Smyrna times., 1927-03-30
SON MURDERS TO
AvENCE Mother
Kills Brothers Wife While
She Is Sitting in
Barber's Chair.

| tribes and, in accordance with one of
| them, a lighted Christmas tree was
placed by Fame Mason and her father
in-law, Frank, over the grave of his
grandchild Frank MasOn's wife was
buried nearby about year ago.
The gypsy graves are well kept,
some of them so beautifully, indeed.
that people often drive out to the
Ridge cemetery to view them.
There apparently was nothing overt
In this visit of the gypsy chief, Frank
Mason, and his daughter-in-law to in
spire the wrath of his two sons. Duffy
and Ted. 1t probably did, however,
fan their growing anger into blaze.
They resented the fondness of their
sixty-one-year-old father and chief for
his eighteen-year-o daughter-in law.
Fame Schafer Mason was not gypsy
born She was married to Duffy Ma
son, April II, 1926. at Pierce, Neb.
She had spent the greater part of her
life on the road, as her parents are
horse traders but not gypsies. Her
husband left her a day after the mar
riage and they had lived together only
at intervals since Duffy Mason says
he did not wish to marry her.
Resented Intimacy.
For all that 1t is certain he resent
ed the growing intimacy between his
father and the girl. They had been
in Omaha together some time before
the shooting and the chief had
bought her some fineries that young
girls love lot sf money he paid
for them, too, as much as 500. That
means the profits of quite bit OF
horse trading.
Chief Mason allowed he had right
to buy some things for his own daugh-
ter-in-law and he had right to be in
Omaha at the same time as Fame.
That didn't square things with his
sons, however. They put a different
Interpretation on his gifts TO Fame.
SO the night after Fame and Frank
had placed the little lighted Christ
mas tree over the body of the gypsy
child Fame Mason returned to the
camp at Leigh. Her husband, Duffy
Mason, said to her, according to the
testimony, Fame, l want you to go
home | don't want to live with YOU"
But Fame didn't go home. She
started to prepare supper over the
camp fire. The Masons had been liv-
ing In q covered wagon despite the
zero weather.
Right here the ghost of the gypsy
woman buried near the child out at
Ridge cemetery enters the story. Ted
Mason, who shot Fame short time
later. explains it this way:
"She comes back to camp all dolled
up In some new clothes and starts to
get supper She used a skillet and
some things my mother owned.
couldn't stand TO see that girl touch
the things my mother used to touch.
And / told her so. And / told her
what fought about her and father.
"She threw the things down on the
ground, and ordered me out of the
wagon"
Ted Mason went up to the town.
| Duffy Mason Joined him there. Some
time later they heard that Fame had
come up to town, and was in the bar
ber shop. Also, that their father was
with her.
Ready for Hair Cut.
When the brothers entered the shop
Fame Mason was seated in a chair
ready for a hair cut. Frank Mason
stood beside her. The tragedy moved
quickly. Holding a revolver about six
inches from the back of the girls
head, Ted Mason fired.
AS she slumped in the chair Frank
Mason caught her In his arms and
kissed her. She died in his arms.
The brothers gave themselves up.
and their father followed them to the
town hall. They were his sons and he
was ready to employ a lawyer to de-
fend them. They were of his tribe
He was their father and their chief.
They hurled back at him their accu-
sations. their threats. He did not
finch. Turning to the officer who was
guarding them he said. Marshal,
give Ted the gun, and see If he's got
nerve enough TO finish me-"
81 don't want to shoot you," replied
his son. 'If had wanted to kill you
/ could have done 1t long ago"
Frank Mason was deeply concerned
with the funeral arrangements. He
asked the undertaken to have wOm-
an assist in the preparing of the body
| and he and the undertaken sat up all
night with 1t. "This is the code of
ethics of our family" Mason ex-
| planned
As Fame's body was being prepared
for removal to Schuyler, Neb., the
home Of her family. Frank Mason
stood beside It and wept. He bent and
kissed the lips of the dead woman. He
urged that the remains be placed in a
vault. saying that gypsies never bury
their dead except in vaults. The re-
quest was not granted, her own peo-
pie taking the body and interring It
| in their own churchyard.