Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-26
HE ROGERsKI MURDER.
statement Of the Condemned Nan,
Ton Wright.
His Story Of the Bloody Deed.
Another Attempt 60 Fix the Crime
on Bembry.

convicted in April last OF the murder of the Po-
lish peddler, Rogerski, in December last, will, ,
ii the President should not interfere, suffer the
extreme penalty of the law by hanging. On
Saturday he dictated the following statement.
purporting 10 be a confession Of his share in the
crime:
The murder was committed about five O'Clock
in the evening on the I'D OF December. The
man had about $50 and some cents. came
home about five O'Clock in the evening. came
from Duke Hill. went in at the front gate.
(south.l When got to the corner saw Benz
Dry and, think, a man named Oscar going out
OF the back gate, NORTH Ii was getting dark,
had something in his left hand about the size
OF half bushel, of yellow color. / could not
be certain that IL was. Oscar and Sam had
hold Of what appeared TO be the legs of man.
In a few minutes Sam came back. The other
man did not return. i sat down at the back
door and waited till Sam came back. l asked
him where Margaret was? He said she had
gone out, and he had not seen her for some
minutes. / said, ''Sam, did not i see YOU go
out of the back gate just now?'' He seemed to
be surprised, and said, Ibid you see me?'
said, Il did go out, and one of my old friends
was with me-" i said "Sam, what was that
you had"' He then said, IF tell you will you
never say anything about it?'' i promised
would not. He then told me that a man had
come there and he had
STRUCK HIM ON THE HEAD WITH SPADE,
and the ether man struck him with plasterer's
tTowel. then said to him, ''You had better
carry that shovel away from here; there is blood
on it," He took the shovel and stuck it in a
barrel of mortar that stood between the wood
she'd and the back shed. He went into the
house and brought out deed for some land in
Virginia, and begged me to take il. / told him
j did not want the deed and should say moth
ing, as did not see him do it. He then told me
he got $50 and some articles, but what he
meant by that do not know. 1 asked him what
be had done with the money. He said he and
his partner had divided it. This passed before
Margaret came home This was about O'clk.
While she was getting supper we went out to
wash our hands I said to him, "Let go to
the wood shed where the murder was commit
would lead people to suspect" He said, ..Let
wait till morning; il is too dark to see now
We then went in to eat our supper. Sam did
not eat much; he appeared % be sick. When
Margaret and had finished our supper / asked
him TO play cards with me fJr apples. He got
up and We played one game, and 1 beat him.
Then he laid down, and said he would not play
any mOre-he was sick. i was sitting with my
head In Margsret's lap. About half-past or 3
O'Clock,
THE POLICE WHISTLE BLEW.
Sam Jumped up from the bed and said: EsDid
you hear that whistle? There is something up -
] said: Al think il is John Brown down az Mrs.
kahoe's fighting, as the whistle sounds frem 9Th
light down there" We all then went to the
door and saw light where the body was found.
Sam then came back and said he had promised
to go TO his society meeting, but as he felt bad
and there was something mp he would not go,
and went TO bed. l laid down again, with my
head in Margaret's lap. till Dan Cartwright
came. He rented room up stairs. Then Mar
and went TO the woOd-shed. found piece Of
mating. l said TO Sam: What is ths?'' He
said: 'Here is where he fell. and put this
down to hide the blood There was
BLOOD ABOUT IN THE wOOD-sHED-
He took ashes out of q box that Margaret kept
there Tor ashes, and sprinkled them about to
hide the blood. / asked him: els there nothing
else here?" He said no, there was not. SAID:
q there is you had better take il away" Then
he said: There is nothing but this trowei.' - and
he took the trOwel and went off towards Mr..
Riiey's wharf. As he started he called me and
again begged me to take the deed, but told
him would not. i told him / would say moth
ing, and if MIR. McDevitt came i would tell
him had seen no one Then he said again:
Twill you promise me TO say nothing about
tbis?'' 4 promised, and We shook hands and
parted.
me where / was on Monday? L told him, in the
fore part of the day was at the wharf. He
asked me WAS I there about IL O'Clock? said,
mo; but i came a little after i2.7 He asked
me, Did you see a peddler about here?' /
told him did not. He asked for Margaret. 1
told him 1 left her In the morning. and she
was there when came back. He said, They
want me TO search your house-have you any
objection i said NO." and helped them to
search. After We were through 1 asked HIM if
he was satisfied, and he said he was. Mr.. Nc
/ was concerned; bat if he wanted anything
further he would let lie know. MIR. McDevitt
and myself left, and v ent out on the commons;
the rest Of the party went of then towards 10th
street and return q to my house with Pete
Ross, and went to pla wing cards, as usual. Sam
CAKE home at dinner, and told him McDevitt
had been there. sure enough. He asked me
what did say to him. told him said
DID NOT SEE THE PEDDLER,
just as I told you I would say. Sam appeared
very mach alarmed, and said: "Tom, tell me
told him that he asked me aboa. III O'Clock in
the day wsten the peddier was supposed to
come, but did not ask me anything about night.
/ tcld him vas not at home at IL o clock Sam
then said: a. IL you told him that, i am salts
ned. II Mr.. MeDevtt comes TO you again, just
stand to what yoa said at first, for if they arrest
ne they can get nothing on me, As no one
knows me, and no enc has got nothing On me,
and have always kept out OF McDevitt's way.
have done heap of things during the last
seven years i have = Ied in Washington, but
good company. can say was at Mr.. Riley's
wharf sh0yeling coal, and can say know
nothing about it." lie cautioned me not to
speak of the matter to Margaret. l then asked
him what he did with his share of the money.
He said: II lent it this morning TO q friend to
buy a horse, but will satisfy you il you will
say nothing about it." l told him would say
nothing. This was on Tuesday. On Christmas
day We got up and went out very early TO get
CHRISTMAS DRINKS.
On the way to Rufus Shields, Sam said to me,
"Tom, feel like was going to be arrested;
now, Tom, don't you drink anything to-day, for
YOU know one drink makes you drunk, and you
may get to talking and speak a word accident
ally, and the detectives would get down to it,
for you know how you talk" We left Rufus
Shields with Oscar and went to Mrs. Kahoe's.
Willie Whalen offered drinks around. Sam
winked at me not to drink. drank black
berry. We then went one door below Mrs.
kahoe's house, to the house Of cOlored woman.
Sam and Oscar took big drinks, but took none
We came out, and Oscar went into Newman's.
""' "rself then went. Sam then said to
sss~ qs.--. -~r have stood
Inc; a. Tom, you're eentleman-y.---..
up to your word-now, when YOU 60 home, for
Gods sake don't 60 talking to that woman
Margaret Woods. Now, if you want to drink,
stay at home and drink; will 60 and get the
liquor" He wess to Mrs. KahOes and got q
quart of rum and made egg-nOgg. He then
said, 81 wiz 60 out and
FIND OUT WHAT THE TALK Is,
as I've heard some things SAID" i told him to
GO. he went to Ben Afilers on 18th street and
came back and asked NE IL any one had been
here. told him no one but some women. He
again asked me If had sand anything, and /
told him ssno." About O'Clock In the evening
two men came in with Sam, one named Henry
Corsey and jackson. We all drank together.
Then they all left and Sam did not return till
just before dark, and again asked me If any
one had been here. / told him ''no.' He then
said Il have heard a great deal to day, but If
they do arrest us just stand to what you have
said and they cannot hurt u.s." In few min
utes Mr.. McDevitt came in and arrested US. 1