The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-05
Suspected of Having Committed the
Mysterious Assaults on Women
ut Cambridge.
PROTESTS HIS INNOCENCE
POLICE BELIEVE HE KILLED MISS
CLARA MORTON RECENTLY.
Graduate Of Harvard and Member Of
the Mason & Hamlin Music House,
Who Was Treated for Insanity.

BOSTON. Nov. Ain connection with the
fifteen murderous assault cases which have
occurred in Cambridge, Brookline and
Somerville in the last few months, two OF
which resulted fatally, the state police to-
day arrested Alan G. Mason, of Boston, a
well-known and wealthy business man,
member of the piano manufacturing firm OF
Mason & Hamlin, a prominent club MEM
Der and a Harvard graduate. The police
suspect, from evidence in their hands, that
Mr.. Mason has been involved in nearly all
the cases referred to, as the circumstances
have been very similar. Mason has been
victim of mental trouble, for which he was
treated at the Mclean asylum at Waiver
ley. About year ago he was permitted TO
leave the institution. Since that time he has
been permitted to come and go at will, and
the fact that he has been seen about the To-
calities in which the assaults occurred led
to suspicion against him.
The peculiar assault cases which have
terrorized Cambridge and vicinity. as we'll
as other suburban sections began last June.
During the summer there were half dozen
victims of unknown assailant, each OF
which was struck down and beaten with
Agnes McPhee was assaulted in Somerville
and died from her injuries An iron wrench
was found and fixed upon as the weapon
used. During the same month eight other
cases followed, the last of which occurred
last Saturday night, when Clara Morton,
laundress at the Mclean Asylum, was &C
costed on the grounds of that institution
and beaten with a blunt instrument. Miss
Morton died on Sunday. Mr.. Mason was
taken into custody at his mothers home on
Newbury street. He made no objection, and
on the way to police headquarters 1t is said
Mr. Mason admitted to the officers that he
was In Somerville on the night on which
Miss McPhee was fatally injured.
PROMINENT BOSTONIAN.
The prisoner is about thirty-nine years
old, and is the son of the founder Of the
firm of Mason & 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 few years of
his graduation and he went to Mclean
Asylum for treatment After a time he
showed Improvement and left the institu-
ton. A second time it became necessary
for him to return, but he soon improved
and he was released second time In 1901,
however, symptoms more serious 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 a petition was filed
insanity. and Mason was sent to Waiver
ley for the third time. The man himself
protested against what he termed an in
Justice and said ne was perfectly sane and
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 Ma
three brothers. d.
ward Palmer Mason, Henry Lowell Mason
and Daniel Gregory Mason He is a cousin
of John Mason, the well-known actor
While in college Mason displayed a pro-
nounced musical taste and was president
of the glee club. He was also an athlete
of some note.
Mason was detained at the station house
until nearly 8 o'clock, when he was taken to
Cambridge, where he will remain under sur
VIGILANCE by insanity experts for a time.
Throughout the examination he absolutely
denied that he knew anything about the
assault cases. The police assert that four or
five witnesses declare positively that they
saw Mason in Waverley Saturday night
Masons brother says Alan is in better mem
tai condition than he was some time ago,
but he realizes that Alan is an insane man.
one faSt cohs isi sgnifi /, by the po-
habit of Alan Mason to take a car ride
every evening before going to bed The ride
was taken as usual on Saturday evening,
but Mason declares he did not go in the d.
rection of Waverley.
NOTHING FOUND IN HOUSE.
State officers Proctor and Durham went
to the Mason home in Newbury street this
afternoon and searched it thoroughly. Moth
ing was found which would indicate that
Mason was connected with any of the mys-
| terious assaults on women in Boston and
vicinity.
Inspector Murray, of the Cambridge force.
arfa %
have been for weeks looking for the "slug-
GER" say they have nothing that will iden-
| tify Mason as the man they want and 1t
| is believed that the police will have to con-
| fine their attention to attempting to prove
that Mason killed Miss Morton at Waiver
| ly. They believe tonight they have found
| a witness who will swear to seeing Mason
in the Mclean Hospital path in which Miss
| Morton received her death blows, but they
| think that eventually he will make some
| admissions which, however. they admit
will not be worth much, because of his
mental condition.
The police say they can prove that Ma
son passed a great many evenings about
| the streets of Somerville and Cambridge
| during the "slugger's" period of operations
| and they know that he often went to those
| cities a bike, such is said to have
| been ridden by a suspicious person who
has been seen in the localities In which
4 the assaults have been committed
1.-The case against Mason is almost en-
| tirely circumstantial," said one of ahe off.
| GERS working on the case to-day, ''but
/ am satisfied that he is the 'slugger,' and
| | believe that before the case comes 10
| trial we will be able to show beyond a
| doubt that he is. Mason was taken to
Cambridge because majority of the as
sauits took place in that city. The Cam
bridge police say that Mason probably
will be arraigned tomorrow on suspicion
| of having murdered Miss Morton in Waiver.
| ly. This town comes within the jurisdic.
| tion of the Third District Court Of Mid.
| dlesex, which sits in Cambridge. The prob.
/ ability is that the case will be continued
to give the police more time for investiga-
| ton.