The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-01-07
MAN. Runs ANUCk
GEORGIAN GOES INSANE and TER.
RORlzES TOWNS
WIFE DEAD;07HERs SHOT

Wilt DEAD;Ol6EkS 0EUl
Riding Through Town Slayer An
nounced Ell Had Slain Negro and
Going Home He Shoots Friend,
Brutally Murders Wife and Sui
cides to Escape Mob.
Securely baricaded within the walls
of a four room cabin at GroVetoWn
sixteen miles from Augusta, IN Co.
lumbia County, Georgia, Claude Jor-
dan, a well-known white man, 43
years of age, held at bay au armed
posse IF fifty frenzied though power
less citizens from noon Thursday un-
til 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when
the mob broke down the door, to find
Jordan stretched upon the floor with
a hole in his right temple-the work
of his own hand.
AS terrible as was this spectacle
that first greeted the entrants into
Jor6an's home, in the next room
awaited the most grewsome sight
many of them had ever beheld-Jor-
dams wife, whom he had murdered
earlier in the day-prcbably about 2
o'clock-was partially concealed be-
tween the mattresses Of bed which,
when they were turned back, reveal
ed the body cold in death, and with
very nearly every stitch Of clothing
torn from it.
The woman's features were distort-
ed, her face was smeared with blood
and the lower part of the trunk show
ed an awfu, wound caused by the
shotgun with which the husband mur-
dered her. Two small children. ag-
ed S and 8 years, were also in the
house at he time Jordan murdered
his wife and then killed himself, but
they escaped unharmed probably on
" through the workings Of Provl-
dence.
Until three years ago Jordan was
an inmate of the Georgia State Asy-
Ium at .Milledgeville in that State,
and from the reports Of the residents
Of Grovetown, this last attack OF IN
sanity which has resulted so pathet-
ically tragic, was brought on by an
oyerindulgence in drink. Jordan ran
amuck sometime during wednesday
night when he left his temporary
place Of abode at Grovetown with two
two-horse wagonloads Of furniture.
which he was moving to the Faynie
place, some miles from Grovetown.
where hesh had contracted for a farm
this year.
The first intimation OF his derange-
ment was seen when he returned to
Grovetown riding mule Thursday
morning at 10 O'Clock, and proclaim
ing, as he drove wildly through the
quiet streets to bis home, that he had
killed Major Green, the negro who
had accompanied him on the trip
to the Haynie place,
This is all the information that the
residents of Grovetown could obtain
regarding the negro's death, and at
dusk Thursday a search for the ne
gro's body was instituted, although
at a late hour no trace had been
found of either the body, the furni-
ture or the other three mules.
Seing Jordan's condition, on his re-
turn to Grovetown on Thursday morn
ing. his brother, Mr.. Benjamin Jor-
dan, a merchant of the town, set out
to devise means Of pacifying Claude
Jordan, but declined to go to the
house, personally, as the frenzied
man had announced in his rage that
he would xii! him on sight.
Mr.. J. E. Beale, who was a good
friend Of Jordan. was also shot by
the maniac while passing near the
house. Fortunately. however. he was
not seriously injured, notwithstand-
ing the fact that Jordan aimed a load
of buckshot at Beale's back when not
more than five feet from him. Mr.
Beale. when asked about the tragedy
by an Augusta Chroni2e represen&
tive. replied as follows:
"on previous occasiSa
dan has been pndad #
whisky. havA !
him: so at 80 :.