The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-10
Dfason, However, Said Positively He
Did Not Know His Accuser and
Had Never Seen Him Before.
MANY MYSTERIOUS CRIMES
WHICH HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO
"JACK THE sLUGGER.'
Career of the Man Who ls Suspected
of Committing the Assaults ON
Women I'm Boston Suburbs.

BOSTON, Nov. 9-George L. o. Perry,
the negro who pawned the watches taken
from the murdered women, Miss Clara A.
Morton and Miss Agnes McPhee, declared
to-day that Alan G.. Mason is the man
from whom he received these articles.
Perry was taken to the jail in East Cam
bridge, where Mason. under arrest on the
Charge of killing Miss Morton, is confined,
pending hearing in the Cambridge court
Tomorrow In one of the Jail corridors
Perry positively identified Mason as the
man who had given him the two watches.
Mason. by neither look nor word, betrayed
any knowledge of having seen Perry be-
fore. When questioned by Sheriff Fair
bairn, Mason merely said: 'I do not know
this man; i never saw him before"
During the day Chief Ryan and officer
Argy, of Belmont, talked with Perry and
later State Officers New, Dunham, Dex-
ter and others took Perry to the jail. The
callers were shown into the room where
Mason and six others were in line. Perry
walked straight up to Mason, who was sec
ond in position, and. pointing his finger
at him, said: This is the man who gave
me the watches TO pawn" He was about
to leave the room when Sheriff Fairbairn
asked him If he would not like to talk
with Mason in order that he might make
himself sure that Mason was the man.
Perry replied there was no need of that, as
he knew who the man and had
known him for a long time. On being
returned TO his cell in the police station
Perry was confronted by three newsboys,
and they identified him as another news
boy
Another visitor at the police station was
Mason's attorney. He was accompanied
by a woman. This did not see
Perry, but Ii was understood that she had
been produced by the defense in the hope
OF showing that Perry himself or some
other negro was the real Jack the Slug
ger" She is one of the women who were
followed by a negro in Cambridge several
weeks ago. Mr.. Ware places no faith in
the statement of Perry that II was Mason
that gave the boy the watches.
Mr.. Ware believes that Perry had to ac-
count for his possession of the watches
and the most reasonable way was to say
that they were given him by a man already
under arrest and by man whom he had
seen on the streets of Cambridge and could
easily Identify. The fact that the negro
accused Mason Of giving him the watches
did not give the police any false confidence
that the mystery of the series Of brutal
crimes had been solved.
MANY ASSAULTS MADE.
Mason Is a son of the founder of the Ma
son & Hamlin Organ Company, and is not
only suspected Of numbering Clara Morton,
but also OF making twelve other murderous
assaults. In one of which the victim died.
The assaults have occurred in Cambridge
Brookline and Somerville in the last few
months. This is a complete list of the VIC
tins OF the mysterious ''Slugger:"
June lI-kate OConnell, assaulted, Cam
bridge; severe scalp wounds.
and Magazine streets, Cambridge; severe
scalp wounds.
July Z7-Ella Murphy. in craigie street.
Cambridge; severe scalp wounds
Aug. 3-Jeannette Marshall. in Center
street. Brookline; fractured skull.
Oct. 3-Agnes E. McPhee, in Chester
street. Brookline; fractured skull; died
Oct. 1o--susan O'Neill. knocked down and
strangled In Somerville.
Oct. 16-Mrs Byron Eldred threatened
with a revolver In Brookline.
Oct l9-Jane Ladell. knocked down In
Watertown by well-dressed middle-aged
man.
Oct. 22-Bertha Smith. struck in Boston.
Oct. 24-I,ulu Mixer. seized in Cambridge
Oct. &-Mrs. F. II. Stentiford, attacked
oct. 3o-Mrs. w. II Whitney, struck with
weapon In Somerville by a middle-aged
white man.
Nov. 1-Clara Morton. struck In Mclean
ASYLUM grounds. Waverly: died
Mason is a middle-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-
mitted TO leave the institution. Since that
time he has been permitted 10 go and come
at will, and The fact that he had been fire.
ouently seen about the localities in which
the assaults occurred led to suspicion
against him.
terrorized Cambridge and vicinity. as well
as other suburban sections, began last
June During the summer there were half
a dozen victims OF an unknown assailant
each being struck down and beaten with a
blunt instrument. Early in October 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 or which occurred
Nov. !, when Clara A Morton laundress
AT the Mclean Asylum, was accosted on
the grounds OF that institution and beaten
with a blunt instrument. Miss Morton died
Sunday Mason denies that he is guilty,
and has made strenuous efforts 70 prove an
RECURRING INSANITY.
Mason is thirty-nine years OF age. He
was graduated from Harvard in 1856 and
entered the firm OF which his father was
the head Mental troubles developed with
IN a few years of his graduation and he
went 10 the Mclean Asylum for treatment.
After a time he showed improvement and
left the institution. A second time IL be-
came necessary for him to return. but ne
soon improved and he was released a second
time.
In 1901. however. symptoms more serious
than any previous ones developed and his
mother and brother found IL unsafe TO be
with him at their Newbury-street home
He had threatened both. and petition was
fled to have him sent away on the ground
OF Insanity, and Mason was sent TO Waver-
lev for the third time. The man himself
protested against what he termed an in
I