Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-18
DAMAGING EVIDENCE
Against Mrs. Rogers on Trial for Her
Husbands Murder.


pected, at noon today, that the prose-
cution in the trial of Mrs. Mary A.
Rogers for the alleged murder of her
husband would rest it's case before adj
journment. The trial opened a week
ago yesterday. There was much
wrangling between the lawyers in the
course of the forenoon proceedings over
law points and the admission of GER
tain evidence. The principal conten-
ton was over the attempt of the pros
ecution to introduce testimony to the
effect that on the night before the al
legged murder, Rogers, at the home OF
his aunt, Mrs. Philpot had said that
he was to meet his wife that evening
and that he should destroy his insur-
ance papers before doing so. The court
ruled for the defence and excluded the
evidence.
1t had been intimated early in
the trial that the prosecution expected
that defence to attempt to transfer re-
Sponsibility for the crime from Mrs.
Rogers the defendant. to Leon Per-
ham, her confessed accomplish. The
move made, this morning, however, was
the first direct attempt to discount the
probable defence.
Sheriff Henry Wilson of Bennington
county, who waS called to the stand
early in the day, told of wheel tracks
found in the duct of the road when he
visited the scene of the alleged murder
Being engaged in an investigation of
the case at that time he made a careful
examination of the tracks on the suppo-
sition that they might have a bearing
on the case. AS result of that exam
ination he was satisfied that the tracks
were made by bicycle, and not by a
wheelbarrow or any other flat-tired
vehicle
Mrs Laura Perham mother of Leon
and Leo Perham. who have had a
prominent place in the trial, was re-
called to the stand, today, for redirect
examination to clear up some apparent
discrepancies in her testimony which
had been developed by the cross
examination. Following this the
woman was subjected to q very severe
cross examination. Her memory prov
ed defective as to dates and incidents
at her home after Rogers body had
been brought there and when pressed
hard for an answer, the woman several
times burst into tears. Her story, in
the main, was unShaken.
Charles H.Potter, q furniture dealer,
told of arrangements made by Mrs.
Rogers, previous to her husbands
death, to purchase furniture for new
home. She was about to marry a
painter, she said. Potter said that
when Mrs. Rogers first came to his
store she wanted to purchase the fur
niture on the instalment plan, but later
said the payment might be made lin
a lump"
Cumulative evidence as to the rela-
tons said to have existed between Mrs.
Rogers and Morris Knapp, with whom
the woman is alleged to have been in
love, was introduced. Sele Pike lfv-
cry stable keeper, contradicted a state
ment made by Leon Perham that he
was at home on the night that Rogers
was killed by testifying that Perham
was at work in the stable on that night.
The reference to Rogers intention
to destroy his insurance papers came
out in connection with the examination
of Mabel Piilpot, VINO with her sister,
Myrtle, described the movements Of
both Rogers and his wife. The evil
dence rejected left practically nothing
of the testimony of Mabel Philpot but
the fact that Rogers was at the home
of the mother of the witness, who was
Rogers aunt, the night before the mur-
der
Myrtle Philpot said that the day after
the murder Mrs. Rogers called, saying
that she had met her husband the even
ing before and that he had left her. say
ing that she never again would look upon
his living face. Mrs. Rogers asked adj
vice about sounding the fire alarm to get
out parties to search for her husbands
body. as she believed he had committed
suicide. Finally she said they had quar-
rallied.
Tine time may come she said, when
iii have to tell it and | might as we'll
tell it now
other witnesses testified to meeting
Rogers on the night he met his death.
He was in excellent spirits because of an
expected reconcilia tion with his Wife.
Expert evidence was introduced by the
state to prove that the handwriting in