The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-04
Vaults Over the Dock
in Court.
CHASED AND INTERCEPTED
DETERMINED NOT TO GO AGAIN
TO SAN QUENTIN.
He Is Held on Charge of Burglary
and Also Has Charge of
e.. Extortion Against
Him.

George Mason, the ex-convict. who is
accused of being the principal in the ex-
iorrion of Gustav Schwarz of the Old
Louvre at the ferry in the beginning of
January, made a bold attempt to escape
from Judge Mogan's courtroom yesterday
morning and caused for a few minutes
me widest excitement among the crowd
in the courtroom and in the corridor.
Mason had been brought from the CITY
9rson along with a lot of other prison
ers TO await his preliminary examination
on a. charge of burglary for breaking into
the. room of Mrs. Cleopatra Hill in the
Hotel Palmerlee, 133 Ellis street. on Jan
nary.22 last and stealing several articles
OF jewelry. His friend Clay Markell
charged with him on the extortion COM
plant, was in court, and kept close to the
dock where Mason was confined.
Policeman Coughlin, who has charge of
the prisoners, had been sent TO the City
Prison by the Judge with a woman who
was subject TO fits, and the Judge had
called Bailiff Barry TO the bench to talk
10 him, when Mason sprang over the
a. wooden partition in the dock TO the floor
ana started on a run for the side door
leading from the courtroom past the pros
"ecuting attorneys office to the stairs lead
. ing 10 the basement. There was a general
p. yell in the courtroom, and Bailif Barry
and his assistant, J. Harris, made break
3. tective Graham and several others.
:. Mason ran swiftly down the stairs, fol-
lowed by the officers and a crowd Harris
yelling all the time: Catch him-catch
him Three Chinese who were standing
IN MaSOn's way were knocked nearly
over the halUStrade. and he looked like a
wilmer Unfortunately for him, Coughlin
was returning from the prison, and just
as he emerged from the doorway in the
rear of the basement he ran into Cough
lifl's arms COughlin grabbed him by the
throat. threw him to the ground and held
him while Bailif Barry and Detective
Graham put the handouts on him and led
hin back to the courtroom.
u gave you a run for your moneys
worth, painted Mason. as he was led
away. He declared that he would never
spend another term in San Quentin, and
ii is thought that if he cannot effect his
escape he Will commit suicide.
When he was taken back to the court
room his case was at once called. and at
ter hearing the evidence the Judge held
on the burglary charge in $1,000 bonds
His and Markets. preliminary examina-
ton on the charge of eXtortion will come
up this morning.
Judge Mogan, in speaking of the facfl-
itv with which Mason was able to jump
ont of the dock. said: AT the time of the
shooting by John Shaughnessy Of John II.
Hughes in the corridor outside the court
room. when several prisoners attempted
to get out of the dock, l petiuoned the
Board Of Supervisors to put up an iron
grating. the same as in Judge Conlan's
courtroom, to prevent prisoners from do
ing lust what Mason has done but no at
tentiOn was paid to my request, and the
fault lies with them. The place from
where Mason jumped is only about three
can be seen how easy IT is for deter
mined prisoner to attempt to get away