Jake L. Hamon - Rose Hill Cemetery - Ardmore, OK - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Born in Kansas in 1873, Jake Hamon earned a law degree at the University of Kansas before marrying in 1898 and then moving to Lawton, OK in 1901. Hamon became chairman of the Republican Oklahoma Territorial Committee, and gained notoriety as city attorney when he was accused of bribery (and ousted) regarding gambling contracts with the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations.

Hamon moved his family to Ardmore in 1912, where he worked to build a railroad with John Ringling (of circus fame), and then made his big money by speculating on oil leases in the Healdton Field. His domain also extended to Texas, where he had holdings in the Fort Worth Railroad, the Desdemona Oil Field, and several towns including Wichita Falls.

While Hamon's early career and his becoming a Republican National Committeeman (where the big story really begins) are certainly notable, it is his death and subsequent trial that are best remembered today. Laton McCartney's "The Teapot Dome Scandal" provides excellent reading about not only the Teapot Dome Scandal itself, which went ahead with Albert Fall in Hamon's place, but also the background behind Hamon's shooting and what prompted it.

Hamon was one of the architects of the Harding campaign, and his influence and money played a major role in getting Harding elected. The goal: Hamon would become Secretary of the Interior and arrange to have oil reserves under Teapot Dome (in Wyoming) and two other locations transferred from the Department of the Navy to that of the Interior. Once done, Hamon would lease out drilling to his cronies in the oil business in no-bidding arrangements, with kickbacks sent in Hamon's direction.

Hamon had abandoned his family in favor of his mistress, Clara Smith, whom he arranged to have married to his brother so she could take the name "Hamon." That way, Jake and Clara could travel under the name "Jake and Clara Hamon," and none would be the wiser. The brother was paid off well for his part in the deal, but the arrangement was to be Hamon's undoing.

At some point, Mrs. Harding discovered that she and Jake's wife, the "real" Mrs. Jake L. Hamon, were distant cousins, and this provided an "in" for Hamon during the Harding election campaign. Unfortunately, after Harding was elected, this worked against him. Mrs. Harding was certainly aware of her own husband's philandering ways, and the order was issued that Hamon would have to reconcile with his family before he could serve in the cabinet. Clara had to go.

Hamon broke the news to Clara and gave her some time to get her things in order. She would walk away with a golden parachute, including some oil wells that Hamon had given her, as well as enough money to provide for her and her relatives. What Hamon didn't know is that, while Clara took the news well, she bought a pistol the day after hearing it.

What exactly happened in their room at the Randol Hotel on November 21 is unclear, but the basics are that Hamon returned to the hotel after an afternoon of drinking. Clara was there, and the lights were off. Hamon flopped down on the bed to relax before dinner, Clara sat down next to him, and she fired one shot from her .25 calibre pistol. The shot pierced Hamon's ribs and lodged in his liver. Amazingly, Hamon was in good enough condition to knock the pistol from Clara's hand before she could fire again, and while clutching his chest, he managed to pocket the pistol before confronting Clara. Hamon managed to walk to the nearby Hardy Sanitarium. He tried to cover things up, probably fearing publicity, by claiming that he'd shot himself while cleaning his gun. He died five days later, admitting that it was Clara who had shot him.

In the meantime, Clara fled to Mexico, but she was ultimately convinced to return to Ardmore, where she went on trial in March 1921 for Hamon's murder. There was enough reasonable doubt that Hamon may have assaulted Clara, prompting her to shoot him in self-defense, that she was acquitted. She eventually moved to California and remarried, with aspirations to become an actress, before vanishing into obscurity.

Hamon's son and daughter-in-law, Jake L. and Nancy Hamon, were successful in the oil business and famous in their own right for their philanthropy. They are buried in the same plot, while Jake, Sr. remains a footnote to one of the greatest scandals in American history.

Description: Smoke-filled hotel rooms. Big business, looking to elect someone as President of the United States who will then do their bidding. Unregulated campaign contributions. Get-rich schemes involving no-bid contracts. Hanky-panky involving a man whose mistress is actually his brother's wife, and later, murder and a proverbial 'Trial of the Century.' No, you won't find this on the current late-night news: It's the 1920 presidential election and its fallout, one of the greatest scandals in U.S. history. Date of birth: 06/05/1873 Date of death: 11/26/1920 Area of notoriety: Politics Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight hours Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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