William Mason
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, Saturday, 23 April 1859, page 3
Extraordinary Conduct of A Police Judge in Kentucky
Wednesday afternoon Deputy US Marshal Mason proceeded to Jamestown, above Newport, to arrest William Mason, on a charge of manufacturing coin. Two police officers accompanied him but he case being urgent he went without a warrant. He secured the prisoner and was proceeding with him to the ferry when G S Skillbeck, Police Judge of Jamestown, rushed out of his office, hatless, and forbid the conveyance of the prisoner from his jurisdiction, insisting that the case should be heard by him.
Mr. Manson made affidavit of the facts and the prisoner was committed to Newport Jail, for hearing at two pm Thursday, an understanding being had that the US Deputy Marshal should keep the custody of the prisoner. Early Thursday morning, however, Charles Stone, Deputy Marshal of Jamestown, demanded the prisoner and reconvened him to Jamestown, where he was arraigned before Judge Skilbeck.
Meantime, Sheriff Helm, who had been advised of the proceedings, procured a warrant for the prisoner from Judge Boyd, and proceeded with the US Deputy Marshal, also armed with a warrant to the Court of Judge Skilbeck. The prisoner was subjected to the form of a trial and discharged. Sheriff Helm proceeded to serve his warrant, when Judge Skilbeck coolly reached into his hat and extracted a writ of habeas corpus, returnable to himself and handing it to City Marshal Stone, commanded him to serve it on the sheriff.
The latter refused to obey it and was about to seize the prisoner when armed friends of the latter interposed, making hostile demonstrations and furious threats. The Sheriff was then attached for contempt and Mr. Manson, US Deputy Marshal, was arrested for an assault and battery upon the prisoner the day before and held to bail of $2000. Neither offered bail, but returned to Newport for a posse and when they returned the prisoner was gone.
A warrant was then issued for the arrest of Skillbeck on a charge of felony for assisting a prisoner to escape and eh was taken into custody and confined all night in the Newport jail. Yesterday he was arraigned before Judge Boyd and waiving examination, was held to bail in $1000 for future appearance. Charles Stone, Deputy City Marshal, was also arrested on a similar charge and will appear for examination this morning.
William Mason, the fugitive is a brother of James Mason, who was caught in the act of finishing a bogus half dollar in the Seventeenth Ward a few nights ago and who was indicted by the US Grand Jury yesterday, upon a charge of manufacturing counterfeit coin.
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Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, Saturday, 23 April 1859, page 3
In yesterday's issue we announced the fact that Sheriff Helm, of
Campbell County, with his posse accompanied by Untied States Marshal Manson,
left on the night of Thursday last about nine o'clock, bound for Jamestown for
the purpose of making the arrest of Wm Mason, on a charge of counterfeiting
United States coin, and also the arrest of G S Skilbeck, Police Judge of
Jamestown, charged with aiding in the escape of Mason, which is a felony under
the statute laws of Kentucky.
On arriving in Jamestown the officers proceeded immediately to the house of Mason, which was about 11 o'clock, but on entering it they received the intelligence that the bird they were seeking had flown. The woman who gave them the information was Mason's wife. She told them her husband had left home about dark, without intimating the point of his destination, an event the Sheriff had anticipated, predicating his suspicions upon the proceedings of the afternoon before Police Judge Skilbeck.
Mason, who had been arraigned before Skilbeck Thursday afternoon, was fortunate enough to received his discharge, being held guiltless of the charge for which he was in custody. It is probable that he did not allow much time to elapse before he had placed the Ohio River between him and dangerous ground.
Had the warrant held good upon which Mason was arrested by Sheriff Helm, after being discharged by the Police Judge and the Sheriff had not been prevented by Mason's bullying friends, armed with revolvers, from bringing him before Judge Boyd, it would have been within our province to record a different result.
The Sheriff then visited the residence of Skilbeck followed by his posse, for whom he had a warrant, issued by Judge Boyd, of the County Court, authorizing his arrest on a charge of aiding and abetting Mason in making his escape. Skilbeck was at home and readily obeyed the call of the Sheriff, and made his toilet preparatory to foot it down to Newport, in company with Sheriff Helm and his deputies.
Arriving in our city, Skilbeck was safely deposited in the jail which has been so frequently condemned by the Grand Jury of Campbell County. Yesterday morning Police Judge Skilbeck was brought before Judge Boyd for examination on the charge of aiding a prisoner to escape by issuing a writ of habeas corpus, made returnable to himself, when it should have been returnable to Judge Boyd, then tried by him and finally resulting in the prisoner's discharge.
F M Webster, one of the counsel for Skilbeck, asked the Court for a continuance for the purpose of procuring evidence, offering bail for his appearance. J R Hallam, objected to bail being taken in consequence of the enormity of the offense. The Court signified that bail could not be taken, whereupon Ira Root, another of the counsel for the prisoner, made a motion to waive an examination and give bonds for the appearance of Skilbeck at the next term, which the Court sustained, and held him in the sum of $1000.
Charles Stone, Esq. who acted in the capacity of Deputy City Marshal, of Jamestown, was arraigned on the same charge made against Skilbeck. The announced that he was ready for trail and anxious to proceed at once. The excitement caused by the events has been immense in Newport.