The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-04
ACTOR KILLS
WIFE AND CUTS
Up THE BODY
Horrible Crime Brought to
Light in Boarding House
in Boston.
SHOCKING DETAILS
GIVEN BY HUSBAND
COUPLE HAD BEEN IN VAUDE-
VILE AND STARTED IN
BUTTE FOUR YEARS AGO.

Boston. Sept. "a brutal crime was
disclosed tonight by the discovery of
the torso of Mrs. Honorah Jordan. an
actress. aged 20 years. of somerville.
IN trunk in a boarding house at No.
Hancock street. on Beacon Hill, this
city. Later the head and bones OF the
limbs we're found in the furnace of the
Jordan home at Some-ville. and the
scalp. hair and other remains were
taken from the kitchen range of the
house.
Chester Jordan, aged % years, an
actor, CT Somerville is held by the po-
lice. charged with the murder. and to-
night, according 10 the officers, he
made complete confession of the
crime.
Killed During Quarrel.
According to Jordan's confession. he
accidentally killed his wife Tuesday
night in quarrel at their home, and
becoming desperate over what he had
done. he went out and bought butcher
Knife and with this knife. a razor and
shears he cut up the body and placed
the torso in trunk He then planned
10 take the steamer Harvard last night
for New York and throw the parts of
the body overheard. The fact that the
Harvard was laid Off owing tc an ac-
cident disarranged his plans. and he
was obliged TO hire a hackman TO take
the trunk 10 a Boston boarding house
to await a more favorable opportunity
Hickman Suspicious.
The discovery of the crime was due
20 the suspicious of the hackman
George w. Collins. who had I'm mind
the numerous robberies which have
taken place about Boston recently. and
surnising from its weight that the
} trunk contained silverware, notified the
police. Collins reported that he had
taken the trunk from the north station
his morning, II having come in from
Somerville on n local train. The hack
man stated that he left Jordan and the
trunk this afternoon at No. Hancock
street
Sergeant Michael Crowley was de-
tailed TO go TO the house ana investi-
gate. Jordan was not in, but the Of
ficer was shown the back room on the
second floor which Jordan had engag
end found the trunk About 500 Ior-
dan returned and was commanded TO
open the trunk.
Horrifying Discovery Made.
Jordan did not appear nervous or
alarmed. but hesitated TO open the
trunk. and IL was not until after con-
,he key 10 the trunk and inserted it in
the lock. Turning his head. Jordan
threw up the cover of the trunk and
then sank back on his knees, burying
his face in his hands and sobbing. Ser
geant Crowley staggered back aghast
at the disclosure. for in the open trunk
before him lay a sickening mass or
hacked flesh, womans torso filling
the greater part of the trunk, while
n1HCaS ~ rte Of no
body were stuffed into the corners.
The entire interior of the trunk was
despatched with blood There was no
covering of any sort over the arms
Jordan submitted TO arrest without
protest and was taken to station No. 5
and locked up. Giving his name and
address, he declared the body in the
trunk was that of his wife. and said
he was perfectly willing to tell every
thing concerning the case.
Details of Crime.
For more than four hours Jordan was
closeted with the police OF this city
and time after time went over the hor-
riole details. While processing that he
was dazed when the crime was COM
United. yet by the clearness and concise
ness of his tale it seemed apparent
that. whatever preceded the actual
killing, the most careful plans We're
laid for the disposal of the body and
the covering up of the crime.
Jordan's story of the murder was
substantially as follows: He stated
that he was married in September. 1904
to Mrs. Honorah Eddy, whose maiden
name was O'Reilly. and whose home
was in Somerville. He did not know who
his wife's first husband was or what
had become Of him. The couple went
on the vaudeville stage. Mr.. Jordan
taking the part of a tramp and his wife
that of a nurse, in a sketch. They went
first 10 Butte. Mont. four years ago.
but only remained three or four weeks
Later they went to Chicago and APP
peared in some of the smaller theatres
there, remaining three months. About
three years ago they returned to So
merville and took a fiat in the house at
509 Medford street.
Mrs. Jordan. according to her hus-
band, had taken to drinking OF late,
and. he claims. was associating with