Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-08-21
KILLED HER HUSBAND.
Bennington Woman, Assisted by
Man, Does Desperate Deed.

The death OF Marcus Rogers. whose
body was found in the canal below
Cooper's mill at Bennington Aug. ii
proves to have been the contamination
of one of the most diabolieal crimes
ever planned and executed in the state
OF Vermont.
According to the confession OF \.
Perham he and Stella Bates held
Rogers while his wife killed him with
chloroform. His body was then thrown
| into the canal and a note, written sew
eral hours in advance, was pinned to
the hat of the victim, stating that he
had committed suicide and the hat
hung TO nearby tree. In terretlng
out the mystery il was found that
Rogers and his wife had not lived to-
oether since last fall He worked at
Hoosick Falls while she lived notorl-
GUS life, boarding with the family
of Edmund Perham. In the Perham
family were two young men, Steve,
aged %, and Leon, aged 10, who had
more or less 70 do with the women
Mrs. Rogers had a chum. Stella Bates
Though bearing good regulations.
At the inquest Steve Perham said
that Mrs. Rogers had offered him $500
TO kill her husband so that she could
marry another man. He de-
clined His brother, Leon, was
then taken one side by ex-
Marshall Harris and given a rigid eX-
animation. He finally broke down and
told the whole story as follows:
Rogers. though discarded by his
wife, was still In love with her and OF
ten came to see her Taking advant-
age OF this his wife made a date for
him to meet her in Morgan's field be-
side the stream where the body was
found az 1880 Tuesday evening
Rogers came and there found his wife,
Mary. Stella Bates and Leon Perham.
Mrs Rogers was provided with a rope,
bottle Of chloroiorm and note al
ready written with her husbands name
signed aud saying he bad drowned
himself
Nevertheless Mrs Rogers met her
husband with eHusive irendhne.s.
claiming 70 be in a repentant mood
and the four sat on the bank OF Che
Cnal and talked Tor an hour Then
Mrs. Rogers pulled the rope ont Of her
pocket and told her husband Sue
would show him a trick. and be az
lowed her 60 tie his hands She then
suddenly pulled the bottle OF chl0ro-
form nom her pocket, turned half lts
contents on her handkerchief and held
II over his nose and mouth while Per-
ham seized him by the legs.
In his struggles Rogers broke the
rope and also cleared himself from
Perham's grasp but his wife clung TO
him with the fierceness OF atigress and
breathing heavily in his efforts he
succumbed 20 the chlorolorm. Apply
ing more OF the liquid. Mrs Rogers held
1t to his nose until he stopped breath
ing.
The body was then rolled face down
ward into the shallow canal with the
supposition that he was not dead but
In his helpless condition would drown
himself.
Perham was 20 receive 800 from the
insurance on Rogers life which he had
kept paid up and payable to his wife.
The note was arranged rs found and
the three mnrdcreTs went home.
Wednesday. Aug. l3. Mrs Rogers
was down town and meeting Constable
Fred Godfrey told him that she was
afraid her husband had killed himself
as he had threatened often 10 DO. Cod
frey took no stock In what she said
and it was not until the hat was
found that a search was made and the
body found
Mrs. Rogers will not be - years old
until next month and Mr.. Rogers was
-. She married Rogers when 16. 4
year ago last spring a baby was born
TO them. This child died when q few
day, old from a tan from its mothers
arms as she claimed when she was in a
room alone with &C, though his family
thought the death suspicious 40 the
time.
Two months ago Mrs. Rogers was
visited by her husband and while there
she gave him some tea. lie was after
wards taken violently I'll and vomted
freely. His family again urged him 10
look out but be did not think his wife
would try 20 put him ont OF the way.