The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-04
SHE HANGED HERSELF
Mrs. William Jordan Shuff1ed Off
the Mortal Coil.
SHE HAD BEEN INSANE
Her Mind Had Been Unbalanced for Sew
eral Months-Had Been Treated by
Christian Scientist-The
Coroner's Inquest

Missoula March 3.-Mrs. Williarn
Jordan, wife of William Jordan, who
formerly conducted bakery busin ess
here, committed suicide tonight at her
home on Toole avenue by hanging. Mrs.
Jordan was alone at the time and just
how the deed was done is not known,
there being no one in the house.
Mrs. Jordan was insane and has b-en
for several months, and was undoubte1-
ly irrational when she took her own
life. She leaves two children. boy
and girl. and a husband. who is now in
Garnet. He was notified by telephone
tonight of the said affair and will prob
ably be here in the morning. The partie-
ulars of the suicide are not easy to
get at.
Mrs. Jordans mental condition has at
tracted the attention of her friends for
some months and they have repeatedly
urged her husband to take her to Warm
Springs for treatment. When Mr.. Jor-
dan was in town from Garnet three weeks
ago the condition of his wife was such
that he placed the children in the care
of two kind neighbors, Mrs. Courtney
and Mrs. Lawrence, Mrs. Courtney taxi
ing the little girl, who is 3 years old.
and Mrs. Lawrence the boy. aged 7
months. From these two women a re-
porter tonight obtained the most def
mite information concerning the suicide
that seems to be available.
According to their story. which Is un-
doubtedly correct, Mrs. Jordans mind
has been unbalanced for three or four
months. She has been Eighty and two
regular physicians have advised that she
be taken to Warm Springs for expert
treatment. When the last of these doc
tors gave this advice his services We're
dispensed with and soon after Mrs. Jor-
Il.
Christian Scientists healer having
visited her frequently. For time these
visits stopped, but recently they had
been resumed When Mr.. Jordan was
last at home he called at the house of
Mrs. Courtney and said that the Scent
list had come to his house and that she
would not allow him to remain there. so
he had come to see his little girl for a
while. Since Mr. Jordan went back 10
Garnet, where he is in business, a girl
Named Maggie Flynn has been attend
ing Mrs. Jordan and has been at the
house all of the time. except when she
was sent away for while during the
visits of the Christian Scientist.
This afternoon about 3 o'clock Mrs.
Webster. the Christian Scientist healer.
called and, as usual, Maggie was sent
out She went into the house of Mrs.
Lawrence, next door, and remained there
till Mrs. Webster was thought to have
left. Then she went back to the Jordan
house and at once returned to Mrs.
Lawrence. saying that she could not find
Mrs. Jordan anywhere. She went at
once to Mrs. Courtney's, thinking that
she might be there. She was not and the
neighbors were at once aroused. Search
was made and "a boy named Walter
Shanks discovered the body of the miss
ing woman hanging from a rafter in "A
woodshed in the rear of the house. This
was shortly after 6 o'clock.
Mr.. Courtney at once ran to the shed
and. finding the body still warm, cut IT.
down in the hope of saving the life of
the woman. The last spark had fled /
however, and the coroner was at once
notified. A Standard reporter was among
the first to reach the scene from town. /
The body of the unfortunate woman was
lying on its back in the she'd where
Mr.. Courtney had placed il after cu;-
ting the rope. The rope, an ordinary
clothes line, was lying near the body. +
and the position of the remains showed /
plainly how the deed had been accom-
plshed. In the corner of the woodshed
just below the stick TO which the rope
was tied, was bed that had evidently /
been used as a dog kennel. Mrs. Jor- T
dan had evidently climbed up on that f
and after fastening the rope had jumped {
OFT The bed was about three feet hight L
and Mrs. Jordan was a heavy woman, 50
death must have come quickly.
and the remains were viewed where they t
lay The inquest was then taken up at
once. Mrs. Jordan has manifested
of insanity for three months
AS stated above she has been advised
frequently to go where she could have
proper treatment. Only two or three
lays ago Maggie Flynn repeated this
advice. suggesting that Mr. Jordan be
sent for at once. To this Mrs Jordan at
1rst assented, but said after a minute:
No. Jordan will never see me alive
AGAIN." Yesterday Maggie Flynn dis
covered Mrs. Jordan in the act of exam
ming the rope with which she hanged
herself tonight. No particular change
n her condition had been observed with
ng the past few days, except that the
leighbors thought that her eyes had a
peculiar appearance. Usually she has
been very laxative. but to-day she was
moody all day and would say but very
title
This forenoon Mrs Lawrence from the
back yard of her own house. saw Mrs
Jordan at the attic window of the Jor-
Ian house. and thought that it was
TRANCE, as there is nothing there but a
oft. 1t is thought that she may have
,een then hunting for place where she
ould carry out her design Of self-de-
truction. She had acted so strangely of |
ate, however that little attention was
aid To this circumstance at the time
he testimony that was given before the
ury tonight did not add anything to
he facts stated here. The suicide was
committed in a moment of de-
pondency arising from the woman's
mental condition.
,on't Tobacco Spit ard smoke Your Life
AWAY.