The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-08-16
X STARTLING TRAGEDY.
MARCUS ROGERS PROBA ABLY
 MURDERED IN VERMONT.

Confessed That Rogers Had Been
 Murdered md He Implicated Himseif
 in the Crimes Some sensational Evi-
 dence Brought out on the IDquest
 Held Yesterday.
 Bennington, Vt., Aug. 15.-A startling story was brought out to-day at the in- quest held before Justice Shurtleff into the death of Marcus Rogers, whose body was found in the Walloomsac riv- CT here yesterday, when Levi Perhan. aged nineteen, confessed that the man had been murdered and implicated him. self and the wife of the dead man as the participants in the crime. Levi Per- ham, his brother Boyd, twenty-four years old, Mrs, Rogers and Miss Stella Bates were all placed under arrest as the result of the confession of the Bates woman, it is alleged having ob- tained the chloroform with which the victim was first rendered unconscious.
 Rogers separa ted from his wife sev- eral months ago and went to work for his brother at Hoosic Corners, his wife, it is alleged, having since been living here with another man. Rogers had his life insured for $500 for his wifes bene- fit, and this fact had most important bearing upon the husbands death. Rog- CTS left Hoosic Falls last Tuesday
 morning for Bennington, was seen up to 8 D. m., and not again until his body was found in the river Thursday morn ing. The body was brought to the bank of the ryer and the face was found to
 be covered with scratches, while there was a severe bruise over the right eye l brow. Tn left eye was badly torn. Rogers was known to have 1923 or SPA
 in money with him when he left Hoosic Falls, but when his pockets were ex- amined after being taken from the river they contained but little over $2, besides his insurance papers and silver watch. 1 The fact that the lungs were full of air led to the general belief that the man had been foully dealt with and be- cause of the unfriendly relations said l to have existed between the dead man and his wife, Mrs Rogers was placed | under surveillance, and an inquest was l ordered. A hat was found near the l river, also a note supposed to have been
 written by Rogers, in which the writer said that he had endeavored to end his life as there was nothing further to live for.
 The inquest was held this afternoon
 before Justice Shurleff at which eight or nine witnesses gave testimony as to
 the relations between Rogers and his l wife, their frequent quarrels, the move ments of Rogers, etc., but the climax was reached when the Perham brothers
 were placed on the stand. Boyd, the
 elder. was first examined, and to the amazement of those in attendance, di-
 rectly charged his brother and Mrs. Rogers with the crime of murder. In 1 his story Boyd Perham said that the deed had been under consideration for 1 several weeks.
 l He said Mrs. Rogers approached him
 a few days ago and offered to give him | the amount of the insurance on her
 husband ($5o0) if he would go to Hoosic ] Corners and do away with him. He re- 1 fused point blank to have anything to | do with it. He did, however, know all 1 that had since occurred. Failing to enlist him in her service, Boyd said that l Mrs. Rogers approached his younger
 brother Levi and exerted an influence
 over him that the latter consented to lure Rogers to Bennington, where a
 trap had been set for him. Rogers, he said, was enticed to Morgans Grove, l where on the evening of Tuesday he met his wife and Levi Perham. The
 netting was apparently a friendly one,
 and under the impression that his com-
 panions were showing him trick with l ropes, Rogers allowed them to bind fm hand and foot. When in this helpless
 condition they chloroformed him and threw him into the river Perham' s story created a tremendous sensation
 and the judgment was that the greater part of the story was true.
 There was no need for further wit
 nesses and the inquest was closed and l the arrests followed immediately.