The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-09-10
HEADlESS BODY
PACKED IN TRUNK
Actress Limbs and Skull Found In
kitcken Rarge.
BUTCHER KNIFE WAS TIE WEAPON.
Chester Jordan, an Actor, Forced by
the Police to Open Trunk They Sup
posed Contained Stolen Silver-ls
Overcome and Confesses-Declares
He Killed Wife Accidently.


He Killed Wife Accidently.
Boston, Mass. Especially, - The
most brutal crime committed in
Greater Boston since the death of
Susan Geary, a chorus girl, four
years ago, and one much resembling
1t in its details, was disclosed by
the discovery of a torso of Mrs. Ho-
norah Jordan, an actress, aged %
years, of Somerville. in a trunk in a
clearinghouse at Hancock Street,
on Beacon Hill, this city. Later the
head and bones of the limbs were
found in the furnace of the Jordan
home, at SomeWille. and the scalp,
hair and other gruesome remains
were taken from the kitchen range
of the house.
Chester Jordan, aged 20 years, an
actor, of Somerville, is held by the
police, charged with the murder, and
according TO the officers, he made a
complete confession of the crime.
According to Jordan's confession.
he accidentally killed his wife In q
quarrel at their home, and, becom-
ing desperate over what he had done,
he went out and bought butchers
knife and hacksaw, cut up the body
and placed the torso in q trunk. He
then planned to take the steamer
Harvard for New York and throw the
parts of the body overheard. The
fact that the Harvard was laid of
owing to an accident disarranged his
plans, and he was obliged to hire a
hackman to take the trunk to a Bos-
ton clearinghouse to await a more
favorable opportunity.
The discovery of the crime was
due to the suspicion of the hackman,
James Collins, who had in mind the
| numerous robberies which have taxi
en- place about Boston recently, and,
surmising from its weight that the
trunk contained silverware, notified
the police.
Collins reported that he had taken
the trunk from the North Station, 1t
having come in from Somerville on
a local train. The hackman stated
he left Jordan and the trunk at Z
Hancock Street.
Sergt Michael Crowley was detail
ed 70 go to the house and investi-
officer was shown the back room on
the second floor which Jordan had
engaged, and found the trunk. At
this time the trunk was not opened.
About 500 o'clock Jordan returned
and was commanded to open the
| trunk.
Jordan did not appear nervous or
| alarmed, but hesitated to open the
| trunk, and 1t was not until after con-
| siderable argument that he produced
| the key to the trunk and inserted II
in the lock. Turning his head, Jor-
! dan threw up the cover of the trunk
and then sank back on his knees
burying his face in his hands and
sobbing.
Sergeant Crowley staggered back
aghast at the disclosure, for in the
open trunk before him lay a sicken.
ing mass of hacked flesh, a woman's
torso filling the great part of the
trunk, while pieces of flesh from
other parts of the body were stuffed
into the corners.
The entire interior of the trunk
was bespattered with blood. There
was no covering of any sort over the
! remains. Jordan submitted to arrest
without protest and was led to sta
tion 8 and locked up. Giving his
name and address. he declared tn,
body in the trunk was that of hi
wife, and said he was perfectly will
ing to tell everything concerning thu
case.
For more than four hours Jordan
was closeted with the police Officials
and time after time went over III,
horrible details. While professinl
that he was dazed when the Grim,
was committed. yet, by the clearnes
and consiseness of his tale, IL seem
ed that whatever preceded the actua
killing, the most careful plans werl
laid for the disposal of the body anC
the covering up of the crime.
Jordan's story of the murder wa
substantially as follows:
He stated that he was married II
September, 1904, to Mrs. Honoral
Eddy, whose maiden name wa
| O'Reilly and whose home was Il
Somerville. He did not know VIII,
his wife's first husband was or VIVA
had become of him. The coupl
went on the vaudeville stage. MI
Jordan taking the part of a tram
and his wife that of a nurse, in
sketch. They went first TO Butte
Mont, four years ago, but only re
mained three or four weeks. Late
they went to Chicago and appeare
In some Of the smalled theaters there
remaining three months. Abou
three years ago they returned I
Somerville and took a fiat in tn
house at 509A Medford Street.
Mrs. Jordan, according to he
husband, had taken to drinking O
late, and he claims. was associatin
with other men, and be became jeaI
GUS II was In a jealous quarrel ths
the trouble started which ended /
the death OF his wife.