Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-09-04
DEAD ACTRESS
IS STUFFED IN
BLOODY TRUNK
ACTOR HUSBANDS CRIME IS
REVOLVING IN EXTREME
pIsMEMHERs WIFE, BUT PLANS
MIscARRY
Police Are Ashast at Disclosure OF
4 the Sickening Murder of Young
Woman, Which Is Confessed
by Husband
3. Associated'Press

4. Associated Press.
BOSTON. Sept. "a brutal crime
was disclosed tonight by the discovery
of the torso of Mrs. Honorah Jordan,
an actress aged % years, or Somer-
Vile in a trunk in boarding house at
z Hancock street, on Beacon ILL., ehiS
city. 49,
limbs were found in the furnace of the
Jordan home at Sorperville, and the
scalp hair and other remains We're
taken from the kitchen range or the
house.
Chester Jordan, aged 20 years, an
actor. of Somerville is held by the po-
lice charged with the murder ana To-
night, according to the officers, he
made a complete confession of the
crime.
Husband Confesses Murder
According to Jordan's confession he
accidentally killed his wife Tuesoay
night in a quarrel at their nome, anu,
becoming desperate over what ne hau
done. he went out and oouSht
butcher knife, razor and shears, tneh
c,1t up the body and placed the Torso
in a trunk. He then planned TO take
fhe steamer Harvard last night Tor
New York and throw the parts OF tne
bodv overheard. The fact that the
Harvard was laid off owing to an accl-
dent disarranged his plans, and ne was
obliged to hire a hickman 10 lhke tue
trunk TO a Boston boarding house 10
await a more favorable opportunity
The discovery of the crime was que 10
the suspicious of the hackman, George
w. Collins, who had in MIND the nu-
merous robberies which nave taken
place about Boston recently, ana sur
missing from its weight that the trunk
contained silverware, notified the po-
lice. Collins reported that he had TAX
en- the trunk from the North station
this morning, it having come IN from
Soneryille on local train. The mack
man stated he left Jordan ana the
trunk this afternoon at Hancock
street.
Sergeant Michael Crowley was de-
tailed to go to the house and investi-
gate. Jordan was not in. but the officer
was shown the back room on the sec
ond floor, which Jordan had engageu'
and found the trunk. About 5:20 Jor-
dan returned and was commanded to
open the trunk.
Jordan did not appear nervous or
alarmed, but hesitated to open the
trunk, and it was not until after con-
siderable argument that he produced
the key to the trunk and inserted 1t IN
the lock. Turning his head, JORDAN
threw up the cover of the trunk and
then sank back on his knees, burying
HIS ldCS III his AlelhNo oAA0
Sight AppaIls Police
Sergeant Crowley staggered back
aghast at the disclosure, for in the
open trunk before him lay a sickening
mass of hacked flesh, a woman's torso
filling the greater part of the trunk,
while pieces of flesh from other parts
of the body were stuffed into the cor
ners. The entire trunk was bespat-
tered with blood. There was no cover
ing of any sort over the body.
Jordan submitted to arrest without
protest and was taken to station No. 3
and locked up. Giving his name and
address, he declared the body was that
of his wife, and said he was perfectly
willing to tell everything regarding the
case, For more than four hours Jor-
dan was closeted with the police Of
ficials and time after time went over
the horrible details. While he professed
that he was dazed when the crime was
committed, yet by the clearness and
conciseness of his tale 1t seemed APP
parent that, whatever preceded the
actual killing, the covering of the crime
was carefully planned.
Story of the Crime
The story Of the murder was sub
stantially 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 wifes 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 nurse
in a sketch. They went first to Butte
four years ago, but only remained
there three or four weeks. Later they
went to Chicago and appeared in some
of the theaters there, remaining three
months. About three years ago they
returned TO SomerviIle and took fiat
in the house at 500 Medford street.
Mrs. Jordan. according to her hus-
band, had taken to drinking of late
and was associating with other men
and he became jealous. 1t was in
Jealous quarrel that the trouble
started which ended in the death of the
wife.
Jordan declares that his wife struck
him first, that he then knocked her