The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-05-04
Jordan Calm While Guilty
Verdict is Read
BUT HIS RELATIONS WEPT
Jury Was Out is Hours and Shortly Af-
ter Noon To-day They Reported
a First Degree YER
dict.

Boston, May s.--Indifferent still while
his father, his brother and his sisters
wept IN the crowded courtroom, Chester
s. Jordan at l2i45 today heard the jury
declare him guilty Of murder in the first
degree in killing his wife, Honora Jor-
dan. The jury, after being out is hours
sent word soon after noon that they
had reached an agreement. The counsel
was absent and that caused delay Of
few minutes. Then the Judge came
and the verdict was read.
The court announced that it would
give the customary thirty days to file
an appeal. Twsnty-seven exceptions
were taken during the trial, two Of
which are expected to furnish ground
to take the case to the United States
supreme court.
Jordan was at once returned to the
East Cambridge Jail after the verdict
was read.
District Attorney J. J. Higgins closed
for the state and declared Jordan's
deed was oecasioned by jealousy over a
woman.
Judge Bell told the jury it should con
cern itself principally with whether the
defendant was sane at the time Of the
crime and determine the deed was pre-
meditated He said there could be
three verdicts, murder in the FIRST de.
gree, second degree or not guilty be-
cause Of insanity.
The jury was at dinner from 70 7
o'clock and then Immediately took up
its deliberations. At $3.50 o'clock came
request for the plans Of the somer-
vile home and the Boston lodging house
whore the body was found.
Phineas g. Jordan, Elmer Jordan, Mrs.
Jesse i. Livermore and Mrs. r. G. Ken
dali, The prisoners father, brother and
two siEters, were in court al day yes
terday
Al the close of The district attorney
argument when he declared that "the |
government would rather you would ac
quit this man than render a verdict Of
second degree" and impressed upon the
fury the solemnity Il the duty that
devolved upon them, Juror White was
ID tears and Mrs Kendall was escorted I
sobbing from the courtroom. The other |
members Of the prisoners family were
evidently moved, but made no demon
stration.
hr.. he de.Hvs1k ntt 4..I G..
ished, Judge Stevens addressed the pris- i
oner:
"You now have an opportunity to
address the jury II you 80 desire,p he
said.
Attorney Sullivan Of counsel for the
defense conferred briefly with the de- /
fsndant and then said "The prisoner
does not desire to address the jury"
Jordan showd no evidence whatever
that the argument Of District Attorney
Higgins, in which his crime was depicted I
in its most revolving light, had the /
slightest effect upon him.
The Judges Charge.
Judge Bell began his charge at 4;l7
and ended at 5;l5. He told the jurors
that their responsibility ended with the
verdict. They were concerned only with
the truth and not with the punishment
which might follow the declaration Of
the truth. He defined the different de.
grees Of murder, and in this connection
said:
we instruct you in this case that
there is no evidence to Justify you in
finding murder In the FIRST degree on
the ground that the murder was commit
ted with extreme atroeity or cruelty
That leaves only one form Of murder in
the first degree, and the question you
are to determine in this connection is
whether the murder was committed with
deliberately premeditated malice afore-
thought.
'sTo find verdict Of murder in the
first degree, you must be satisfied beyond
a reasonable doubt that the prisoners
mind was in such condition at the time
OF the homicide that he could and did
deliberately premeditate the act"
After defining what is meant in the
law BY deliberately premeditated malice
aforethought," Judge Bell continued:
1T is for You to determine upon all
the evidence. whether on the lst Of Sep.
tember, 1908, the prisoner was sane
enough to realize The difference between
right and wrong"