Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-30
THE MURDER OF Macy ROGERS.
a Mystery that was Never SOlvetl-HOW
Poe Preserved 1t in q story.

From the New York Tribune.
The contest over the will of John Anderson
the millionaire tObacconist. has revived inter
est in the tragic story OF Mary Rogers, whose
death caused such a sensation many years ago
and gave Edgar Allan Poe the material for his
story OF The Mystery of Marie Roget" The
unfortunate girl was employed by John Ander-
son in the days when he Kept his little tobacco
shop in Broadway, and, as was revealed by the
testimony OF ex-State Senator Nation, in the
trial of the will case the millionaire was, dur
ing his latter days, possessed of the delusion
that he held almost constant communication
with the spirit OF the murdered girl. At the
time of Mary Rogers mysterious death suspi-
cion attached to many people OF being her muir
derer. Among those suspected was John An
derSOn, though there was never a Scintilla of
evidence that he was the guilty person.
In the days when Poe was young man in
New York the mother of Mary Rogers kept a
boarding house In Nassau street. Mary's father
had long been dead, and Mrs. Rogers only tor.
tune was her tact and ability to make both ends
meet Mary was possessed of a beauty Of form
and feature that made her we'll known in the
city, and when John Anderson engaged her
services as saleswoman in his tobacco store his
trade was materially increased. II was con
sidercd the proper thing for all young men Of
fashion To buy their cigars and tobacco at An
dersons, and to be on familiar terms with
Mary Rogers. But there was not breath of sus
picion against the good character of Mary, and
all the town was wild with surprise when she
suddenly disappeared from behind John An
derson's counter and no one knew what had be-
come of her. Conjecture had almost died out.
when one day the pretty cisar-seller appeared
al her old place behind the counter, and, to all
inquiries, answered that she had been on q visit
to an aunt in the country. Things went along
in their old way for a while. The young bloods,
with rufffed shirts fronts and high coat collars
bought their cigars at Anderson's and laughed
and talked with Mary. But the maiden glee
and sport" of the beautiful girl seemed ali to
have left her since her visit to her aunt in the
country, and she had a preoccupied air of sad
ness
ono Cnndav s,a Iaf, ha- ,,o,ho.,. h-,,,o 49,
ing she was going TO call on a relative who
lived in another part of the city. There was a
young man boarding with her mother at the
time named Payne. He was the accepted sutton
Of Mary, and when she went out that Sunday
she told him to call for her at the house of her
relative in the evening. 1t rained that night
remain at her relatives house over night. as
she had often done before. The aged Mrs.
was about to happen and said soon after her
daughter lett the house: II fear shall never
see Mary again" The next day Mary did not
return, and on inquiry at her relatives house
II was found that she had not been there. ALI
trace OF her was lost until four days after, when
her body was found floating in the Hudson
near Weehawken. The marks on the body left
no doubt but that she had been murdered. A
great sensation was caused and the detectives
followed up every possible clue. In a thickei
on the Jersey shore, near where the body was
found, were discovered the gloves parasoI and
part of the clothing Of the murdered girl. Ii
appeared at nrst as If the thicket had been the
scene OF a struggle, but on close inspection /,
was decided that the place had been arranged
carefully to give il that appearance.
Just before this time mysterious boats had
been seen on the Hudson. One of them was
manned by gang OF roughs who committed
all sorts or Outrages. Anonymous letters were
sent TO one of the daily papers pointing to this
boats crew as the murderers of Mary Rogers
IL was also discovered that Mary had been In
the habit of meeting secretly a man with DARK
beard and that she had been seen with a young
naval officer on several occasions. 1t was al
legged that she was in company with this Officer
when she first disappeared from Anderson.
tobacco shop on what she subsequently saiC
was a visit 10 her aunt After the murder q
rudderess boat was picked up on the Hudson
near where the murder was supposed to have
taken place and taken To the barge office. From
there IL nysteriOusly disappeared. Mary
Rogers was last seen alive sunday. Or
Monday an empty boat with the sail and oar
lying in its bottom was seen floating down the
Hudson below Weehawken. The young naval
officer accounted for his whereabouts from tn,
time Mary left her home until her body wa,
found and the mystery OF her death became
deeper than ever. For a long time the detec
uVes worked on the case and the people talked
about II, but as time wore away with no clear
ing OF the mystery. il was gradually forgotten
and would have shared the fate of other mys
teries OF great city had not Poe written hi
story OF "Aarie Roget Finally il transpire,
mat the upquiet spirit of Mary Rogers was in
the habit Of haunting her old employer in hi
declining years The mystery OF her death wa
never solved.