The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-08-12

City, Ind.--Mason for four years, IN
der the name of William T. Wright,
January 2S, 1897.
Mason soon showed the Hoosiers
that he was no common New Yorker,
If he was a thief. On the following
July he knocked his keeper down,
bruising him as if he had been hit
with a ton Of Philadelphia brick. Then
Mr.. Mason from New York quietly es-
capped, and skipped for other climes.
On a cool, wintry morning, Deem
Der 3, 1897, George R. Blodgett, coun-
sci for the General Electric Light
Company, was living at Schenectady,
N. Y. He was well to do, and his
house was literally furnished Just
before daylight that morning his wife
woke him. whispering that some one
was in the room.
Blodgett attempted to rise, when
tall man ordered him to throw up his
hands. He failed to obey. There was
just an attempt at resistance, when
the lawyer fell back dead.
4 big calibre, self-cocking bulldog
revolver in the hands of the tall man
had done the work. 1t was no more
than the killing of q fly to the robber.
The shrieking of the wife merely
amused him, not interfering ill the
least with his operations, for twenty
seven pieces of solid silyerware were
carried off. This was the crime for
which the General Electric Company
offered $4,000 as a reward to the
man who would discover the murder
er.
About ten days after the murder had
been committed, a second hand jewel
~ dealer in Philadelphia was APP
preached by Mason, whom he knew,
offering to sell him some silver plate.
Mason remarked that he also had
some monogrammed silver that ought
to be melted up at once. The dealer
was probably suspicious, for negotia-
tons were not consummated, and
Mason did not return as he said he
would.
Still another crime was committed
in Providence ON March 8, 1898. VII.
liam O. Hutchins, jeweller of wealth
was killed in his own house by bull
let fired as Mason always shoots his
lead The porch had been climbed
and the window opened for the burg
lar to enter. After numbering the
man and robbing his house, the thief
escaped by the window and porch to
the ground. Second story robberies,
especially over a porch, are Mason's
peculiar copyrighted methods of earn
ing state prison fame.
Much has been printed about the
heartless murder of Major William c.
Wilson, the aged librarian who was
found dead in his book store at No.
LILY Walnut street, Philadelphia, last
August.
Captain McClusky and his assistants
learned that Mason and Coffey had
gone west after the Philadelphia muir
der. When Coffey returned to New
York recently and opened a saloon IN
Cherry street, near Pearl Captain Nc
Clusky showed his detective clever
ness in believing that Mason would
soon appear on the scene, so he laid
his plans accordingly.
Detectives Fogarty and Strip were
detailed to shadow the place. Pres
emily RED" Spencer appeared. He
was but few days out of prison. The
former convicts were Swallowed to the
West Shore depot ferry, at the foot of
West Forty second street. The officers
on duty there were quickly instructed
to lend a hand" and be ready for ac-
ton.
Mason drew his gun. Fogarty's
thumb flashed between the hammer
and the cartridge at the instant Ma
son was pulling the trigger.
A hairs breadth of time in Mason's
favor would have sent the bullet
through the detectives brain. Then
followed a desperate hand to hand
struggle.
Fer a few minutes the situation was
serious and desperate. The detectives,
however, knew all the tricks, and
landed blows where they would para
lyze most men. Presently the robbers
were hammered into reason, collared
and handcuffed