Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-27
TWO MEMBERS OF BIG
CHEMICAL FIRM HELD

about which the fortunes of the family
have centred is known as the firm of
/ William II. & f. Jordan. Jr. 1t was
! established in i77s by Godfrey Jordan.
! and has been continuously in existence
ever since Its offices are at 2ts North
/ Delaware avenue
DEFENDANTS GIVE CASH BAIL
The two accused men have been in
| charge Of the business since the death of
/ william lt. Jordan. In December, 1910.
| The business had been the pride Of his
| life and he made great plans for its con-
/ tinuanCe after his death in the Jordan
| family.
The defendants were arrested last
| Thursday afternoon In their offices. They
| went with the constable before the Mag
/ istrate and each produced a $1,000 bill,
| which was accepted ms bail for their APP
! pearance on Wednesday. Augustus w.
Jordan is a wdower in his fortes, and
his nephew Isaac is 30 years old and sin
gle. The former lives at 425 West Hort
ter street. and the latter at 6l16 MCCallum
street, Germantown.
The complaint on which the men were
| arrested was made by Wilfred Jordan
and his brother Bevan Y, p. Jordan
Wilfred Jordan. who Is curator of the
museum at Independence Hall. lives with
his father. Dr. John w. Jordan, librarian
of the Pennsylvania Historical Society,
at 1888 Chestnut street. Their attorney Is
Mr.. Lawson, and the attorneys for the
defendants are Frank 3. Prichard and
Murdoch Kendrick
II became known today that in the
Orphans Court suit is pending to have
Isaac Garfield Jordan removed as one
of the executors and trustees of the es-
tate of William II. Jordan, who left an
estate of more than 10000 This suit will
come to trial shortly, 1t was brought
by these five heirs Of William II. Jordan:
Wilfred Jordan, Mrs. Helen Jordan Smell
lenburg, Bevan Y. p Jordan Edgar
Francis Jordan and Perrine b. Jordan.
Associated with Mr. Lawson lin repre-
senting these five heirs is V. Gilpn Rob-
inson. Mr.. Lawson and John Weaver,
former Mayor represent the prosecution
in the charges Of falsifying and forging.
ARREST FOLLOWS PROBE
"The charges against Augustus and
Isaac Jordan are the result of months of
investigation by private detectives" said
Mr.. Lawson. "They changed figures in
three or more instances to gain for them
selves at least $1,000 and they depleted
the capital of the business at least $1,000
more. This was done by clever system
of unauthorized overdrafts. The total of
all these overdrafts may run into the
hundreds of thousands Private detec-
Most of II was squandered by the de-
PENDANTS i'm entertaining beautiful girls
In gay cabaret parties in New York, AS
bury Park and Atlantic City, and in the
showering of costly presents on these
girls. Overwhelming evidence has been
obtained to show that each of the men
has upon repeated occasions taken suit
cases filled with costly lingerie TO the
business offices of the old firm on Della
ware avenue and compelled the young
women clerks to embroIder initials on
the goods
Two years ago there was vacancy
among the trustees of the Jordan estate
late William II. Jordan, was suggested
10 the Orphans Court TO ill the vacancy.
AT that time the two accused men pre-
sented legal objections to DIR. Jordans
appointment They feared he would rule
matters with an iron hand.
"Heverle & Hay, public accountants,
We're employed at the direction of the
court, and it happens that they We're the
first to discover the various frauds Then
the banks refused to give the firm credit,
banks which had dealt with the Jordan
concern for century,
BUSINESS LEFT AS BEQUEsT.
William II. Jordan died on December
90, 1910. His will was probated ON jan
uary ., 1911. One clause reads;
IN regard 10 my interest In the nrm
of w. II. & f. Jordan, Jr., which
desire to consider entirely separate from
the property herelnbefore disposed of,
1t is my earnest desire TO continue the
firm for the benefit of two or three mem
bers of the family. The pride which |
have always taken i'm the financial stand
ing and antiquity of the house, origin |
ally established i'm l17S, prompts me
10 direct my executors . TO transfer
within 30 days of my decease to the firm
the sum of Sl05O0. which sum / |
direct 10 be contributed as an addition
TO the capital which | already had in |
vested there, and which / direct TO be
further increased hereafter by the addi- |
ton of the proceeds of the life insurance
policies in the New York Life Insurance
Company in my favor, amounting to sl5,-
0O0 or whatever these proceeds may be-"
Isaac Garfield Jordan was told that
MAY SEEK To AVOID COURTS.
Wilfred Jordan. one of the plaintiffs,
intimated that an attempt was being
made to settle the affair out of court.
IF the facts get out" he said, 1T will !
stir the entire city involving a number
of well-known persons"
II was said by Mr.. Lawson that the
name of a beautiful Philadelphia woman
might be involved in the testimony at the |
hearing Wednesday. She is a widow, and
is said to be of a prominent family.
The family feud over the cOmpany's |
management Is said TO have begun soon
after the death of Francis Jordan. At
family conference, Augustus W. Jordan !
was chosen manager and his nephew as
sistant There was dissatisfaction over |
the management and two factions in the |
e..