The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-18
HURLED TO DEATH.
Robbed of Few Dollars and Thrown
in Pit to Die.

The Town of CordaviI1e Terrorized by
Every Nature Are Committed and the
Citizens Are in State of Terror-This
is the Latest Act of Violence
Cordaville, Mass, July ia cloud
of shame has settled over the heads of
the residents of this section of the state,
and everywhere sharp words of criti-
c1sm are heard against the authorities,
who have allowed lawless gang to con-
tinue to destroy lives and property in
this locality.
1t is very probable that at this hour
another murder mystery is there await
ing to be cleared up, and unless there is
more alertness shownsthan was visible
today, it will forever be mystery.
Thomas Jordan, the assault ted man, was
taken lin an unconscious state to the
Boston city hospital, and recovered his
senses long enough to tell the story of
his misfortune, whenshe again lapsed in
to insensibility. At a late hour last
night he was said to be slowly sinking.
Thomas Jordan, the assaulted man,
has worked on the Boston water basin
for two seasons, and he only came to
Cordaville last Wednesday. He is a
quiet, respectable man, about so years
old, and while in this town hes boarded
with Mrs. Maragret Quinn, who keeps
four boarders in an old brick house back
In the woods from the Boston & Albany
railroad track. At sthis point in the
woods, sthe Ashland, Hopkinton fand
Cordaville boundary lines come togeth-
er, and from this fact it has been quite
difficultsto ascertain just what authori-
ties are liable for the case. Worcester
and Middlesex counties also are separa-
tad at this point by the Sudbury river,
which flows through this thick and wild
woodland.
1t is certainly most terrible place in
which to commit crime like that at
tempted on Sunday night, and if the
culprits had killed the man outright it
would have beenSmonths before his body
would shave been found, if it ever was
found at all.
At the point where Jordan was found,
the woods are particularly dense, al
most impenetrable. There are rocks,
boulders and streams innumerable.
while the great large trees grow closely
together on the Jagged hillsides. with a
most luxurlant growth of elders and
underbrnsh, which makes the swamp al
most impossible. This fact alone makes
it positive thatJor is speaking truth
fully when he says that he was first as
saulted and then thrown in here. He
never could, at his age, have wandered
thither and fallen into that almost bot
Gomless pit, IF he had be ever so intoxica-
ted.
The place where this batterd and
bruised body was found was at the
point where, years and years ago, the
old dyehouse stood that was the proper
There is great square hole, certainly
ten feet from side to side, stoned up
with great blocks of stone and granite,
and ten feet below is thesblack, stag
nant pool of water, under which is a
bed of sharp rocks and stones. This was
originally a sort of.a sluiceway for the
old mill wheel: Overhanging was
let was the decayed old timbers that
| once supported the old mill wheel.
Into this terrible cavity was Jordan
thrown by his assailants, who supposed
him dead. AS he struck head first on
the sharp stones his nose was broken,
| and long, deep cash was cut in his
face. His cheek was terribly lacerated.
| and one eyeswas almost gouged out His
legs and arms were terribly bruised and
hung limp and lifeless when the man
was found. He lay with his head on
rock and the remainder of his body in
the dark, Shiny waters for over six
hours, and was all the time unconscious.
When he reeovred consciousness at
4 clock in the morning on MondaNyhe
began to cry and shout as best he coul Id
in his feeble condition, for assistance.
His CRIES were finally heard, and he
was rescued and taken to the Boston
hospital.