The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-30
IN THE LAWS HANDS.
Mason's Suspected Murderer Is
Captured.
wooLERY's VIGOROUS PURSUIT.
Every Avenue of Escape Closed Against
Nordstrom-Strong Evidence
of His Guilt.

by Deputy sheriff Jack Mcdonald while on the
road between Gilman and Falls City. The pris-
oner was taken to Gilman and placed under
strong guard, awaiting the arrival of Sheriff
Woolery from this city.
When Sheriff Woolery received word from
Cedar Mountain station on Friday night that a
murder had been committed, he found that it
would be impossible to reach the scene OF the
killing before morning. With this in view he
Immediately went to work planning for the
capture of the assassin, who he knew, had
taken to the woods. The geography OF the Cedar
Mountain section showed that the points TO be
guarded were Tolt, Falls City and Gilman on the
north, and franklin and Palmer on the south.
With these places guarded it would be hard
matter for the assassin TO elude the officers
when he came from the woods.
Sheriff Woolery and Deputy Jack Mcdonald
took the first train Saturday morning for Cedar
Mountain. and proceeded to the Mason house
at once. The ground was looked over and all
the information possible obtained and
noted. The fact that Nordstrom or Swanson
had worked for the Masons, familiar with
their habits, moreover thoroughly acquainted
with the lay OF the land and had quarreled and
made open threats against members of the
family, was significant to the sheriff. He OBJ
tanned description OF the suspect and tele-
graphed to his deputies to this effect:
Look out for Charles Swanson or Nordstrom,
mustaehe same; eyes blue gray: clothes,
coat and vest, dark blue; pants, striped.
When this was done Deputy Mcdonald started
for Tolt and by that means covered the way of
escape to the north along the Snoqualmie
wagon road. Sheriff Woolery now went back to
the scene OF the crime and commenced work in
q systematic manner. The footprints near the
window were covered with a pan, 50 that they
could not be obliteratsd. Eight feet from the
window was high log fence, and from this
point for some distance in northwesterly d.
rection lay an open field. The theory advanced
by the sheriff was that the assassin came up 70
the fence, rested a Winchester rifle on the Sec
ond rail from the top and covered the three
men sitting in a row at the table. This theory
was sustained by the direction the bullet took
in passing through Mason's body. The eleva-
ton from the point mentioned, the gun being
held by man nearly six feet high, would have
thrown the bullet in slightly downward
course, was the case. The by-paths and roads
for radius of several miles were carefully ex-
amined.
In the course of talk with residents the sheriff
learned that bulldog owned by the Masons had
been missing since Thursday afternoon. This
fact looked significant, and, on inquiry. it ap-
peared that William Mason on Thursday after
noon started from home to return horse which
he had borrowed from neighbor named Mono
han. On his way back he met lady and ac-
dog, which had been coming along behind, it
was not to be seen or found. The matter did
not cause suspicion at the time, although the
dog was a good guardian, and kept persons away
from the house after dark. The story caused
the sheriff to go over the trail taken by William
Mason, and q careful search revealed traces OF
blood. He followed the clue and came:upon the
carcass OF Mason's bulldog hidden in the brush.
The dog had not been killed with firearms for
n m N cndQnl.
fact that the dog made no outcry to alarm
William Mason and his companion showed that
the job was done quickly and scientifically, or
that the dog was acquainted with the person
who killed it and allowed him to approach
without fear of being hurt
The next move was to cross the country to Gill
man and see If Nordstrom was working for the
Seattle Coal and Iron Company, as had been re-
ported The trip was made on horseback, and
through the widest and most thickly wooded
portion OF the mining districts At Gilman
Deputy Ben Stretch was found and given in
structions to drop all other matters and attend
to the capture of Swanson or Nordstrom. The
books OF the Seattle Coal and Iron Company
gave the name of Charles Norston, but neither
of the names in possession of the sheriff. The
description, however, was identical, and 1t also
appeared that the man went to work on the coal
bunkers on November Il, but had stopped at
o'clock Wednesday night, November %. At that
time he told Thomas Lindsey that he was going
after money and q settlement aud II he did not
get 1t there would be trouble This statement
was made by two persons to Sheriff Woolery.
The sheriff was certain that Nordstrom would go
back to Gilman, and had men sent in ali direc-
tons TO meet the supposed assassin. At o'clock
in the afternoon the sheriff started back across
the country TO the near vicinity of the scene of
the murder, and on arriving at Cedar Mountain
station was handed the following message from
hal 1arN ~ a.Nfrh ar tics
which were searching the Iqpuntains and en-
deavoring to track the assassin:
Tracked man by shoes on path leading to
Masons house. Tracked him back on road to
LIndseys door 1E his stocking feet; then We
tracked him ON path leading TO Gilman quarter
OF n mile. At o'clock saw fire mountain
back of Lindsey's house, where no one lives. Ii
lasted for hsf hour aud then disappeared.
The sheriff started for the Mason house and
met Coroner Horton, Prosecuting Attorney
Caldwell aud Deputy Coroner J. A. Green, who
were on the way 10 hold inquest. The evil
dence produced. which published in sun
days PoST-INTELLIG ENCER, tended to strengthen
the belief that swanson or Nordstrom was the
man. Alter the verdict that William Mason
was killed by Charles swanson, alias Nordstrom
had been rendered, Coroner Horton, in the pres
ence of Sheriff Woolery. J. A. Greene and Posi-
lNTELLIGENCER cores pOndent held post NOR
TEN examination as to the course of the bullet
through the body. The lead was taken from
beneath the skin OF the right arm, having
passed through the body from a point four
inches below the shoulder of the left arm In
appearance il was a 4i-60 caliDre, such as are
used IN Winchester rifles. The point was fat
tened TO the size OF 2-cent copper piece As
Woolery did it up in paper and placed it in
his pocket he remarked:
The fact that this came in contact with the
humerus OF both arms aud the ribs of the right
side was all that saved Charles Gailaghers life f"
YES" said Coroner Horton. "Were il not for
that the three men in q row would all have been
wounded
The remains were embalmed by Bounev Il
Stewart and then the party returned to Cedar
Mountain station and passed the night They
came to seattle yesterday morning, accompanied
by J. J. Hershey and Joseph Mason, who had
come 10 see If the remains of the man who had
been run over on the Columbia < Puget sound
railway Saturday morning were those OF Charles
Nordstrom. This theory had been entertained
as possible, because the general description OF
|. he two persons was similar BOta Hershey and
Mason declared that the remains were not those
OF Nordstrom. Sheriff Woolcry returned TO his
residence anu was about TO sta.t across Lake
Washington and on 10 Gilman on horseback
when he found the following message from Ben
Stretch. the deputy at Gilman, dated Noven Der
p, addressed to1. J. CTabtree in the sheriif's
absence;
O'Clock yesterday, and Nordstronn was seen At s
O'Clock last night by the Lindsey boys Have
been searching FOR him since. l learn that
Lindsey owes NordstToIa money, and he may
wait around 10y that l have several men
searching for him
At4:So clodk the sheriff received the follow
ing message from Deputy Mcdonald, dated at
Gilman:
! got Nords,rom. alias swanson At : o'clock
TINS afternoon. between Gilman and Falls CITY
he replied, iastrUcting Mcdonald to keep a