Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-29
POLICE HAVE NO CLUE
JORDAN MURDER INVESTIGA-
TON WITHOUT RESULTS.
Local Detectives Bending Every
Energy to the Unraveling Of
the Mystery.

The third homicide Of the month has been
recorded on the police books, making a rec
ord equal to that Of the corresponding
month of last year. Mrs Ada Gilbert Den
mis- was murdered the 18th of December
of last year. and Kate Jordans life was
taken the 9th day of the present month.
The former lived several months, while the
latter survived but few minutes. In each
case the victim went to her grave without
the-identity of her slayer having been es-
tablished.
Major Sylvester and Capt. Boardman are
employing all the machinery Of the police
department in the case Under investiga-
tion In the Dennis case not single clue
was left by the murderer. and there was
no thread upon which the detectives could
get start. A dirk is the only thing left
by the murderer in the Jordan case, with
residents in the vicinity of the crime. While
1t Is generally believed that this weapon was
purchased at Jacob Shappirios store, on D
street, there was no mark on 1t by which
Identified ton is made certain
Additional arrests were made Saturday
night, and the statements of the prisoners
taken, but the result is far from satsfac-
tory. More than six of the detectives have
been detailed upon the case, and fully as
many Anacostia policemen have done
what they could in the matter of endeav-
oring to solve the mystery. Capt. Board
man sent a detective to Baltimore to inter-
view relatives of the dead woman. One of
these relatives sent word that he had
clue in the case, and it developed that he
had consulted fortune-teller. A relative
In this city told of having obtained a clue
by telling fortunes with tea leaves.
Residents Of Howard avenue, Anacofia,
in the vicinity of Mrs. Jordan's house have
been interviewed a number of times by the
officers, but the three women heretofore
mentioned he On1y who claim thew
know the woman's assa'lant was a colored
man. They say they will be able to identify
him. Dave Smith. the colored boy who
lived In Mrs. Jordan's house. has gone
about the city several times with the off,
GERS to assist In the case. He says he will
be able to identify colored man who call
ed at the house the Sunday night before
the murder was committed.
The Mysterious Caller.
Smith and Mrs. Jordan were seated in
the kitchen Sunday night when the colored
man called and raped on the door. His
plea was that the police were after him
for carrying concealed weapons. and he
wanted to get into the house out Of their
way. Mrs. Jordan refused to admit him.
few minutes later the woman remarked
to Smith that she did not feel safe. She
feared the man had not left the neigh
borhood. Opening the door she found the
away, and 1t was not until she threatened
to send for an officer that he left the
neighborhood. The man was stranger to-
Mrs Jordan, and the police have an idea
that she did not know or recognize her
assaiant at the time he inflicted the death
wound.
Detectives investigating the moye-
ments of all persons about Anacostia about
whom they have the slightest suspician,a
and investigation on the same lines Is going
on in Southeast Washington. At noon to-
day John Bundy was the only suspect In
custody. The others had been released.
A telephone message was sent to the diff
ferent police stations yesterday instruct
ing the police to arrest William Thomas,
suspected of connection with the murder.
Detective Trumbo and Tyser looked for
Thomas all day Saturday and yesterday
but he was not found at his home, nor had
he been at his usual visiting places since
Christmas. Thomas, 1t is stated, answers
the description of the man who was seen
to leave Mrs! JOrdans house the night the
tragedy was enacted. The police have OBJ
tanned no testimony to connect him with
the crime, but they want him to explain
his whereabouts during recent days
Additional Reward offered.
AS stated in The Star at the time, Maj.
Sylvester offered reward of 500 for in
formation leading to the arrest of the muir
derer, and yesterday Edward V. Stephen
son. an Anacostia liquor dealer offered an
leading to the identity of the man who
purchased the dirk knife at Schappirios
store.
Not enough has been learned of the trag
edy to give the police a definite idea as to
the motive for the crime. Capt Boardman
cannot reason that robbery was the motive
from what he heard thus far. At this time
it appears that the crime was committed
for some wrong, real or imaginary. A
great many letters were found in the house
| and these were taken to police head
| quarters yesterday, where Maj. Sylvester
and Capt. Boardman went over them to
see If they contained anything to show
| that i'll feeling was harbored against the
dead woman. 1t Is stated that nothing of
Importance was found.
Coroner hewitt has not yet determined
when he will have the hearing in the case.
Mrs. Jordans funeral took place this after
noon from Wnsows undertaking estab-
lishment. The interment was at Harmony
cemetery.