People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1894 — THE CHICAGO HORROR. [ARTICLE]

THE CHICAGO HORROR.

Janitor of an Apartment Building Slain in Cold Blood. Chicago, Dec. 10. —A. I). Barnes, who was employed as janitor of the Hiawatha apartment building, 258, East Thirty-seventh street, was murdered in a shockingly brutal manner Thursday night in the basement of the building, and an elaborate effort was made by his slayer and accessories after the fact to conceal the crime by hiding the hacked and mutilated corpse in a hole under the sidewalk on South Park avenue, just south of the elevated railroad tracks on Sixty-third street. ConfesHionß of Guilty Parties.

Chicago, Dec. 11.—Alfred Barnes’ murderers have confessed. Saturday, after overwhelming evidence of their guilt bad been obtained, they broke down and told how the crime was committed. Wednesday night at 10:15 o’clock in the basement of the Hiawatha flats he was struck down with an ax by Edward Jordan, his assistant, in self-defense, as the assassin claims —in cold blood, as other circumstances indicate. An hour later Jordan brought in to view his bloody work Mrs. Ann Mahoney, formerly Barnes’ most intimate friend, now his bitterest foe. Together, by the dim light of a lantern, they removed the evidences of the crime, the woman washing away the bloodstains from the floor.. The dead man was left lying on a pile of coal a whole day while the murderer and his accomplice plotted a more elaborate plan of concealment. The next day the body was packed in a box. At night it was removed in an express wagon driven by Tommy Donahue, the woman taking an active leading part in every separate scene- It was dumped on South Park avenue, near Sixty-third street, where it was found Friday morning, the two conspirators feeling assured that they had successfully effaced all trace of their part in the crime. These facts comprise the essence of a series of full confessions obtained Saturday from the guilty individuals by Inspector Hunt and his officers. The horrible details of the crime were told by the Mahoney woman with a degree of exultation at Barnes’ death which horrified her hearers, and fully expressed her extreme hatred of the man who she said had betrayed, abused, scandalized and robbed her. Jordan’s Confession. After Annie Mahoney confessed her •hare of the crime, Jordan was brought to the inspector’s room and Annie told her tale in the murderer’s presence. Jordan then confessed her story was wmel But he explained that he was

afraid of Barnes; that Barnes had poison in the house, and that he (Jordan) was afraid Barnes would kill him. Jordan continued: “Barnes came into the basement and began to quarrel with me. He asked me where the screwdriver was and when I told him I did not know he called me a liar and made a smash at me with his fist. When he came at me again 1 gave it to him with the ax”