The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-11
THE TRAGIC DETAILS
EYEWITNEssEs TELL THE STORY OF
LON ROOkER's CRIME.
Hrs. Pees's Husband Gives His YER
sion of the AGair-The Dead
woman's Unhappy Life.


the crowd packed the ROOM The atmos-
phere OF the place was thick with odor of
tobacco and cheap perfumery. but this
seemed to sharpen the appetteS of the
spectators for the CORY details.
Two witnesses gave graphic descriptions
OF the Rocker tragedy yesterday. They
were George c. Fisher and James Parker,
the latter colored blacksmith. who lives
next door to the house, at No. 20 Rhode
Island street. where Mrs. Rocker was muir
dered. Fisher lives at No. Ill Locke street.
a half square from the scene of the muir
der. He was resident OF the "city horse
pittai' neighborhood, he said. On the even
ing OF the murder, about dusk, Fisher was
attracted to the Rhode Island-street house
by the screams of q. woman. He hurried
over to the house and stood at the front
door. Mrs. Rocker was lying on the floor
of the parlor, her husband kneeling over
her. He was holding her down with his
left hand. The witness saw razor in his
right hand, and the weapon flash
twice. Each time it was drawn across Mrs.
Rockers neck. Then Rocker got up and
walked to the front door. Mrs. Rocker
tried to raise herself. and the witness saw
a CHASTITY wound in her throat. Her head
had fallen back and the blood was stream
ing from her throat, and had begun to
saturate her clothing. She crawled to the
front door. where Rocker stood, and, plac-
ing her hand on the door knob, managed
to get to her feet. An old colored woman
took her by the hand and led her away. AS
the dying woman passed her husband and
staggered out the witness heard her moan:
"Oh, my, what have i done?"
Witness saw two women leading Mrs.
in he of
pital, and he never saw her again. He then
turned his attention to the murderer Wit
ness was at the gate, and Rocker stood at
. the door watching the crowd OF people
that had begun to congregate In the stree.
He stood there a few moments, and then
witness saw him turn from the door and
step to stand table in the room. The
apartment was dark. Rocker struck a
match. and as he did so picked something
up from the table. He raised his hand and
again the witness saw the flash of razor
Rocker fell TO. the floor, thraShed about
and cried and groaned. Then he got up,
walked to the door and looked out at the
crowd. The mob had commenced to grow
threatening, and Rocker spoke to those in
side the yard.
II want to go home" he said. please let
me go: people. am going TO die ANYWAY way,
and Rocker started for the street. His
throat was cut and the blood was on his
and the latter stopped and struck at him.
Rocker ran south in the direction of the
city He got into an alley, where he picked
some so too' Witness called to him. s' mn
You keep quiet; you've killed enough
people in this neighborhood." Rocker
streets. where he started to walk on the
track in front of a street car. Witness
yelled to him to. get off the track or he
would be killed. Rocker retorted:
What is it to you if do? I'll go and
give myself up to the police" Witness
said that as Rocker jumped on TO the car
he called him (the witneSS) a smart guy.
ANOTHER EYEWITNESS.
While the testimony of Parker. the col
ored man, differed slightly from that of
Fisher. it was not less dramatic. The wit
ness spared none of the tragic details. Par
ker lives near the house where Mrs Rocker
was staying. He saw Rocker on the prem
ises during the morning preceding the trag-
ely. Mrs Rocker was with her husband in
the back yard They were talking in loud
tones, and seemed 10 be excited Witness
noticed her wipe her eyes with a handker-
chief and heard her say:
You are a pretty father to teach your
son that" Witness did not know what
she meant. About 4 o'clock in the after
the yard talking to the little boy. Witness
noticed that he drew the boy toward him
and gave him something. little after
$50 o'clock witness heard loud talking in
the house. and recognized the voice OF
Emma PEGS.
I'll have you arrested" he heard Mrs. PEGS
exclaim to Rocker. The woman was at the
door, and Rocker stood near the gate. =,
Let me show you what you have done, :
Mrs. PEGS cried again, and Rocker entered
the house. Witness could see Mrs. Rocker,
her husband and Mrs. PEGS in the parlor.
They were standing up, and Mrs. PEGS was
pointing to something. Witness then heard
a noise, and thought somebody had fallen
to the floor. Rocker broke for the door,
seemed irving
close it. The witness then heard wom-
ans scream, and Mrs. PEGS came running
out into the yard. There was a great cash
in her cheek and the blood was streaming
down over her garments.
MY God, he's cutting us 10 pieces, she
screamed she reached the yard. Mrs.
Rocker was screaming inside the house.
Witness rushed to the house. and could see
Mrs. Rocker PROSTATE on the floor. Her
husband was STOPPING over her. and wit
ness saw him cut her throat. She got up
and came to the door, crying, Lord. save
me: save me-" She staggered out into the
middle of the street, and witness watched
her until she sank down in the commons.
During all of this evidence there was
nothing in the face of the accused indicat-
not look at the witnesses, but keeps his
eyes turned directly to the north. He does
not betray the slightest interest in the
proceedings, and seldom looks into the face
CT the jury. Mrs. Bessie Pritchard, of No.
s North Alabama street, testified that Mrs.
Rocker had worked for her. She said the
woman often looked "haggard" and was
poorly dressed Mrs. Pritchard once visited
the Orphans Home with Mrs. Rocker to
see the latter's child. One of the Rocker
children was partly paralyzed. On one oc-
casion the witness took Mrs. Rocker TO
Barnum's circus. Rocker was there, and
sat near them. His wife seemed to be
nervous. Witness called TO see Mrs Rock
err while she was sick in the Ryan Block.
No one was with the sick woman, and she
did not see anything OF Rocker. On cross
examination the witness said that man
named James Robinson came TO her house
three times to see Maggie Rocker while
she was there.
MRS PEES'S HUSBAND.
Charles PEGS husband of the woman with
whom Mrs. Rocker was living when she
met her death, was a good witness for the
State. The morning OF the murder he was
sitting in the dining room, when Rocker
came to the house and began a quarrel
with witnesses wife. Mrs. Rocker was
standing near them. crying. Rocker called
to her husband and took razor out of his
pocket Witness locked ii in a machine
drawer. He heard Rocker say: by God.
ii fix you vet, -" Mrs. Rocker said
Why don't you come here when you are
sober and act the gentleman? You only
come here when you are drinking"
Mrs. Rocker added that she would go
with her husband and live with him il he
would stop drinking. Rocker then arranged
with his wife 10 meet him the next night
at o'clock lat the Boot Upside Down.
together. Witness accused his companion of
having gone UP there 10 kill Mrs. Rocker.
but he denied IL. Witness said he under
stood. on cross-examination, that Rocker