The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-04
| :JACk:IH Il'| Ter
Alan G. Mason, Prominent Boston
Clubman and Harvard Grad:
uate, Arrested
He Is Suspected Of Large Number
of Murderous Assaults on
Women Near Cambridge.

Boston, Nov. Ain connection with the |
fifteen murderous assault cases which !
have occurred in Cambridge, Brookline
and Somervile in the last few months. |
two Of which resulted fatally, the state po-
lice to-day arrested Alan G.. Mason, of
Boston, a we'll known and wealthy bust
ness man, a member OF the piano manu-
featuring firm of Mason 81 Hamlin, a
prominent club member and Harvard
graduate. t..
The police suspect, from evidence in
their hands, that Mason has been involved
In nearly all the cases referred to, as: the
circums tances have been very similar.
Mason is "a ,1niddle aged man, but he has
been victim of mental trouble for which
he was treated at the Mclean asylum at
Waverly,. About a year ago he was per-
| mttted to leave the :, Institution: Since
that time he has, been, permitted. to go
and come at will and the fact that he
had been frequently seen. about the locali-
ties on which the assaults occurred, led to
| suspicion against him. , 80 =:
The peculiar assault cases which have
terrorized Cambridge and vicinity as wer
as other suburban sections began last
June: During the summer there were half
a dozen victims Of an unknown assailant
each Of which was struck down and beaten
! with blunt instrument. Early. IN Oc-
| tober Miss 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 A. Norton a laundress at the
Mclean asylum, was "accosted on the
grounds OF that Institution and beaten
with a blunt instrument. Miss Morton
died Sunday -. g.. - 81 . -. .
Mason was taken into custody at his
mothers home on Newbury street. He
made no objection and on the way to po-
| II RES~ fo<1
mitted to the officers that he was in
Somerville~ on the night on which Miss
McPhee was fatally injured. The prisoner
Is about 80 years of age and Is the son of
the founder of the firm Of Mason & Ham
lin, organ and piano manufacturers He
was graduated from Harvard In 1886 and
entered the firm of which his father was
the head. Mentral trouble developed with
in few years of his graduation and he
went to the Mclean asylum for treatment.
After a time he showed Improvement and
left the institution. A second time 1t be-
came necessary for him to return, but
he soon improved and he was released a
second time: In 1901, however, <symp-
toms more serious than any previous ones
developed and his mother and brother
found it.. unsafe to be, with him att their
Newbury, street home. He had threatened
both and a 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 protested against
what he termed an injustice 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 fac
tory! at Cambridge ~. S4. - a .
Mason ahas-aInotfl6r and three brothers,
Edward Palmer Mason, Henry Lowell, Ma
son and Daniels Gregory. Mason. He Is a
Eco e{ of nh 81