The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-06-22
DEADLY KNIFE
THRUST BY ONE
HANDED NEGRO
CLARENCE JORDAN, SETTLING
DIFFERENCES WITH GEORGE
EDWARDS, SHOWN TO HAVE
ACTED DESPERATELY.

Clarence Jordan, colored, a one
handed boy, was ordered held yester-
day by a jury empanelled by the coTo-
ner, for the murder of George Ed
wards, colored. Dick Rogers, another
negro, who was shown to have fur
nished a knife with which Jordan is
alleged to have inflicted the death
wound, was ordered held without
bond as accessory before the fact.
Both negroes were locked UP at the
county jsl and will be held pending
an inquiry into their respective cases
by the next grand jury.
George Essy ards, the negro who was
killed. was stabbed one time, after the
excursion bbat Beaver had reached
the city at $40 o'clock Tuesday morn
ing. The Iound, however. was fatal,
the knife penetrating the breast just
above the sheart and seyering the
aorta. and the bled to death fifteen
minutes after the wound had been in
flicted. He died in the sick ward at
the police ration.
Jordan, il. is said, was seen to call
Edwards aside soon after the boat had
tied UP at tie wharf, and a converse
ton of but ! few seconds ensued.
Then, 1t was shown at the coroner's
3
lift his left band and strike Edwards.
No one at What particular time saw
Jordan holding knife, but Edwards
fell and his J ife began to yell out that
he was CIT. Jordan and Rodgers
vanished du!ing the confusion. Ed
wards was lifted to a hack which
waited the I turn of the boat, and was
hurriedly cal ried to the police station.
The nature u his wound was seen af-
ter a hurrie4 examination, and a tele-
phone message was given the city ply
stefan to go 80 the station. When the
doctor reach I'D there, the negro was
dead. He h{d bled to death.
The police hunted for Jordan for
about FIVE lsurs and were still on the
hunt when = telephone message came
from the vs. hrfront saying that ne
gro had Just crawled from below in a
steamboat at the wharf, and it was be-
lieved he was the man who welded
the knife. Captain Frank and Turn
key Simpson hurried to the water
front and captured Jordan. He made
no statement of the affair. Locked up
at the police station, he was charged
with being a dangerous and suspicious
character and held until the coroner's
jury returned verdict. Then he was
formally charged with murder. and
locked up to await the action of the
grand jury about five months hence.
The negroes, it is claimed, quarreled
on the boat while the latter was on
the outward trip. Over two hundreu
negroes patronized the excursion, and
the boat got away several hours late.
At the landin gplace the wharf was
knocked down and a landing could not
be made as had been intended. The
boat returned to the city about 3:15
o'clock. AS stated, testimony showed,
the negroes had a quarrel while the
boat was bound for the intended des-
tination, and an hour or two later the
quarrel was renewed. The part that
Rodgers played, according to testi-
mony before the coroner, was handing
Jordan a knife and telling him to use
| 1t, or words to such effect. Some of
the witnesses swore that Jordan ap-
parenfry had gotten over the difference
and was urged to further meanness by
Rodgers. That was the reason the
| jury held him.