The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-28
MRS. NORMAN MASON, COLORED,
SHOT BY A BOARDER,
CHARLES BASS.
MIDNIGHT TRAGEDY ON A FARM
X-Ray Editors Plead Not Guilty
Times Fails to Put in an
Appearance.


dition and is not expected to recover.
Charles Bass, who did the shooting, is
locked up at the central police station
upon the charge of assault in the first
degree.
Screams of '.help,'' murder" were
the first intimation to the neighbors
of anything wrong. These were soon
followed by the figure of a woman
dashing out of the front door of the
small dwelling. AS she came out Of
the front door the burly negro, who
followed, was seen to strike her upon
the head with a large revolver. The
woman was some distance ahead and
started to run around the house. There
is a small shrub at the corner of the
house and when she reached this, she
paused, evidently thinking that the
negro had ceased to pursue her AS
she turned around, Bass pointed the
revolver directly at her and fired point
blank at her breast. She threw up
her hands and with a loud scream fell
backward upon the lawn.
AS the woman lay upon the ground
Bass, with the revolver in one hand
put the other under the wounded
Woman's neck and raised up her head
I've killed you; I've killed you,'' he
cried. 'Ilove you, you know I do. You
made me love you and you know it,
he continued, and then he kissed her
in the presence of the frightened crowd
which had gathered, but which stood
back for fear of the mans revolver
Then he half carried half dragged the
10 cfi
the gun in one hand. The woman was
bleeding profusely and was laid upon
the floor by the brute who shot her.
BY this time an immense crowd had
gathered. The firemen OF Engine
Company No. 6, at Third avenue south
and Twelfth street, came to the rescue
Previous to this a liveryman named
Coleman had attempted to enter to
capture the negro, but the latter was
ugly and drove Coleman away. An
other citizen met a like reception
Bass dared any of the crowd to cap
ture him and none made the attempt
The police soon arrived on the scene,
but before this, Bass had disposed of
the revolver, it is supposed in a shed
back of the house. A thorough search
failed to locate it.
Officer Peter Fox placed Bass under
arrest, but he had hard tussel in do
ing so. The negro was excited and
put UP a hard fight before surrender
ing. in making him do which the Of
fcers had to choke him into submits
sion. He was handcuffed and placed
in the wagon with two officers to guard
him. The woman was lifted to a
lounge and then placed on the central
wagon stretcher and taken to the city
hospital. Bass was on the wagon at
the time and was afterwards locked
up.
AT the hospital the surgeon found
Mrs. Mason in serious condition.
She was unconscious at the time. A
bullet hole was found in her right
breast An examination showed that
it had proceeded backward, but it is
thought that it did not pierce the
right lung. 1t is thought to have fol,
lowed the ribs and to have lodged in
the spine. The woman regained her
senses last night but the outcome of
her injury the doctors would not pre-
dict last night. They did not conceal
the fact that she is in a very critical
condition and likely to die.
After the arrival of the police and
when it was seen that Bass had dis
came holder. Previous to this indigna-
ton ran high against the assailant,
but, for fear of his shooting again, the
crowd made no demonstration. How
! ever as soon as he was in the patrol
wagon, somebody shouted Lynch him!
hang him." and had not Officers Fox,
| Mcnamara and Cranak used their ut
most efforts to protect their charge
undoubtedly Bass body would have
| oI Ion iroI1 of OF
| hand. The colored men in the crowd
| of whom there were many, were great
| ly excited over the affair and would
not have thought twice about string
ing up the culprit. A rush was made
for the wagon just as the police were
! driving away, but without result
There is no doubt that the police I'M
aided. would have been unable to have
handled the crowd, but the firemen
rendered valuable aid and prevented
what might have proved miscarriage
| of justice.
There are conflicting stories about
| the cause of the trouble, but the fol-
lowing is reputed to be correct: Since
spring Mat Bass has been rooming
at Mrs Mason's house. Bass is said to
have stolen the womans pocketboGk,
! and she demonstrated with him and
/ told him to leave the house. Words
followed and Bass claims the woman
struck him on the head with the gun.
! He took the weapon from her and tore
| her clothes. She ran to the front porch,
and then he struck her on the right
forehead with the weapon, lnflicting a
I severe cut What has already been de-
! tailed then followed. The police found
| the womans purse in Bass clothes.
| 1t contained the $1S.4S, and is held by
| the authorities.
Samuel Acres, a colored man, claims
to have seen the shooting. He says he
| was attracted to the corner by a call
for help and police. He says that, as
Mrs Mason emerged from the house,
| she was struck vicious blow on tie
! forehead by the negro, and that blood
began to run freely over her white
dress. The remainder of his story is
as given above. Acres, with others Of
his nationality, was boiling with indig-
| nation at the occurrence, and said that
lynching would have been none too
good for the guilty man.
| Edgar Moves of Minnetonka Mills,
was a spectator and gave the mann
| facts as do the others
| After the first excitement, Capt. Cos
kran conducted a thorough search of
| the premises for the gun, but it was
| nowhere to be found. 1t is of thirty
eight ,calibre, and belongs to Mason.
There is some question as to the
woman's real name. 1t is reported that
| her husband is Walker Owens, a porter
for F. E. White, and that she left him
some time ago. Mason has been living
with her for some time and told the
| hospital officials that he had been mar
| ried to the woman for nearly three
| years He is employed IN the 7. M
| Roberts wholesale house.
Bass is a surly-looking negro. short
| of stature and with a re@ulsive face.
He says he is but twenty years of age,