Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-01-19
Murderer Rogers Hastily Re-
moved to Media Jail.
AFRAID HE WOULD BE LyNCHED
The Fiend's Motherand Sister
Likely to Die.


itOSplaL laSt lnBlt from bullet shot
wounds inflicted by his son, Thomas
ltodgers, Ir. In another ward at tho
hospital Mrs. Rodgers and Mrs. Sarah Ann
kildey, her daughter, a bride of 10 weeks,
lie dying from wounds also inflicted by
Thomas. The tragedy, which has male
lataerless and will soon leave motherlcss q
family of young children, occurred in a
little two.story brick building near Roach S
ship-yard, shortly before | O'Clock, on
Saturday.
The murderer is q years old, but boyish
in appearance, From the dying statements
of father, mother and sister, the fatal
shots were fired by Thomas because Mr..
Rodgers upbraided him for his lazy habits.
"He deliberately shot me, said MIR.
Rodgers, "and meant to kill me.
Tine story of the most fearful tragedy
which Chester has perhaps ever had is
characterized by a brutality inConceiVablr
in son. The elder Rodgers was shot
down in cold blood, the weapon was turned
on the mother who was trying to prevent
the deed, ana while the sister was fleeing
for her life, the last ball in the revolver
was fired into her back.
With the revolver empty Thomas re-
placed 1t in a bureau drawer, from which
he had taken it in an upstairs bedroom
and coolly appeared upon the street, but
when he saw a crowd of excited citizens 1T
his heels, he quicRened his pace to run
and fled for refuge into Alderman Garvin's
office, where he was arrested by Officer
Barrowclougl, taken to the city hall and
locked up in u cell. He showed no re-
morse for his awful deed but remarked
that his father started it; ii was his fault
and | am glad shot him."
THE MURDERER HASTILY REMOVED.
The sullen, ruthless murderer of his own
flesh and blood, Tom Rodgers, his very
name that of the old father whom he shot
down in cold blood, was hastily removed
TO Media and lodged in the county Jail
there to-day. There were cries of Lynch
him Y from the crowd that pursued him
through the street yesterday afternoon.
and, while not dreading exactly that deed
Of lawlessness, Mayor Coates deemed il
wise to remove him as soon rs possible
from the midst of the excited populace.
He took the dying depositions of the
father, mother and sister last night and
held the preliminary hearing as early as
3 O'Clock, this morning, not even waiting
over sunday.
II am dying" the father had declared
to the mayor. 81 feel that | am shot
through the heart. My son intended Ia
kill me. llewas not drunk. He is lazy,
worthless vaSabond. See where lie kicked
me after fell"
Under his left eye was an ugly hrrlise.
where his unnatural son had brutally
kicked him as he lay PROSTATE with one
bullet in his groin and another near his
heart.
Tom was mad at father" stated the
sister, because he had upbraided HIM for
not doing any work. He left the dinner
table, where we were all sitting at the time.
and went upstairs. My younger BROTHER
John, who was the only one of the children
there, saw him IN few minutes coming
down and shouted to mother, Tom has d
revolver" Father had gone into the
Kitchen and mother ran at once to the door
between it and the dining room and held
j. shut. let go that door commanded
Tom, 'or I'll put bullet through YOU.
Frightened, she let go her hold and Tom
entered the Kitchen. ! was sitting on the
steps, but he walk right by me and began
shooting at father, VINO rose from his chair
and then sank 70 the floor.
" ran into the dining room and mother
and shut the door again ani held it fast
to prevent his coming in there and killing
ns. Open that door or I'll murder both
of YOU, shouted my brother. We were so
terrified that We moved away at once. |
fled From the room and ran 10 the street,
crying ont: Murder! Murdcrn had
just got two doors away when Tom APP
pearcd on the front dOOrSteps and fired.
felt the bullet strike me in the back"
A SPOILED CiIGLD.
Tom intended 10 Kill his father" de
clared feeble Mrs. Rogers, "but he didn't
moan to Kill me-"
Such were the forgiying words of the
sOrrowful old mother on her deathbed, her
heart bleeding for her son, even III the
shadow ot his heinous crime. In those
words was revealed the whole tragedy.
The oldest boy, "iom.N had been tic pet
of his parents. lie grew lptD be utterly
lazy aid worthless. Content to live upon
the hard earnings OF his father, who for
the past II years has worked as quarry
man at Rilgcyllr, the son has never OK
ertcd himself to do any work all his lie
long. IaliIng to drink he had become
worse--a drunken loatcr. Many times he
was arrested for drunken and disorder.v
conduct, and was released from Jail where
he was sent Tor such cause, only three
weeks ago.
Drunkenness developed his vicious ma.
ture and he began to threaten both his
father and mother once he forced his
father to come to blows with him, and
later swore he would brain him with an
iron weight. lie told his mother he would
make whistle NJ her windpipe." BE.
cause his SISTER Susie would not bring np
some wood for hIm one day, he struck her
in the face with Il stove litter. His sister
and mother were both continually fuFgiv-
ing him for his cruelty and his la2iness.
Only about two weeks ago lie assaulted his
mother and she had him arrested. When
the case came up she would not appear
against him, but pad the costs.
He is not in the least insane. He is n
sullcn and vindictiye brute. llis,hOrrible
crime was not committed while in a rage
but in mood of deliberate vcngefIIlness.
50 base is he that he really considers him
self to have been the aggrievci party be-