Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-01-02
suIcids of a Yariatr An,rona

Mss nattie Rogers, a well known son
and dance artistic, and who will be re.
membered by the frequenters of the va
riety shows of this city, committed
suicide by taking poison at St. Joseph,
No, some days since. The New York
Clipper has the following concerning her
death:
Hattie Rogers, song and dance per.
former, was found dead in her bed in ST
Joseph, Mo, oI Sunday morning, De.
eember 18th, by Lizzie Davis, a sister
professional who had shared Miss Rogera'
couch the previous night. She com
msneed her professional career in
Buffalo, N. Y, when a mere child. and
since then has performed ia many OF the
variety theaters in the West. She was
tWenty-three years Of age, and ia said to
have been the vile OF a hardware mer-
chant in Chenute, Kansas, by the name
Of Day. Full particulars of the sad
event may be CLEANED from the tsstimopv
gwen at the Corner inquest, as follows:
Lizzie DaviS-I am an actress and
performer at the Metropolitan Theater.
l have known the deceased for about two
weeks. She was with me pretty con
slant for the last three or four DAYS. and
appeared very joVial. She and | went
TO bed together about midnight. ! could
not say she was sober when she went TO
bed. 1t was daylight when | awoke
Sunday morning. She was lying very
close TO me, and l asked her TO move
over. She made no reply, and | shook
her. She was ~motionless. got IN and
looked at her. There was no pulse-she
was cold. l then gave the alarm to The
actors, and some OF them came in.
Frank Forest am q performer at
the metropolitan Theater. came to ST.
Joseph a week ago last Thursday. I
have known the deceased since Iasf Fri.
day night. She told me that she was
from Buffalo, New York, and had been a
singer and dancer there.
John L. Herndop-I am mauarsr Of
the Metropolitan Theater. engaged
Hattie Rogers about six weeks ago. Sbo
vas then at Chenute, Kansas, as a per.
former. She arrived at st. Joseph about
i've weeks ago, but did not commence
With me until Thursday, December I4th.
when at the theater she was prompt.
She came to me Saturday evening and
asked to be excused from singing az she
had q bad cold. She appeared to be well
up to the close of the performance.
james Leatie-l am a musical per.
former at the Metropolitan Theater. and
stage manager. / have been acquainted
With deceased since 1866, and was init.
mate with her. She spoke to me about
her troubles. On Saturday she and I
we're sitting at the stove in the hall of
the theater, and she asked me if | would
do her q favor, which was to 20 over 70
the gambling.house and tell James Suffer
to come to her, and let on to him that
she had taken poison. | sent a boy to
Suffer, aad be came. She was lying on
a row of chairs, and be shook her up.
The deputy marshal came to arrest her
for a debt, and she said if she ven to
Jail she would not come out alive.
Eugene Sutter-I have been acduaint-
ed with deceased about four or five weeks.
She told me she expected her husband
next week. She has said to me-: II viii |
fool you some Of these days" l believe
she died from morphine and whisky; she
drank pretty hard.
The jury, alter celebrating upon the
testimony, gave the following verdict:
We, the jury, believe that Hattie Rogers
to her death by some poisonous
substance and Incorporate habits"