The sun., 1902-11-05
IS MASON JACK THE SLUGGER?
WELL-KNOWN BOSTON NAN HELD
FOR MORTON MIRDER.
Alan Mason Charged with Killlng the
Woman Employee Of the Mclean
Asyium-He Had Been an Inmate
There-Hk Mind Affected slightly
His People say They Can Prove an
Alibi-Alleged Murderer's Family One
Of the best known Ia DOstOn.

BosToN, Nov. ALAN Gregory Mason
WAS arrested az his mothers residence
at 20 Newbury street this morning 10y mem
hers of the State Police Depart men' and
will remain in the Cambridge Jail tonight.
pending a hearing upon a charge Of muir
derinp Miss Clara Morton AT the Mclean
Asvl,Im in Wavery on Saturday eve ling
The arrest Of man suspected of being
Jack the Slugger." and the SLAYER of Miss
Agnes McPh.e in Somerville on Oct. 2.
caused intense excitement IN this CITY, ard
the fact that the prisoner was the scion of
an old and prominen, Back Bay family
caused astonishment everywhere.
Mason comes Of a family we'll known in
Boston and Cambridge His fat her, Henry
Mason now dead. established the business
Of Mason & Ham'in. makers of pianos and
church organs a business which his brothers
still carry on These brot hers, all of whom
are Harvard men. are Edward Palmer
Mason, 81, Henry Lowell Mason. IS. and
Daniel Gregory Mason, '9i The oldest Of
these is president of the concern and
Henry who is next 20 Alan in age. is vice.
president The grandfather was Lowell
Mason. the famous hymn writer, and a
cousin Of the prisoner il Jack Mason,
the actor William Mason, the eminent
American pianist, i an ulc"
The man under arrest, who IL more than
~ wear, old, has never taken an active part
in the business, except Of late years to work
I'm The factory AT Cambridge His mind
has been affected ever since his graduation
from college, and he has spent a consider
able part of he pat ten years In the Mclean
A-vlum al Naverly In college there was
nothing the matter with him mentally and
ha was regarded a. one of tho popular men
Of his class. Like all his family, and aS
was natural from their business associations,
he had marked musical tastes, and in college
he was connected with the Perian Sodalitv
the student orchestral Organizal lon-and
was president Of the Glee Club.
He was also active in athletics He was
q member Of the Bicycle Club. the Alpha
Delta Phi, the institute Of 100 and the Hasty
Pudding Club
In his senior year he was elected mem
Der Of the SO Glass Committee. which main
tains the class org anization in after years
Mason spent two years in the Harvard
medical school. but was not graduated.
The man aft er being watched al his house
all night was taken by State Officers Dun
ham and Rhoades at o o'clock this morning
and driven to the State House az once in
closed carriage. There he was taken to
Chief Wades office where he was subject ed
to examination in the presence Of almost
the State force OF detectives. When the
officers reached Ma sons house he was at
breakfast with his mother reading an
account Of the suspicious against him
in morning paper.
Before the officers had time to speak
he told them that he was expecting them
but added that he could prove an alibi in
all the cases. He had already been warned
that he was suspected, but had evidently
arrived at the State House he looked
worried. His face was drawn and his lips.
under close-cropped mustache, trembled
nervously, but his outward appearance
was entirely composed.
While the examination was in progress
Officers Proctor and Durham went to
search the fiat in Newbury street, but found
only pair Of dumbbells Shortly afterward
the suspected mans oldest brother Edward
=. Mason, in company with Henry Tyler,
Of the Howard iron factory, who lives in
another fiat at 80 Newbury street. called
at the chiefs Office and we're allowed to see
the prisoner. When they came out, I'd
ward Mason declared emphatically that his
brother innocent. He said that the
suspicious were all mistake and would be
cleared away.
State Officer Meals said that the elder
Mason feels confident Of proving an alihi
for his brother. He says that Alan did not
leave his house on Saturday night, unit after
half past o. The murder was committed
before o'cloM at place nearly an hour :
ride away. The elder Mr., Mason, said
moreover. that his brothers insanity had
never been Of a violent nature. and that he
has suffered from what il known as melan-
Cnpd lie said that he worked regularly
everyday in the factory and was acc,lst omed
In tho evening to take electric car rides 20
ge the air
The -,-peciod man was very nervous
under examination and like all insane per
sons, suspicious of every question He
admitted, however, that he went frequently
20 Wavcrv, and roamed over the asylum
grounds because he was fam liar wit the
country and liked it. He declared that
he had not been there for moro than a week
point hat may ba of some importance
i he fact that in using a bat or a golf club
j." swings on his left and not on his right
shoulder
The medical examiner. after his autopsy
on Miss MOrton's body. said that the wounds
were probably inflicted by q left-handed
man. Mason is said also TO have referred
Voluntarily To the McPhee murder. i'm
pressing upon the officers that he would
u" aha 10 assist them in unravelling the
mystery Of the crimes. for the man who
committed them. ho declared, should he
brought 70 Justice
While in the carriage on his way to the
State House he told the officer that he was
In Somerville on the night of the McPhee
murder, and coming home through Cam
bridge on a car at about half past noticed
man Of rough and forbidding appearance
on the seat opposite him. He told his
mother of this man on his arrival home
and when he read the account Of the assault
the next day he felt sure that he had seen
the assaiant.
In making the arrest the police relied
chiefly upon the statements Of John Cotter
of WaVerly and two other Witnesses. Cotter
saws he saw Mason near the asylum grounds
about dusk on SATURDAY. The prisoner
told Chief Wade that he was not certain
where he was on the nights when the several
assaults were committed. But he was
certain he was not at Waverly on Satur
dav Mason was 80 excited when he was
IN the office of the State police that he said
repeatedly that he was afraid he would
be lvnched.
After eating luncheon at the State House