Evening star., 1935-05-19
TEA SHOP MURDER
MYSTERY CLEARED
UP BY CONFESSION
Thomas Jordan Admits He
Fired Fatal Shot, Police .
Announce.
SLAYING OCCURRED ON
GOOD FRIDAY OF 1881
"I Just Got the Jitters and Gun
Went Off," Suspect Tells
Officials.

"1 Just got the jitters and the gun
went Off"
This brief statement by Thomas
Jordan early last night, police salo'
cleared up the four-year-old muroer
of Mrs. Elizabeth Jaynes, Garden Tea
shop cashier. who was shot to death
when the restaurant at 1885 Columbia
road was held up during the dinner
hour on Good Friday, 1881.
The story of the shooting was mace
nublic by Inspector Frank S. w.
burke. chief of detectives, who said
that Jordan, confessed participant IN
the robbery, admitted after iengIny
questioning that he had actually nreo
the shot that killed Mrs. Jaynes, al
though previously he had attributed
the Staying to an unnamed COM
panion.
To Face Murder Charge.
Jordan. held at the Twelfth pre-
cinct, has not been formally charged
with the murder yet, but this Is ex-
pected to be done today or tomorrow.
Burke said that after Jordan had
completed his account of the shooting
he expressed satisfaction that he
finally was making a clean breast OF
the affair, saying he had never had a
nights rest since it took place.
In the reported confession, accord
ing to Burke, Jordan continued to
maintain that another man and a
woman were involved in the case.
According to the confession, as
made public by Burke, Jordan said
that the woman-whose identity is
said to be known to the police
planned the robbery. He met her
that night-April Sat Thomas Cir
Gle, where she was in a car with the
other man, whom, he said, he, never
had seen before nor has ever seen
since. En- route to the tea shop, he
continued, it was decided he was to
do the actual holding up, with the
other man standing at the rear of the
restaurant to cover the occupants and
the woman remaining in the car. The
gun which he was to use was on the
seat of the car when he got in, he
added, and he was handed mask by
the man.
Plans Carried Out.
When they got to the tea shop, the
statement continued, the plans were
carried out as arranged.
Jordan approached Mrs. Jaynes,
saying: This is stick-up," acting
so quietly that the patrons were not
disturbed. The cashier seeing the
weapon, handed over the money
s101-and Jordan started backing to-
ward the door, covering his retreat
with the weapon and at the same
time calling to his companion, whose
entry into the restaurant had passed
unnoticed.
1t was then that the revolver, a
.25-calibre weapon, went off in
Jordan's nervous grip.
Startled, Jordan looked hastily
around, and thinking no one had been
hit broke and ran. his companion
with him. They entered the car and
were driven away and did not know
until the next day that Mrs. Jaynes
had been shot.
At Sixth and Pennsylvania avenue
his statement said, the trio stopped
and split the proceeds of the robbery
His share was $50. Then they
separated.
Jordan was brought back to Wash
ington Friday afternoon following his
arrest in Mount Vernon, N. Y. He
had been under arrest here in Au-
gust, 1881, on suspicion of being i'm
plicated in the killing, but afterwards
was released. His arrest came about
when he wired local authorities asking
If he still was wanted. explaining he
wanted to have his status cleared up
as he was plan1ing to get married.