Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-02-05
The Rogers Tragedy-Nsw and Startling
DEVELOPMENTS.

The New York Sun gives the following
discoveries made by Coroner Flynn, who
visited Sing Sing prison in the hope Of
obtaining some reliable clue to the real
murderer of Mr.. Rogers-a murder which
has agitated New York more than any
dozen murders within the last dozer
years:
Four or FIVE years ago gang of young
outlaws infested the Sixteenth Ward, and
so bold and frequent were the outrages
which they committed that they finally
became noted as the Nineteenth street
gang" The James Logan who surren-
dered himself on Saturday was one OF
them, and his most intimate associate
among them was youth of about his own
age, and almost his counterpart in per-
sonal appearance. In hight, build, color
of hair and eyes, and complexion, the
two are so exactly similar that the one
has often been mistaken for the other by
those not intimately acquainted with
both. Logan was at last "put away" as
the police call it, and went to Sing Sing
for burglary at the corner of Twenty.
second street and Seventh avenue. His
"pal was caught less than year later
in similar crime, and he, too, was sem
fenced to a term in the State prison.
Thus it happened that the two associates
in crime, intimate before their incarcera-
tion, became reunited and renewed their
intimacy in the prison. Time at last
separated them, for Logan's term expired
first, and, as stated, be was liberated on
the l4th Of October last.
Now come the discoveries made on
Monday last by Coroner Flynn and De-
tective Tully. About four weeks ago
the "psl" desiring to communicate with
Logan wrote him q letter superscribed
James Logan, City. This will be
handed you by Tom" This last could
have been meant only as an intimstion
as to the writer, for the pal" did not
know by whom he was to send it. Con-
vict-like, he essayed to evade the regular
channel Of communication with the out
side world-through the prison Chap
lain-and managed to get down to the
river, where a sloop was lying, with the
intention ofgiving the letter to some one
of the hands to carry to its destination.
But when be glided to the deck of the
sloop be looked about him, and his breath
came thick and fast. Not prison Off
cial was in sight-not q human being
bad seen him approach the river. Thus
far he was free man. He peered down
into the cabin-no one was there. he
rrmmaged the little vessel and found him.
self the only thing Of life on board.
Then came a sudden resolution-he Sc
creted himself in the hold. During the
night the sloop sailed and unknown to
ell of its hands brought to the great city
the man who was to startle a vast com.
munity by the enormity Of his crime.
The pal" became the bearer Of his own
letter to James Logan, and as q sequence
Of fate, the murderer of Charles NJ.
Rogers. The letter he never delivered,
for he spoke to Logan by word Of mouth,
and therefore he tore up the letter, but in
a mement Of forgetfulness thrust the en-
velope into the pocket of his coat, thus
connecting him indissolubly with bis
crime.
The pal" was an escaped convict,
an outlaw among outlaws Thieves were
afraid to harbor him, aud old associates
shrank from him; for such as be are
generally soon run down, and being re-
stored TO prison, the acts Of those who
befrieud them are scored against themin
the detective books for use at some fu-
ture time. True, the pal" had the
sympathy Of the Nineteenth street
gang" but that was unsubstantial, aud be
was desperate. Thus it happened that
in the gray dawn Of the 3lst day Of De-
cember be was passing with his taller and
less courageous comrsde through Twelfth
street, when the massive chain Of Mr..
Rogers caught bis eye. The remainder
Of the horrible story has been fully told,