumulated by tho empire or by pub
lic or private bodies, dependent upon
It for the purposes , of disability and
old age insurance.
BALLOTS MAILED
CHICAGO, Mar. 15. Dennis Lane,
secretary-treasurer of tho Amalgamat
ed Meat Cutters and Butcher Work
men's union, and another labor repre
sentative not selected, will represent
the packing house workers at their
conference In Washington, March 21,
with representatives of the five lead
ing packers and secretaries of the de
partments of labor, commerce and
agriculture, It was announced today.
Strike ballots wore being mailed out
by union leaders today to the packing
centers in the middle west, asking
their members to vote upon the eight
hour day question involved in the
wage .reductions.. and re-arrangomont
of hours which the packom placed In
effect yesterday.
President Samuel Gompcrs of tho
American Federation of Labor Is ex
pected to arrive In Chicago late today.
Conditions wore reported normal in
dispatches from (he leading packing
centers yesterday. t
JOHNNY WILSON GEIS
XEW YOltK. Mar. 15. Johnny
tVilaon. middleweight boxing cham
pion, will receive $40,000 for his 15
round decision bout here ThurKday
with Mike O'Dowd of St. Paul, the
former title holder. Six years ago
Wilson boxed ten rounds here with
Knockout Sweeney, for which he re
ceived til. 25. O'bim-ii', share of
TlllUSil.iV'M h'Ul Will he 1:0,011(1.
DECIDE PACKERS .
STRIKE (V1ARCH 21,
Talaat Pasha, F.ormer
Grand Vizier Turkey,
Murdered, Germany
k fcSr V V ?
TALAAT PASHA.
B1CHLIX, Mar. 15. fay Associated
Press.). Talaat Pasha, former grand
vizier and; minister of finance of Tur
key was assassinated In Chaiiotton-
burg, a western suburb of Berlin today.
Ho was shot to death. The murderer,
an Armenian student, was arrested.
EDITH .GORE-IS
Victim of Auto Accident Sun
day Night in Serious Condi
tion Driver - of Spotlight
Car Remains a Mystery to
Authorities.
The accident on iho Pacific high
way Sunduy night in which the ("ore
sistum were run over by an auto is
still nn absorbing topic of conversa
tion throughout the city and Valley
bitli iiecatiHo of tho nature of the de
ploralilo'affalr and tho promlnonco of
the Gore family. '
. iMIbs Kdlth (lore is still in a criti
cal condition with a fractured skull
and severe bruises at the Sacred
Heart hospital where slo was operat-"
ed on Monday and a piece of skull
two and one-hulf Inches In extent was
removed from the depression caused
by the fracture. Jt ; was , roported
this noon that she wus In a semi-conscious
condition and was apparently
sleeping. It will be a day or so yot,
it wus announced, heforo her
chances for recovery will he known.
- i.Miss Liberia Gore is In the same
hospital suffering with a compound
fiacturo of tho left leg, u badly cut
lip and very bad Urulscs. Her suf
ferings wore reported as intense , to
day ul though there seems to. be no'
doubt of her recovery, Tho attend
ing Riugeons think that her. leg will
heal In such a manner as not to leave
her crippled, which will be welcome
news to her many friends. Tho sur
geons, it is said, took 25 stitches in
Bewlng her cut lip, exercising extia
Precaution to the end that this would
will heal without leaving a disfigure
ment. Miss Liberia had been office
girl for Urn. Kulott and Conroy for
some time past.
Miss Jeanettc Oore,- the least In
jured of the sisters escaped with a
wrenched leg or foot and bruises, but
Is able to walk about. , " '
It Is not positively known as yet
the Identity of the driver of the
large touring cart which caused the
accident by switching the car's spot
light Into the eyes of Kmll Hammond,
who drove the car which rart over
the Core sisters, but. the authorities
feel assured they have the car and
Its 'owner located. They will wait
(Canlinucd on I'sgn Seven)
OPERATED UPON
SEMI-CONSCIOUS
5
TO DEATH
IN SLEEPER
Rear Pullman on D. & R. G.
Train Catches Fire and
Burns While Train's Run
ning at 25 Miles an Hour
Two Who Escape Are
, Injured.
ITKBLO, Colo., Mar. 15, Flvv
pctHoiiH wero burned to death when n
rear Pullman car un the Denver and
Kin Crande railroad rauRht lire early
this imrrnlnK between l'ueblo and
Walsvnliui'K.
Seven persona were asleep in the
Pullman when It caught fire. Two
of them e.senped by jumping from the
j-tnr1ows und were slightly injured.
Tho train wns traveling about 25
miles an hour, according to informa
tion received here. Tho Pullman was
tho last car on tho train and was
completely destroyed. Tho bodioR
were dragged out of the mass of fire
nnd wreckago when tho train came to
a stop. The car ahead of tho burned'
Pullman wan partially burned.
Tho train was hound from Denver
to Alamosa, Colo. Tho flruVas din
covored by tho ongitio crew of n
northbound D. & It. fi. train, which
signalled tho other to stop.
Conductor Nixon of Alamosa waH
severely burned on his face and
hands; while attoinptlng to uncouple
tho burning sleeper.
Under regulations, tho brnkeninn
ihould havo been rlding oh' tho last
sleeper, but could not 'bo foilnd this
morning,, the assistant, superintendent
said. . .. :
SEATTLE BANKER
SPOKANE, Mar. 15. Extradition
pApcrs for the return from Mexico of
Nicholas A. Znnkoff, formerly Man
ager of tho local ofrico of tho Pruden
tial pavings nnd Loan Boclety of Scut
tle, have been asked by the stale board
of accountancy from the Btato depart
ment at Washington, according to a
long distance intervlow hy the Chron
icle with Kxnmlnor Fred Leghorn of
tho board at Olympla today.
According to Mr. Leghorn,, a war
rant has been iBsued charging Knnkoff
with the embezzlement of about $40,
000 of tho society's funds. He sold
that most of the monoy unnccoiilited
for Is the property of small depositors.
SEATTLE. Mar. 15. Depositors
whoso accounts with the Prudentlul
Savings and Loan association of Seat
tle were alleged to have been embez
zled by Nicholas Zankoff, former man
ager of tho Spoksindj offices of tho as
sociation, havo been "taken caro Of"
and will lose nothing, E.' K. Hender
son, secretary-manager of the associa
tion said today. Zankoff Is said to
havo fled to Mexico following dlscov
ory of his "alleged peculations.
Znnkoff's bond had been allowed to
lapse during a previous management
of the association, Mr. Henderson said,
and had not been renewed at tho time
tho alleged embezzlement was uncov
ered. WASHINGTON, Mnr;. 15., The
American people today had their an
nual day of reckoning. Then labor
iously ret-kone'l Incomes and iiusinesf
profits for the year of 19L'0 were pre
sented In tthe form of income and ex
cess profits tax returns.
t'nele Sam, as a result will he
richer by approximately $500,000,000
according to a treasury department
estimate.
Kecelpts a year ago were $800,000,
000; hut tho general depression ex
perienced during the Inst half of 1920
wns counted on to df-crease the total
incomes and profits reported.
SHIPS TO MEXICO
WITH $40,000
PRESIDENT HARDING STARTS
ON RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM
WAR LIQUIDATION FIRST All
President Considers With Cabinet Creation of Liquidation
Commission to Dispose of Surplus War Property Alas
kan Development Also Considered Federal Action Prob
able to Restore Alaska to Wormal State and Develop Her
Natural Resources Hoover Meets With Secy.'s Davis and
Wallace in Conference on Packer's Wage Settlement'.'
WASHINGTON, Mar. 15. Itocon
Strucliun policies were considered hy
President Harding and his official ad
visors ul today's cabinet meeting.
Ono subject given particular n"en
t Ion was a proposal to create a !lUida
Hon commission to dispose of surplus
war property.
Tlie extent of nulliorlly to bo exer
cised by a liquidation commission was
not discussed in detail.
Alaska came In for particular con
sideration. The president recently has
received much Information regarding
Alaskan affairs and the fooling Is un
derstood to have been manifest that
the situation which has developed re
garding industries thoro requires re
view nnd probably action lo restore it
to a normal state. Development or
natural resources In Alaska and else
where, halted on account of the War,
Is among tho policies which Mr. Hard
ing and his official family want to re
sume. VASHINOTON, Mar. 15. While Job
hunters cooled their heels around tho
'White 'House offices today, President
Harding tollod over his income tax re
turn. ; Llko many other Americans he
hud left the job to the last moment
and only folks with urgent business
got in to seo him. '
1 WASHINGTON, Mar. 15. The oxtro
session of tho sonato which began
March 4, ended shortly before noon to-
day. After confirming a few addition
al nominations by President Harding,
the senate adjourned sine die.
WASHINGTON, Mnr. 15. Irving
Wright of Thormopolls, Wyo., was
nominated today to be register ol the
land office at Lander, Wyo., nnd J. Ira
Kirhy of Sheridan, Wyo., to he receiv
er of public moneys at Buffalo, Wyo.
8ALT IjAKE CITY, Mar. 15. Presi
dent Hording has written to Professor
F. H. Marshall, secretary of tho Na
tional Wool Growors association, ex
pressing tho hope that thore will he no
delay in the passing of tariff legisla
Hon.
The loiter was In response to a tele
gram dlrectod to tho president by tho
Wool Growers association.
WASHINGTON, Mar. 15. Confer
ences for the adjustment qf differences
between the pnekors and ihelr cm
ployos will opon here Monduy, Socro
tiny Davis announced today.
Mr. Davis said ho had received a
telegram from Dennis Lane, secretary
of the employes' organization, agree
ing to this date. The packers already
na.vo agreed and havo their represen
tatives on the ground.
f. Secretaries Hoover and Wnllaco will
sit with Mr. Davis at tho conferences.
r Gompers Makes Statement
WASHINGTON, Mar. 15. Samuel
Gompcrs, president of tho American
Federation of Labor, declared In a
statement today that the proposal of
Armour and conipany and Swift and
company to put Into effect in their
plains a plan of "Industrial democ
racy" was a part of the "anti-union
campaign."
"What tho pnekors seek," said Mr.
Gompcrs, "Is the destruction of the
trndo unions which have given the
BE
Dl'HLIN, Mar. 15. Five police re
cruits were injured by the explosion of
a bomb here last night while searching
a house. Three civilians were killed
and several were wounded by tlie ex
plosion. All troops in Dublin were confined
to their barracks last night, officers
bearing that there might be disorders
as a result of the executions of six
men In Moimljoy prison yesterday.
employes ' real ' representative . nnd
which have ohtaiuod for them a mea
sure or real freedom nnd tho substitu
tion of something that will destroy
their roprcsi'iitallon and givo to tho
packers unabridged autocracy and
power. t - ,
"The packers now have Initiated or
have followed into, the ami union cam-
pnign, and annotinco first a reduction
in wages of workers and then proposo
to Introduco a schemo of aocallod .In
dustrial democracy In their plants. It
Is seriously doubted that they can suc
ceed In putting that Intq operation for
tho workers would enjoy about . as
much of 'industrial democracy' as tho
cattle and sheep, once within tho gates
of tho packers' plants."
Power Commission Meets .' .
; WASHINGTON, Mar. 15. Tho. fed
eral powor commission held-its first
meeting since Inauguration today in
Secretary Woeks' office and with both
the other members. Secretaries. Fall
and Wnllace, present. ;, . ,
Duties of the power commission are
so' important, Secretary Wpeka said,
that it should be re-organlzed with a
membership free from, other. , duties
and with the time for careful study of
problems. . i '. . , .
' WASHINGTON, Mar. 15. An em
bnrgO on Importation ot wool, wool
tops, and wool waste will bo proposed
In- a bill to be Introduced by Senator
Snioot, republican, Utah, on tho first
day of the special session of congress
next month. Immediate action was
necessary to save the wool Industry,
the senator said today, as foreign wool
Is pouring Into the country. ,
HAVANA'.' Mnr. lS.'-Sere'ant ;(lt'ay;'
Smith,, although houulossly iqiitqlasscil
by Dill Hronnan here last night 'was
ready to continue the iineqhul battle
after his' Soconds hud thrown a towel
Into iho ring. Unaware that his han
dlers had given up the fight Smith
who had been knocked down after two
minutes of fighting In tho third round,
rose at the count of nine and rushed
at his opponent, fie was stopped by
his seconds, however, and led to his
corner.
Tho fight was fast and furious from
beginning to end and Smith although
forcing iho fighting never had a
chance, llreunan lauding straight lofts
to tho face almost at will.
NEW YORK, Mar. 15. Ed (Stran
gler) LcwIb, world's heavyweight
catch as catch can wrestling champion
will meet John Pozok of Ravenna, Nob.
In a finish bout hero April 4, It was
announced today. Pczek defeated
Tommy Draak. in twenty minutes 25
seconds last night In a preliminary
match to tho Zbyszko-Stochcr affair.'
1 6 SINN
CORK. Mar. 15. Several British of
ficers who were wearing civilian cloth
ing were held up by unknown persons
at Crosshaven last night. In the fight
ing Thomas Hoiinessy and Michael
Murray were killed. John Moyasta, a
farmer or West Clare, was shot and
killed when ho opened his door, in re-,
sponse to a knock. Sevoral other mur
dorous attacks were reported Jiere dur
ing the night. ...... ,
SERGEANT SMITH
rag
.' 1 - t-.l vi''-- i-..V