The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-08-11
ESCAPED CONVICT
RECAP TURED At
EAST DORSET
VIM. M Mason Who Left Water
bury Asylum Two Years Ago
is DANGEROUS CHARACTER
Pose from Bennington Swooped Down
on Mason In an Automobile and
Made Easy Arrest

William M. Mason, an escaped con-
Wet from the criminal ward of the
state asylum for the insane at Water
bury, was landed In the county jail
here shortly before midnight Monday.
The superintendent of the hospital,
DR.. Don c. Grout of Waterbury, will
arrive here this evening for the pur-
pose of taking Mason back to the in
stitution from which he escaped two
years ago.
Masons apprehension was effected
about o'clock Monday night at East
Dorset It has been known for some
weeks that the escaped convict had
been hanging about the vicinity of
his former home and arrangements
were made Monday afternoon to take
him into custody. In order that the
man might not in any way obtain in
formation of the actions of the au-
thorities the plan was engineered
and carried out by officials at this end
of the county.
Shortly before six o'clock Sheriff
Godfrey. Deputy Sheriff John Nash
and States Attorney w. J. Meagher
left here in one OF Pollard G. loves
automobiles for Dorset At Airing
ton they picked up ex-Sheriff Henry
Wilson and proceeded directly to the
farm on which Mason has made his
headquarters. There is family re-
siding on the place but Mason has
lived for some time In a small shack
near the barn. The automobile ran
up In front of the shack about 8 o..
clock and the officers at once rushed
into the hut in order to take Mason
by surprise, as he was known to be
armed, and had made threats that he
would never go back to the asylum.
When the officers entered the shack
they found no one at home and at
once proceeded to the barn. Here
they found Mason. The officers at
once seized him by the wrists and
lead him to the shack where he was
told to put on his coat and get ready
TO go to Bennington. The man OBJ.
iected to every move, but the officers,
who were all armed, saw to It that he
had no opportunity to lay his hands
on the rifle or double barrelled shot
gun in the shack and putting him in
the automobile brought him to Ben
nington.
Mason was sent to the asylum at
the June term of court in 1905. Dur.
ing n wrangle with two men by the
name Of Bushee over the cutting away
of some ice that prevented the open.
ing Of barn door he fired both bar.
rels of shotgun at the two, the
ehar uac ctril,inu Tonnao Duchaa uyhr
now lives on River street in this vii
lage, in the face and shoulder. He
escaped from the asylum August 10
the following year, and early In the
present summer returned to his old
haunts at East Dorset. He had prev
iously served terms In the workhouse
at Rutland for liquor selling and
when he returned early in June he
resumed the practice on the sly
Complaints were made to the au
thorities and deputies from Manches
ter made an attempt to arrest him
Mason appeared in front of his shack
when the officers appeared, with his
shotgun resting across his arm an(
boldly stated that he would not b.
taken alive. The officers being un
armed did not close with the convic
and he backed away into the woods
Other plans made to bring about hi
larrest have failed for the reason
that some of his friends have oh
tanned wind of the officers movement
and sent him warning There is NJ
doubt that he is desperate charac
ter and his capture reflects consider
able credit upon the officials VIII,
| took him into custody.