The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-15
Dawson Who Killed Sun-ln-Law,
Gan Make Damascus Blades
IS RELEASED FROM PRISON
So That Priceless Formula May Not Be
Lost Is Locked In Vault 10 Which
He Holds Third ksE

pes AIolnes. Iowa. July i5.-In a safet,
deposit vault OF the Dcs Moines Natlona
Bank lies secret that may revolution.
ize the steel industry OF the United
States To that vault there are thee
keys. One is held by the bank. one by
the officers 'of the Damascus Steel com
pany. g. II. Dawson, an aged convict
inthe pcnItentiary at Anamosa, held
the third key.
Because II required all three keys TO
open the vault Mr. Dawson is at home
today a free man, paroled by Gov. l.. NJ.
Shaw during good behavior.
Dawson, who claims TO have discov-
cred the secret OF Damascus steel and
placed II in the strong box, entered An
amosa to begin a 10 year sentence for
the murder of Walter Scott. who had
eloped with his daughter. Clara Dawson
Behind the walls the aged inventor car
ried the key to the vault. Wheedling
coaxing. threats. had no effect upon him
He declared time and again that he
would die I'm prison rather than to give
up his precious knowledge. With good
behavior allowance Mr.. Dawson had Is
months OF his sentence yet 20 serve when
DIR. l.. ID. Rood. president of the steel
company. interested Gov. Shaw in the
case and pointed out TO him that through
the death in prison OF the inventor sci
ence might again lose the secret OF hard
ening steel and copper.
The Governor was told that Mr.. Daw-
son had promised 10 give up the key
when he became disabled, but had main
tained from the first that his imprison-
ment was not equivalent 20 disability
Accordingly, Gov. shaw last week ex-
ercised clemency. Aged, gaunt with
grizzled beard and hair. Dawson is to-
day just where he was on Christmas Eve,
1895. He was on the verge OF success,
after a lifetime of work and self-denial.
During the autumn he had interested
local capitalists I'm his discovery and had
been assured OF abundant capital TO per-
feet his process.
The Damascus Steel company with
an authorized capital OF $3.50 600, had been
formed. and he had just returned from
a visit to the East, where he had inter-
ested some OF the great steel men. lie
looked forward 10 the new year 10 bring
commercial success OF his plan OF MAX
ing steel and riches.
TRAGEDY BLASTED HIS HOPES.
But the domestic trouble that had hoy
cred over him for two years eliminated
on Christmas Eve in n tragedy His
daughter Clara was only 16 when she
met Walter Scott. She was pretty and
he was not bad looking. and they fell
IN love.
Clara was committed by her parents
TO the state asylum for the insane az
Mount Pleasant Scott enlisted the aid |
of prominent citizens and secured her |
release on haheas corpus proceedings. |
His sweetheart suddenly disappeared |
again. Scott finally learned that she was
IN st. Xavier Academy in Chicago.
Scott sought the mother superior and |
begged her to release the girl. The |
mother superior said she would keep her
no longer, but held her until her father
arrived. He took her 10 Canton, Ohio,
and later placed her in school at Day
ton. Escaping from there she reached
relatives I'm Keokuk, Iowa. The lovers
TO meet at Ottumwa, Iowa
and be married. Mr. Dawson intercepted
the letters and had Scott arrested.
charged with improper use of the mails.
On the evening before the day ar
ranged for meeting Scott secured his
freedom on bonds and started for Keo-
kuk. Miss Dawson's father obtained an
other warrant and started after them
The lovers had scarcely embraced before
ne warrant was served Scott was taken
to jail and the daughter was taken home
by her father.
Later Scott was released without trial
and came TO Des Moines He visited the
Dawson home. accompanied by police
man. Miss Dawson by this time had
reached her majority, and Scott asked her
10 marry him. She refused, saying she
,oald not do 80 as long as her parents
opposed the match. In three weeks |
'he changed her mind and the day before
,hristmas they were married by a JUS
ice of the peace.
Scott took his bride to his parents
lome. and then called at the Dawson |
lone to get her effects The desperate
aiher-in-law killed Scott with a revol-
'er. !
Convicted OF the murder Mr.. Dawosn
eceived sentence OF only 10 years on
ecount OF age and extenuating clrcum- !
tances soon after he began his term {
It's daughter married another man and I
or three years nothing has bee heard q
c her :
Having paid the penalty for his crime. (
ar Dawson takes up tine work on his c
teel process where he left IT, II is ex- $
ected that at a conference to be held v
oon with directors OF the Damascus G
teel company a test will be arranged g
? demonstrate whether the steel can Q
mace ih commercial quantities at +
efficiently low cost. =
Few doubt that Mr.. Dawson maks II