The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-05
MYSTERIOUS CRIMES.
And Wealthy Man Believed to Have
Been Involved.

Boston, Nov Am connection with
the fifteen murderous assault cases
which have occurred in Cambridge.
Brookline and Somerville within the
last few months, two of which result
ed fatally, the state police to-day ar
rested Alan G.. Mason of Boston, a we'll
known and wealthy business man, a
member of the piano manufacturing
firm of Mason q Hamlin, a prominent
club member and Harvard graduate.
The police suspect, from evidence in
their hands, that Mason has been in
volved in nearly all the cases referred
to, as the circumstances of each have
been very similar. Mason is a middle
aged man, but he has been a victim
of mental trouble, for which he was
treated at the Mclean Asylum, Wav-
erly. About year ago he was per-
mitted to leave the institution. Since
that time, it is said, he has been per-
mitted to go and come at will, and
the fact that he had been frequently
seen about the localities in which the
| assaults occurred led to suspicion
| against him.
The peculiar assault cases which
have terrorized Cambridge and vicln-
| ity,. as well as other suburban sections,
began last June. During the summer
! there were half dozen victims of an
unknown assailant, each of which was
| struck down and beaten with a blunt
| instrument. Early in October Miss
Agnes McPhee was assaulted in Som
erville and died from her injuries, an
| iron wrench being found and fixed
| upon as the weapon used. During
| the same month eight other cases fol-
| lowed, the last of which occurred last
| Saturday night, when Clara A. Nor
ton, laundress at the Mclean Asy-
lum, was accosted on the grounds of
that institution and beaten with a
blunt instrument. Miss Morton died
Sunday.
Mason was taken into custody at
his mothers home, on Newbury street.
He made no objection and on the way
to police headquarters it is said he ad-
mitted to the officers that he was in
Somerville on the night on which Miss
McPhee was fatally injured. The pris-
oner Is about 80 years of age and is
the son of the founder of the firm of
Mason and Hamlin organ and piano
manufacturers. He was graduated
from Harvard in 1856 and entered the
firm of which his father was the head.
Mental troubles developed within a
few years of his graduation and he
went to the Mclean Asylum for treat
ment. After a time he showed i'm
provement and left the institution. A
second time 1t became necessary for
him to return, but he soon improved
and he was released a second time.
In 1901, however, symptoms more SER
ious than any previous ones
developed and his mother and
brother found it unsafe to be
with him at their Newbury street
home. He had threatened both, and
petition was filed to have him sent
away on the ground of insanity. and
Mason was sent to Waverly for the
third time. The man himself protest
ed against what he termed an injus-
tice, and said that he was perfectly
sane, and would conduct himself as
well as possible while he was there.
He remained six months. Since then
he has been free, and has been a
stock taker at the Mason & Hamlin
organ factory at Cambridge.
Mason has a mothex and three
brothers, Edward Palmer Mason,
Henry Lowell Mason and Daniel Greg
DRY Mason. He is a cousin of John
Mason the well-known actor.
Mason was detained at the station
house until nearly O'Clock. when he
was taken 10 Cambridge, Wnere ne VIII
remain under surveillance by insanity
experts for time. Throughout the ex-
animation he absolutely denied that he
knew anything about the assault cases.
The police assert that four or five wit
nesses declare positively that they saw
Mason in Waverly Saturday night.
Mason's brother says Alan is in bet
ter mental condition than he was some
time ago, but he realizes that Alan is
an insane man. One fact considered
significant by the police is the admis-
sion that it has been the habit of Alan
Mason to take car ride almost every
evening before going to bed. The ride
was taken as usual Sunday evening,
but Mason declares he did not go in the
direction of Waverly.