Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-28
Counsel Will Try to Prove
Epi|eptic Insanity.
Expert Medical Testimony Takes
Up Time Tuesday.
Members Of Family Attend Murder
Trial at Cambridge.

Cambridge, Mass. April 21.-Epilep-
tic insanity is the life prcsrrvcr with
which the counsel for Chester S. Jor-
dan nope 10 bring him safely through
the trial for the murder of his Wife,
Honora. according to the statement
made in the opening of the drf"nc"
today.
Pending the introduction OF test
mony in support of this theory of his
condition at the time of the murder and
PERHAPS both before and after it, Jor-
dams counsel showed today a decided
disposition to question the govern
mcnt's theory of the exact carS" Of
Mrs. Jprdan'S death. Half dozen
Weli-knoWn physicians occupied the
stand most of the day and until Just
before the close the trial briStled with
legal medical questions and answers.
The physicians for the government
thought that Mrs. Jordan's death
might have been caused by blows on
the head. strangulation, or the deep
cat found in the throat. Several equal
ly well known physicians. one OF them
the instructor of two of the doctors
for the government declared that 1t
was almost impossible to determine
accurately the exact cause of the Wom-
ans death.
Jordan had the support today of sew
eral members of his family which
seemed Ia cheer him considerably, al
though thorc were times during tn"
medical testimony when he became
very ,.rcasy and rocked back ana forth
in tho chair III the cage.
nrnyvlnI tnI1 Y
with law and medical students, who
followed the battle over the experts
with keen interest. while nearly doZ-
en- alienists watched Jordan narrowly
Cambridge. Mass, April 21.-Thr
nrescncc in the court today of his par
ents ana other members of his family.
seemed to cheer Chester :. Jordan. as
he settled himself to listen to the evil
dence in his trial for the murder of his
wife. TIE Jordan family waited uhtii
IN. defence was about to begin before
appearing and today they remained IN
an anto-room until the cross-eXamiha
ton of 4 couple of government VIII
nesses had been concluded before com
ing into the court room
AS There remained Il few questions
10 he asked of some of the medical eX-
anirers. DR.. Thomas NJ. Durrell ana
Dr VIM. u. Swan, both of MlddlescS
county. we're recalled. The former adj
mitted that he could not state positive
~ the exact cause of the death OF Mrs
Jordan. although he was fairly sure
that the wound on the head, stranSuia
tion and the cut found on the throat
all combined to bring about the result
Il am positive that Mrs. JORDAN
death was caused by Violence Sa'u
DR.. Durrell as he left the stand
DR.. Swan. who followed. was asked
a number of Hypothetical questions re-
gardi,g death by violence caused oy
hlovs on the brain. stranSulatlon ana
cuts on the throat. but as a rule ne
was non-cOmmittat.
With brief Observation-Disclosures OF
DR. Timothy Leary. an associate med-
icai examiner of Suffolk county. ana
Dr Wm. +. Whitney of the Harvard
Medical school, the prosecutors case
was closed and a short recess was tax
en-.
The declaration that the defence VII
call to the stand medical experts wht
will controvert the evidence given by
tba prosecutions experts was feature
Of tie opening for the defence whici