Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-28
TWO WOMEN
MAY HANG
STRANGE MURDER STORY COMES
FROM VERMONT.
HUSBAND chlOROFORMED
But Wife ArtfuIIy Induces Him to
First Permit Her to Knot Cords
About His Wrists, Pretending
to Show Him a Trick.-A Tricky
Woman.

Bennington, VT, Aug. 24.-The only
case within recent years of a woman
suffering the death penalty in Yer
mont was that of a Mrs. Meeker of
Waterbury, who was hanged at Wind
scr in 1881 or 1882.
1t seems to be within possibilities
that the same fate may Overtake Mrs.
Mary Rogers and Miss Stella Bates,
who are in Jail in Bennington accused
of having murdered Marcus Rogers in
Bennington on the night of Tuesday,
August II.
The accusation is on the confession
of Boyd Perham, brother of Levi, and
who says he refused to aid in the
crime. Nothing seemed more prob
able than that Marcus had committed
suicide when the first news of his
death was brought to the authorities.
On tree was found a hat to which
there was a note pinned, bearing a
message to the effect that the writer,
Marcus Rogers, was tired of life, ill
and in debt, and had put an end to his
life.
Fifteen rods from where the hat
was found searchers next day in the
Walloomsac river discovered the body
1t was lying face downward in three
feet of water, half covered with sand
and mud. 1t was taken to the board
ing place of Mrs. Rogers, the home OF
| Levi Perham. The story Of the wife
and friends showed the man was in
| despair. He and his wife had agreed
| to separate four months before. They
had fallen. behind in their living ex
nAnses, and the death Of their child
Aad added another burden of debt.
| Rogers went to Hoosic Corners
where he obtained employment in g
mill. The widow told Of their last
meeting on the Tuesday before his
body was found. She said he haG
given her his life insurance receipts
and had told her that she need never
expect to look upon his face again un
less he would go with him to live a.
Hoosic. She had refused his request
The condition of the body, however
aroused the suspicious of the examin
ing physicians. They could not under
stand why the features were sc
markedly discolored. They could no
believe he had drowned himself, fo1
the lungs were filled with air.
The sheriff learned that Rogers was
isured for $500 in a New York com
| pany in favor of his wife. A SHARP
watch was kept over the woman ant
her associates and acquaintance
especially the Perham boys, at the
home of whose parents the woman
was then living
| Boyd Perham, the elder of the two
was induced by detectives to tell his
story. He testified that Mrs. Rogers
and Stella Bates proposed that he
drive them over the state line into
New York, where Marcus Rogers
worked. The two women also pro
posed, he said, that after they chloro
formed Rogers ard had thrown him
into the river that he drive them back
to Bennington.
| For this, Boyd Perham said, he was
to receive $3.50, one-half of the insur.
ance money. Boyd Perham agreed to
the plan, he admitted, but he changed
his mind on the following day and
continued his work on the farm.
Levi Perham, who is 10 years old,
finally told his story of the plot. He
says that with the two women he
walked to Morgan's Grove, where
Mrs. Rogers said she had an appoint
ment with her husband in a secluded