The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-09-10

Boston, Sept. THE most brutal
crime committed In Greater Boston
since the death of Susan Geary, o.
chorus girl, four years ago., and one
much resembling 1t in it's details, vas
disclosed by the discovery Of the torso
OF Mrs. Honorah Jordan, an acress,
aged 90 years. of Somerville, in a trunk
in a boarding house at No. 7 Hancock
ST, on Beacon hill, this city. Later
n head and bones of the limbs were
found in h furnace of the Jordan
home at Somerville and the scalp, hair
and other remains were taken from the
kitchen range of the house.
Chester Jordan, aged 20 years, an
actor of Somerville, who is held by the
police, charged with the murder, ac-
cordi1g TO the officers, made a complete
confession Of the crime. .
According to Jordan's confession he
accidentally killed his wife Thursday
In a quarrel at their home and be-
coming desperate owe what he had
done he went out and bought a butch
or's knife and hack saw, cut up the
body and placed the torso in a trunk.
lie then planned to take the steamer
Harvard last night for New York and
throw the parts Of the body overheard.
The fact that the Hartford was laid
off, owing to an accident, disarranged
his plans and he was obliged to hire
q hackman to take the trunk to a Bos-
ton boarding house to await a more
favorable opportunity.
The discovery of the crime was due
to Tin" suspicious of the hackman,
James Collins. who had in mind the
numerous robberies which have taken
Llacc about Boston recently and, sur
n'slng from its weight that the trunk
contained silverware, notified the po-
lice. Collins reported that he had taken
tae trunk from the north station train,
~ hn ~ n .1nTNA IL -~r G~-N4 -.
q local train. The haCkman stated no
left Jordan and the trunk at No. Z Han
cock ST.
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 engaged
and found the trunk. About $40 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 it was not until after con-
siderable argument that he produced
the key to 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
Crowley staggered back aghast
at n disclosure, for in the open trunk
before him lay a sickening mass of
hacked flesh, a woman's torso filing the
greater part Of the trunk, while pieces
Of flesh from other parts of the BODY
were stuffed into the corners.
The entire interior of h trunk was
despatched with blood. There was no
covering of any sort over the remains.
Details of Tragedy.
Jordan submitted to arrest without
protest and was led to station No. 3
and locked up. Giving his name and
address he declared that the body in
the trunk was that of his wife and said
he was perfectly willing to tell every
thing concerning the case. For more
than four hours Jordan was closeted
with the police officials and time after
time went over h horrible details.
While processing that he was dazed
when he crime was committed, yet
by the clearness and conciseness Of his
tale 1t seemed apparent that whatever
preceded h actual killing the most
careful plans were laid for the DISPOSE
ton of the body and the covering up of
the crime.
Mrs. Jordan, according to her hus-
band had taken to drinking of late
and, he claims, was associated with
other men and he became jealous. 1t
was in a jealous quarrel that trouble
started which ended in the death of
his wife.
Jordan declares thai his wife struck
him first; that he then knocked his
wife down, and was Mortified to find
that he had killed her. This happened
at 1880 o'clock Tuesday night. Fear.
ing discovery he conceived the idea OF
cutting the body up. taking 1t away
on one Of the steamers and throwing
the parts overheard, and then report
ing to the police that his wife had left
him.