In the late hours of a Saturday night in Bangor, Maine, on March 7, 1903, the life of Patrick Henry Jordan, a 35-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically cut short. Jordan, who had been a patrolman for less than a week, was responding to a domestic disturbance call. The call came from the terrified ex-wife of William H. Albert, a burly blacksmith with a volatile reputation. Albert, after a night of drinking, had gone to his ex-wife's residence on St.
Michael's Court and began pounding on her door. Fearing for her life, she escaped through a second-story window and sought help from a neighbor, who telephoned the police.
Patrolman Jordan was the first to arrive at the scene. As he stood guard at the front of the house, another officer, Thomas O'Donohue, went to search the premises. Albert, discovering O'Donohue's presence, leaped from a window and fled. Jordan immediately gave chase. The pursuit ended tragically when Albert turned and shot Patrolman Jordan in the face. Neighbors reported hearing a shot, but no one witnessed the fatal encounter. Jordan's body was soon discovered by his fellow officer, his police star glinting in the dim light.
The Bangor police department quickly mobilized to apprehend the fugitive. Within hours, they located Albert at a nearby residence where he was found lying on his side with a gun in his hand. Officers managed to disarm and arrest him without further violence. He was taken to the police station, reportedly feigning ignorance about the events that had transpired. William H. Albert was subsequently tried and convicted for the murder of Patrolman Patrick Henry Jordan. His life came to an end in the state prison five years later.
