Isabella Mueller (crime writer)
In the Roaring Twenties, the dazzling Hollywood showgirl Clara Phillips made her mark on American criminal history with the brutal murder of 19-year-old bank employee Alberta Meadows, the alleged mistress of her husband Armour Lee Phillips. The bloodthirsty act shocked the nation in 1922, as it resembled an attack by a tiger that mauled its victim, which is why Clara was nicknamed “Tiger Woman” by the media. Clara had struck her victim more than 50 times with a claw hammer, completely mangling her face. She then threw a 23-kilogram rock onto the young woman’s body to make sure she was actually dead. The shocking thing about the murder was that it was based solely on rumors of her husband’s affair, which were completely fabricated. The tragedy began when, in July 1922, Clara overheard her neighbor gossiping about Clara’s husband Armour having an affair with the young widow Alberta Meadows, whose husband had died in a work accident a year after their wedding. Clara was furious and had only one thing in mind: to get rid of her rival. For this reason, she visited a general store on July 10, 1922. In the hardware department, she came across a claw hammer, which seemed to her to be the perfect murder weapon. Clara bluntly asked the salesman if it could be used to kill a woman. The salesman thought she was joking, but replied that it was entirely possible. Clara then bought the claw hammer for 15 cents. The next day, Clara met with her friend Peggy Caffee, also a showgirl at a speakeasy in Long Beach. She told her about her husband’s secret lover, whereupon the two drove to Alberta’s workplace. Clara pretended to be drunk and asked Alberta to drive her to her house in Montecito Heights, which was a remote area at the time. Alberta took pity on the two women and gave them a ride in her brand-new Ford. At the foot of a hill on a winding gravel road, Alberta was told to stop. While Peggy remained in the car, Clara wanted to talk to Alberta in private. They got out and Clara confronted Alberta with the rumors of an affair, which Alberta vehemently denied. But Clara would not be appeased and struck Alberta more than 50 times with a claw hammer. She then rolled a 23-kilogram boulder onto her body. Peggy watched the crime from the car but did not dare to stop Clara for fear of being killed herself. After this insane act, they both drove back in Alberta’s car. Covered in blood, Clara returned home and laughingly told her husband about the crime. Although he was shocked, he still helped Clara destroy the evidence. The next day, he put Clara on a train to Texas. He then reported the murder to the authorities, and Clara was arrested on July 14 in Tucson, Arizona. Her subsequent trial was a media sensation, not only because of the brutality of the crime, but also because Clara’s husband was a descendant of the Mellons. This banking and oil dynasty from Pittsburgh was one of the most powerful families in the US. Armour, however, came from a poor branch of the family in Texas, yet the murder took place in the highest circles of American society. The mixture of glamour, power, and murder made headlines, with the focus on the delightful yet cold-blooded Clara, who almost had the traits of a psychopath. Clara Anne Weaver was born on June 23, 1894, one of five children of John Weaver and Anna Jackson. Her family moved frequently within Texas until they finally settled in Houston when Clara was a teenager. In Houston, she met Armour Lee Phillips. The two teenagers fell in love and were married on May 14, 1918. Shortly thereafter, the newlyweds moved to Los Angeles. While Clara dreamed of a career as a Hollywood actress, Armour aspired to a career in the oil industry, where he soon made a name for himself as a talented con artist and swindler. Clara soon landed a job as a showgirl at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, where she was constantly at odds with the other showgirls. Clara also worked as a model for Mack Sennett in one of his works about the Sennett Bathing Beauties. But despite her luxurious life, Clara’s working hours clashed with Armour’s lifestyle, which often led to arguments. Rumors of Armour’s alleged affair with young bank clerk Alberta Tremaine Meadows did not help matters. Clara was considered a quick-tempered personality with a vivid imagination, even inventing stories about her kidnapping as a child to get attention. No wonder Clara enjoyed the limelight after the murder. Her trial began on September 17, 1922, and went down in history as one of the most high-profile trials of the time. Clara’s friend Peggy Caffee testified against her, while Clara tried to shift the blame onto Peggy. Ultimately, Clara was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to ten years in prison. But Clara did not give up. On December 5, 1922, she escaped from prison, only to be recaptured a few months later, in April 1923, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Her escape plans, which she had hatched together with her sister Etta Mae Jackson and journalist Jesse Carson, ultimately failed due to the authorities. She was eventually returned to California and was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison until 1932. She was then transferred to the California Women’s Institution in Tehachapi. During her imprisonment, Clara began training as a dental assistant. On June 17, 1935, Clara, who had long since divorced Armour, was finally released from prison on parole. Little is known about her later life. It is speculated that she changed her name and was last seen in Texas in 1961. After her death on June 21, 1969, she was buried under the name Ann C. Weaver at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego, California. Clara Phillips’ story remains a dark chapter in criminal history, a testament to the depths of human cruelty – even behind the glamorous facade of a showgirl career.
