Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-05

Cambridge, Mass; May 4-Looking
straight into the eyes of the jury,
Chester S. Jordan of Somerville appar-
emily unmoved, heard the fateful words
guilty of murder in the first degree, -
as the IL men. shortly after non to-
day, announced the result of their 10
hours of deliberations over the murder
of Jordans wife, Honora, in Somerville
September last. BY his side sat his
venerable father, nearby were his sis
tiers and several other relatives, all of
whom were scarcely able to keep back
their tears, while strangely enough a
score of women spectators cried and
sobbeG as if the young man who stood
like a white marble statue was their
own brother.
Jordans lawyer Immediately an
nounccd the determination to carry
the case to the highest court in the
land.
For IA days the jury heard the evil
dence, much of it of a grewsome ma
ture. of the discovery of Mrs. Jordan's
dismembered body in trunk, with
Jordan sitting by it's side after an in
eIfectual attempt to ship it by steamer
to New York. They heard the govern
ment's theory of the murder in which
it was claimed that Jordan had struck
his wife with a fiat iron, strangled her
ana then cut her throat, followed by
the cutting up of her body.
The defence tried hard to show that
Jordan was insane and the court ruled
that the government must show that
Jordan was sane at the time of the
murder
While the great mass of exhibits in
Guiding photographs of parts of the
body, the jury retired at $50 last night
and spent the greater portion of the
night in debate. When they went to
breakfast today three of the number
seemed to be the targets of the other
nine. 1t was apparent that these three
gave in during the forenoon for at -
o'clock word was sent to the court that
a decision had been reached.
The lawyers We're summoned, the
family assembled. the court room filled
rapidly with spectators, many of them
women. and Jordan was brought over
from the nearby Jail. He scanned the
faces of the II men as they filed into
the rom and tok their places in the
with his hand raised, heard the vener
able clerk of the court, Theodore c.
Hurd. put the question for the 44th
time in a capital case:
Have you agreed on a verdict"
I'VE have"
What is your verdict"
1T is murder"
''In what degree?"
'In the first degree"
And Jordan looked at the jury and
the IL men looked at him.
Not man flinched Every one real
lied the weight of the words and the
penalty which they carried. But the
spectators were not so stolid. Three
women tainted and were carried out,
while many others gave way to their
feelings in cries and sobs and for a
minute or two the court room was a
place of woe.
The aged father. who had stood by
his sons side throughout had difficult
ty in keeping back the tears. while
his sisters, Mrs. s. S. Kendall of Som
ervil!e. and Mrs. Jesse l.. Livermore,
wife of the cotton broker of New York,
gave way to their emotions.
bur JoTudi anu Tic jury Sllil StOOu
calm. resolute and apparently unshak-
en-. Finally Jordan stepped back and
resumed his chair. He bit his lips, fold
ed his arms tightly and turned pale
again, as the full meaning of the YER
dict again rushed home to him. A
few words from hi" counsel seemed to
reasslrc him and when Mr.. Pratt arose
and stated that he desired 30 days to
file exceptions the request was imme-
diately granted by the court, Jordan
regained his composure and a few min
utes later marched back to his cell
in the Jail.
The defence saved 81 exceptions dur
ing the trial and these will be pressed
if necessary to the supreme court at
Washington.
The trial lasted IA days and cost the
county $4,000, a greater portion of