Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-12
Known at Anamosa Peniten-
tiary at One Time as Mum
Der 1861
SMOOTH AS THEY MAKE THEM
Served Two Terms at Anamosa-What
He Did at independence Only Two
Years Aso-Preachers His Steady
Game to Work into the Confidence
of the People.

7pe IOuHu WOFklnS t1Tu ministers DIS
blind" is the standing record OF Fred
\. Maison, alias Marson, and dozen
Others, as shown by the books at the
Anamosa state prison. Two terms at
Anamosa, one of two years and the
Minnesota state prison at Saltwater,
and how many others no one knows.
form a portion of the book of life of
the evangelist promoter, the pages of
which have been soiled by years of
misdeeds.
1T hardly seems possible" some of
Maison's ministerial friends will say.
He was so DEAR the matronly church
worker will answer. How lovely he
sang the alto will remark. Fred A.
Maison, of the Seminole Manufacture
ing Company" is a criminal of the
deepest dye and of the type with which
the law finds hardest to cope.
About six weeks ago, when Fred A.
Maison, C..Be sure and put an y in the
Maison, Aunty is so particular about
our family name" he instructed) first
came to Marshalltown to seek his green
fields of Eden, while on the way to the
First Methodist church, where he might
bow In prayer with the people of God,
and lift his voice in song, he passed on
the street an old friend. The friend
was no one else but T. A. Wall for
four years connected with the Anamosa
state penitentiary. and for some time
patrol officer at the prison, in charge
of the discipline of the yards. Mr.. Wall
recognized him, and thought that Mai
son, or Marson, as he knew him, re-
membered him also. His surnise later
an hour or so later. he passed Maison
again. coming away from the church.
This time the evangelist-pr omoter-con-
fdence man stopped him and offered
his hand. why, Mr.. WALL" he said,
lis it indeed you? / thought I fecog-
nized you this morning, but was not
sure. What are you doing here? Mi.
Wall replied that he managed to get
here about once a year. You don't
live here?" he asked. NO." replied
MIR. Wall. as he crossed his fingers.
my home is in Kansas City: and may
/ ask your mission?" said Mr.. Wall.
"Oh. yes" replied Maison, II am on the
road for st. Paul advertising firm,
and am here for the Sabbath. l have
turned over new leaf since you knew
me, and am living an honest life" Mr..
Wall didn't believe this. but said moth
ing. He bade him goodbye a few mo-
later, and. after dinner. hunted
up the police. He told both Officer
Hanson and Deputy Marshal Cochran
the fellow, for he would bet dollars to
that he was not up to any
good. He furnished them with de-
tailed description of him. The next he
heard of Maison was when he read,
while in the northwestern part Of the
state the Times Republican. with an
account of his transactions here.
His Record Of Crime.
Maison's record of crime is a varie-
gated one, even what is known to Mr..
Wall and he doesn't pretend to be
a very small portion of it, Number
3.961,' A. +. Marson, was sentenced to
from Scott county in 1898.
TO two years, for working confidence
game, similar to the one that he start
ed so successfully here. He proved the
same smooth CRATER in prison that he
was outside and the first thing he did
was to work Warden Hunter SO good
did he pretend to be, and so polished
was his air of innocence that he got
out of all the hard work that usually
falls to the lot of the striped clothes
men in durance vile, and was appointed
of the prison school. He was
we'll educated, a graduate from an
Ohio college, and really made a very
efficient teacher. He also taught
school class in the prison: he
was one of the most ardent workers
in the Christian endeavor society and
his prayers and songs moved the con-
victs to tears in the meetings and many
were converted
Rev. Douglass, pastor of the Metho-
dist church at Independence, exchanged
pulpits one day with the prison chap
lain. He heard Marson in meeting
and Immediately fell in love with him.
He listened to his story of how he had
been wronged; how he was suffering
the ignominous shame OF being kept
behind prison bars for a crime he had
never committed. The minister's soft
heart was touched and he talked with
the warden about the poor abused
criminal Warden Hunter was of
about the same opinion as he liked
Marson very much. 1t was arranged
that when his time should expire Rev.
Douglass should be Informed. This
time came and Mr.. Douglass met him
1t the prison gates with outstrecched
arms He took him to Independence,
INTO his home, and he met the best
people of the town. The first Sunday
ne was there he taught class in the
sunday school In his nice, new clothes
with his polished manners, the sim
,erity with which he entered into the
Christian work, and his tender, sympa-
hectic voice, he was sit" with an upper
Ease ~"
Begins "Promoting."
Marson liked independence. He
thought the town just suited him and
,e would like to make it his home.
Rev. Douglass would like to have him
;tay. too, and his house was open to
Tim as long as he cared to share it with
he owner. 1t wasn't but few days
,ntil Marson decided to stay. He had
,een appointed general agent Of a large
publishing house Of Chicago. promoting