The St. Louis Republic., 1902-08-18
MURDER OF ROGERS
WAS MOST HEARTLESS
Happy i'll Thought of Reconcilia-
tiOn With Wife When He
Was CblOrOformed.
C0LD-BL00DED PLANS LAID.
Husband Readily Fell Into Trap
Laid TO Take His Life for
Five Hundred Dollars
Insurance.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Bennington. Vt. Aug 17.-DeaLh by hang
ing is the penalty for murder in the first
degree in Vermont
From the office Of the Superintendent OF
Prisons at Windsor in this State the tnfor-
nation was procured that the only case
within recent years of Il woman suffering
the death penalty was that OF Mrs. Meek
er Of Waterbury. who was hanged at Wind
sor in 1881 or 1882. 1t seems probable that
the same fate may overtake Mrs. Mary
Rogers and Miss Stella Bates. who are in
jail in Bennington charged with having
murdered Marcus Rogers last Tuesday.
II the circumstances related in the con-
fession OF Levi Perham. one of the partlci-
pants in the crime, and of Leon Perham.
his brother. who was asked to participate
but did not. are true. the crime IS one Of
the most heartless murders that the GRIM
inal annals can show.
For deiiberation and planning the prose-
cutors OF the scheme took plenty of time
Fortune played into their hands. for the
victim afflicted with sickness and debt. had
frequently declared that he would be better
on dead All the circumstances attending
the finding Of his body pointed toward sui-
eide. and such would have been the yerdjc,
OF the inquest but for the fact that an eS-
animation of the victims lungs showed
that, although found in the river. his death
was not caused by drowning.
"ell-Laid Plans Go Wrong.
Nothing seemed more probable than that
Marcus had committed suicide when the
nrst news Of his death was brought to the
authorities
Payson Hathaway. last Wednesday eyen-
Ing. was passing through Morgan's Grove
when he found a hat hanging on a branch
OF tree note was pinned 10 Il bearing
a message to the effect that the writer,
Marcus Rogers. was tired OF life. i'll and
In debt and had put end to his life
Next morning fifteen rods from where +be
nat was found Samuel levitt a hackman
discovered the body of Marcus Rogers He
notified the Sheriff's office and Deputies
Nash and Godfrey went TO the scene The
body was found near the bank in 3 feet
of water.
1t was lying face downward. half covered
with sand and ooZe. II was taken to the
boarding place OF Mrs. Rogers the home of
Levi Perham a jury was impaneled and
AT first even experienced investigators
would nave said the man had committed
suicide. The fearful story of the wife the
accounts given of him by friends and as
sociates all pointed that way. The man was
In despair. He had been ill. he was es-
ranged an rom his wife. he was in debt.
four months before and work independently
for living. They had fallen behind in
tAPcue-Sy anu tne Oealh or their
child had added another burden of debt
Rogers went to Hoosic Corners. where he
obtained employment in a mill The widow.
with much dramatic effect told of their
last meeting on the Tuesday before his
body was found in the ooze of the Willoom-
SIC.
She said that he had given her his life
insurance policy, and had told her that she
need never expect TO look upon his face
again unless she would go with him 10
live at Hoosic. She had refused his request
Here the widow was escorted. apparently
half fainting. from the jury-room To the