The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-04-21
c. S. JORDAN ON TRIAL
FOR KILLING WIFE
HAS BEEN IN JAIL SINCE LAST
SEPTEMBER AND MADE
A CONFESSION.

been in iail since last September
when he was arrested and confessed
that he killed his wife and cut her
body to pieces, hoping 70 hide the
crime, will be placed on trial tomor'
row in the Superior Court of Mid
dlesex County II is believed that
the defense will base It's case on a
plea OF temporary insanity Jordan,
who is a young man OF about thirty
years OF age. is brother-in'law OF
Jesse R, Livermore, the New York
cotton speculator and il is under
stood that the Livermore millions
will be used freely in an effort to
keep Jordan from going to the elee-
trio chair. Three OF the ablest Grim
inal lawyers OF Massachusetts, have
been engaged to conduct the defense,
The killing of Mrs, Jordan last
September attracted widespread at
tention owing to the circumstances
surrounding the crime and the sub
seouent arrest Of the young husband
The murder was one OF the most
gruesome with which the Boston
police ever had TO deal. The victim,
Honorah Jordan, was an actress, aged
twenty-three years. Jordan killed
the woman in their home in Somer-
vile. Then he went out and bought
A butchers knife and saw. with
which he dismembered the bod. He
severed his wife's head, also the legs,
Then he tried TO destroy all trace OF
them by burning them in the furnace
Of his home.
He put the rest OF the body IN
trunk and came into Boston with the
ghastly burden, stopping at a board
ing house preliminary to taking
steamer for New York 1t was his
intention to get rid Of what remained
Of his wife by throwing the torso into
the water while the boat was en- route
for New York.
The cabman who took Jordan and
his trunk to the clearinghouse be-
came suspicious about its contents
while carrying the trunk into the
house. Its weight made him think
it contained stolen silverware, and the
nervous manner of Jordan satisfied
him the man was a burglar There
had been many robberies Of silver
ware recently, The cabman, be-
Ilieving he was on the trail of the
thief. went to the police and told
them OF the mysterious trunk.
Officers were detailed to go to the
clearinghouse and investigate.
When they reached the house Jordan
was not in, but the policemen were
shown the room Jordan had engaged
and found the trunk. The police did
not open the trunk.
About S o'clock Jordan returned
Accosted in the hallway by the offic'
er he at first denied his identity.
Later he admitted who he was. Ask.
ed about his trunk he denied he had
one. He was ordered to his room by
the officers. however, and commanded
to open the trunk. Jordan did not
appear in the least nervous or alarm
ed, but hesitated to open the trunk.
It was not until after considerable
argument on the part of the officer
that he produced the key and inserted
it in the lock. Turning his head to
one side so he could not see inside
the trunk, Jordan threw up the cover
and then sank back on his knees,
burying his face in his hands and sob
bing.
The police staggered back aghast
at the sight disclosed. In the open
trunk before them la a sickening mass
Of hacked flesh, a woman's torso fill
ing the greater part of the trunk,
while pieces of flesh from other parts
OF the body were stuffed into the cor
ners, the entire interior OF the trunk
being bespattered with blood.
Jordan submitted without protest
to the handouts and was taken to the
station. There he speedily regained
his composure and made full confes-
sion Of the killing. He said that after
his marriage he and his wife went on
the vaudeville stage. On account of
his poor health the gave UP their en-
gagements and returned to Somer-
vile to live. Mrs. Jordan, according
TO the husband, had taken to drinking
and ne said, was associated with other
men and he became jealous. It was
in a jealous quarrel that the trouble
started which ended in the death Of
the wife. Jordan declared that his
wife struck him first, that he then
knocked her down and was errihed to
find he had killed her. That happen
ed at 7:30 o'clock in the evening
Fearing discovery of his crime, he
conceived the idea of cutting the body
up, taking it away on one of the
steamers and throwing the parts
overheard and then reporting to the
police that his wife had left him
Jordan, according to his confession,
while dazed at the awfulness of his
deed, went about in careful manner
carving nnt his mans. which were