Place of Death Elizabeth Lake CA
At the end of 1915, Henry Kent, a ranch owner in Elizabeth Lake in the Antelope Valley, gave George M. Mason permission to live in his cabin on his promise to pay board. On February 1, 1916, after weeks of Mason stringing Kent along failing to pay him, Kent confronted the man and ordered him to pay for the two month’s rent he owed. Mason refused so Kent ordered him to clear out. Instead, Mason grabbed a shotgun and turned it on Kent wounding him seriously in the chest.
Despite his injuries, Kent staggered a half a mile to town and told Justice of the Peace Grattan Bennett of the crime. With no law enforcement officers in the remote area, Bennett deputized George A. Curtis and George Baker as deputy constables to arrest Mason. Bennett then accompanied them to Kent’s property to confront Mason. Before the three men could even reach the front door of Kent’s house, Mason opened it and fired at them. Shotgun pellets struck Justice Bennett in the right eye staggering him. Mason then turned the shotgun on Curtis and fired the shell from the weapon’s other barrel at him. Pellets struck Curtis in the throat and he fell to the ground and bled to death from wounds to his left jugular vein.
Baker and the wounded Justice Bennett staggered away from the ranch, but within an hour assembled a posse of 25 men who descended on Kent’s ranch. A pitched gun battle took place between Mason and the posse for the next several hours. At nightfall a posse member crept to the cabin and set a door on fire. Weakened by the blaze, the posse broke through the door but found Mason already dead on the floor riddled with bullets.
Both Henry Kent and Grattan Bennett survived their wounds.
George Mason, 60, was an ex-convict who served three-and-a-half years in San Quentin Prison from 1899 to 1902 for burglary. Fingerprints were used to positively identify him.
At the end of 1915, Henry Kent, a ranch owner in Elizabeth Lake in the Antelope Valley, gave George M. Mason permission to live in his cabin on his promise to pay board. On February 1, 1916, after weeks of Mason stringing Kent along failing to pay him, Kent confronted the man and ordered him to pay for the two month’s rent he owed. Mason refused so Kent ordered him to clear out. Instead, Mason grabbed a shotgun and turned it on Kent wounding him seriously in the chest.
Despite his injuries, Kent staggered a half a mile to town and told Justice of the Peace Grattan Bennett of the crime. With no law enforcement officers in the remote area, Bennett deputized George A. Curtis and George Baker as deputy constables to arrest Mason. Bennett then accompanied them to Kent’s property to confront Mason. Before the three men could even reach the front door of Kent’s house, Mason opened it and fired at them. Shotgun pellets struck Justice Bennett in the right eye staggering him. Mason then turned the shotgun on Curtis and fired the shell from the weapon’s other barrel at him. Pellets struck Curtis in the throat and he fell to the ground and bled to death from wounds to his left jugular vein.
Baker and the wounded Justice Bennett staggered away from the ranch, but within an hour assembled a posse of 25 men who descended on Kent’s ranch. A pitched gun battle took place between Mason and the posse for the next several hours. At nightfall a posse member crept to the cabin and set a door on fire. Weakened by the blaze, the posse broke through the door but found Mason already dead on the floor riddled with bullets.
Both Henry Kent and Grattan Bennett survived their wounds.
George Mason, 60, was an ex-convict who served three-and-a-half years in San Quentin Prison from 1899 to 1902 for burglary. Fingerprints were used to positively identify him.
Place of Death Elizabeth Lake CA
At the end of 1915, Henry Kent, a ranch owner in Elizabeth Lake in the Antelope Valley, gave George M. Mason permission to live in his cabin on his promise to pay board. On February 1, 1916, after weeks of Mason stringing Kent along failing to pay him, Kent confronted the man and ordered him to pay for the two month’s rent he owed. Mason refused so Kent ordered him to clear out. Instead, Mason grabbed a shotgun and turned it on Kent wounding him seriously in the chest.
Despite his injuries, Kent staggered a half a mile to town and told Justice of the Peace Grattan Bennett of the crime. With no law enforcement officers in the remote area, Bennett deputized George A. Curtis and George Baker as deputy constables to arrest Mason. Bennett then accompanied them to Kent’s property to confront Mason. Before the three men could even reach the front door of Kent’s house, Mason opened it and fired at them. Shotgun pellets struck Justice Bennett in the right eye staggering him. Mason then turned the shotgun on Curtis and fired the shell from the weapon’s other barrel at him. Pellets struck Curtis in the throat and he fell to the ground and bled to death from wounds to his left jugular vein.
Baker and the wounded Justice Bennett staggered away from the ranch, but within an hour assembled a posse of 25 men who descended on Kent’s ranch. A pitched gun battle took place between Mason and the posse for the next several hours. At nightfall a posse member crept to the cabin and set a door on fire. Weakened by the blaze, the posse broke through the door but found Mason already dead on the floor riddled with bullets.
Both Henry Kent and Grattan Bennett survived their wounds.
George Mason, 60, was an ex-convict who served three-and-a-half years in San Quentin Prison from 1899 to 1902 for burglary. Fingerprints were used to positively identify him.
At the end of 1915, Henry Kent, a ranch owner in Elizabeth Lake in the Antelope Valley, gave George M. Mason permission to live in his cabin on his promise to pay board. On February 1, 1916, after weeks of Mason stringing Kent along failing to pay him, Kent confronted the man and ordered him to pay for the two month’s rent he owed. Mason refused so Kent ordered him to clear out. Instead, Mason grabbed a shotgun and turned it on Kent wounding him seriously in the chest.
Despite his injuries, Kent staggered a half a mile to town and told Justice of the Peace Grattan Bennett of the crime. With no law enforcement officers in the remote area, Bennett deputized George A. Curtis and George Baker as deputy constables to arrest Mason. Bennett then accompanied them to Kent’s property to confront Mason. Before the three men could even reach the front door of Kent’s house, Mason opened it and fired at them. Shotgun pellets struck Justice Bennett in the right eye staggering him. Mason then turned the shotgun on Curtis and fired the shell from the weapon’s other barrel at him. Pellets struck Curtis in the throat and he fell to the ground and bled to death from wounds to his left jugular vein.
Baker and the wounded Justice Bennett staggered away from the ranch, but within an hour assembled a posse of 25 men who descended on Kent’s ranch. A pitched gun battle took place between Mason and the posse for the next several hours. At nightfall a posse member crept to the cabin and set a door on fire. Weakened by the blaze, the posse broke through the door but found Mason already dead on the floor riddled with bullets.
Both Henry Kent and Grattan Bennett survived their wounds.
George Mason, 60, was an ex-convict who served three-and-a-half years in San Quentin Prison from 1899 to 1902 for burglary. Fingerprints were used to positively identify him.
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