The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-09-30
CRIME.


bloodiest and most causeless domestic
tragedies that has ever darkened the an
nails of Aurora occurred shortly after 8
o'clock this evening. Mrs. Mary Rogers
was proceeding down town, walking on
Clark street, between Fourth street and
Lincoln avenue, with a lady friend, when
she met her husband, A. P. Rogers, who,
barely waiting for reply to question he
asked her, caught her by the arm, turned
her around, and drawing a revolver, shot
her in the back, between the shoulders, the
ball probably penetrating the spine.
The woman fell to the sidewalk
and her friend ran shrieking to
the nearest nelghbor for help. Rogers then
turned the pistol to his own head and again
fired, the ball piercing his right temple, and
causing death within few minutes, Mrs
Rogers was helped to house near by, and
surgeons We're at once summoned, who
pronounced her recovery from the wound
she had received impossible. She retains
her senses, and is able to talk nationally
but can not live many hours. The couple
are about SO years old, have been married
about twenty years, and have two children
boys OF 1S and respectively. They have
lived unhappily together for many years,
| the trouble arising from Rogers dissipated
habits. He has been a heavy drinker,
man about the house. Frequent separa
tions have taken place, the last occurring
about two weeks ago when Mrs. Rogers
said she would take the boys and go and
| live with some relative. Her account of
their meeting tonight is that when he saw
her he only asked: ''Well, what are you
going to do about this thing?" She, sup
posing he referred to the children, replied
that she would take care of them. There
upon he committed the dreadful deed. She
can give no reason for the crime, and none
is known beyond the fact that he had been
drinking, which she could tell from his
breath. Rogers was a harnessmaker by
| trade, and has for some time been employ
ed in the upholstery department Of the Chi
cago, Burlington and Quincy car shops.
Mrs Rogers is half sister of Jack Short,
well known in Aurora.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 29.-Several posses of
men, both in Illinois and Missouri, are
searching for Alonzo and Edward Maxwell
better known as the Williams brothers, who
killed Sheriff Lammy, of Calhoun county,
Illinois, last Sunday, and wounded one of
his deputies. A detachment of St. Louis
police are also in pursuit of the fugitives.
Those men who were yesterday floating
down the Mississippi river in skif took
the land to-day at a point in Lincoln
across this State with view Of getting to
the Indian Territory. A posse Of Lincoln
County men are on the trail and eight or
ten policemen and detectives of this city,
said net to be far behind them crossed the
country from point near Alton to inter
cept them The belief is strong that those
desperadoes viii be captured.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29.-The star-route
rascals will probably find little consolation
in the change of administration, although
they undoubtedly hope for much. As al
ready telegraphed, they have begun work
actively, directing their energies most nat
urally against those who have charge OF
the prosecutions, and endeavorlng to pols-
| on the mind of the new president with
suspicious that they are and have been as
ready to ruin him as them. Mr.. Arthur
has not indicated definitely as yet what his
desires are in the matter, although some of
| the evidence was submitted to him to-day
| by Postmaster General James. The
prosecutions, however, are proceeding, on
the theory, that while some of the
parties prominently connected with the
ring have undoubtedly been close to the
new president in days gone by, and admit
tedIy contributed to his election. neverthe
less, the trouble is not of his own beginning
and, as he inhereted it he must let the law
take its course. This seems doubly prob
able from the fact that the principal law
officer for the prosecution is Mr.. George
Bliss, ex District Attorney for New York,
a very close friend of the President. He
has taken a most active part in prosecut-
ing the investigation thus far, and has in no
way relaxed his efforts since Mr.. Arthur's
inauguration The evidence in the case
continues to accumulate at an alarming
rate. AS prominent special agent said
to day. 1.-The evidences are like pus pos
tules that have swollen till they SHINE and
are just ready to break of their own ac-
cord. You puncture one OF them and the
corruption fairly spurts out" The postules
in this matter are not only very ripe, but
they are very close together.
BENZ. H. Brewster, of Philadelphia, has
arrived in Washington TO assist ex district
Attorney Bliss, of New York, ond Assist
ant District Attorney Cook in the prosecu-
| ton of the Star route cases, when the IN
dictments are secured. Bliss thinks ample
evidence has been secured for presentation
| to the Grand Jury to entitle the Gov
ernment to indictments, and intends to
push matters as promptly as possible
The counsel are confident that they viii
have President Arthurs support in every
proper effort to convict and punish the
guilty men.