Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-12-18
TWO MURDER TRIALS ON
ROGERS CASE AT BENNINGTON
AND CORTI AT MONTPELIER.
Small Pox in Mild Form About the
Stakeholder Co. Rebuilding at
Swanton-Big Contract for Barre
Granite-Aliens in Institutions.


In the cross examination of Leon
Perham who testified in the Rogers
murder case at Bennington Friday that
he was with Mrs. Rogers when she
killed her husband with chloroform on
the river bank Aug. ~, an inkling of
what the defense will be was given.
Mrs. Rogers's attorneys directed their
efforts in an evident determination to
establish that Rogers was killed by a
blow by Leon Perham and that he was
not chloroformed by Mrs. Rogers, as
Perham testified Drs. r. II. Daily and
II. ]. Potter, who examined the body
after it had been taken from the river,
testified to the discovery of a bruise
over the right eye. This bruise, they
said, under cross examination, might
have been much more serious than APP
peared on the surface. Some contra
dictons in Perham's statements were
also noted. DR.. N. j. Wiltse, director
of the state laboratory of hygiene at
Burlington testified that chloroform
administered in the manner in which
Mrs. Rogers is alleged to have used 1t
would cause death by asphyxiation. He
said the wound over Rogers's eye
might have been caused by striking the
head on stone while struggling to re-
lease himself from the cord, A rep
resentative of the company that issued
the $500 policy on Rogers's life testified
regarding Mrs. Rogers's efforts to col
lect the face of the policy after her
husbands death. In court Tuesday the
hat, note, rope, bottle and handkerchief
figuring in the case were shown, The
Jafa hof he NH
to the hat, supposed to have been writ
ten by Rogers was written by Mrs.
Rogers. William Rogers, brother of
the murdered man testified Monday
afternoon that Marcus always agreed
with his wife in everything and gave
her money If she wanted it. Through
all the testimony Mrs. Rogers retains
complete composure.
Morris Knapp, 23, of Bennington. the
man for whom Mrs. Rogers is said to
have murdered her husband took the
witness stand Tuesday. Knapp is in
telligent and made a good impression /
At the time of the murder he was a 1
member of X Co. n. G. V. NJ, and |
was attending the annual muster at I
Fort Ethan Allen. The witness ad- /
mitted an attachment for the defendant |
based upon the belief that she was +
free to marry him; told of their per-
sonal relations, of frequent love letters
received from the woman. Mrs. Rog
ars had first represented herself as
single, then as the sister of Marcus III,
Rogers, the murdered man, and finally
told him that she had been married,
but that her husband had left her and
since remarked. There was n stir in
court when the witness told of receiv
ng a note from Mrs. Rogers on the day +
If her arrest. The message was: MY Il
God. Perham has let it all out. Come
quickly and comfort me-" While Knapp
vas testfying Mrs. Rogers's look
changed from appeal to reproach she
covered her face with her hands and
Is her lover left the stand, burst into
yiolent sobbing.
Levi Perham brother of Leon Per-
lam, who was indicted with Mrs. Rog-
RS for the murder of her husband,
prang a surprise in the trial Wednes-
lay when he told on the witness stand
# an attempt the defendant made to
eeure his assistance in doing away
With her husband. Rogers at that :
ime was employed at Hoosick, n. Y.
irs. Rogers promised Perham $500 of
he insurance money witness said, II
e would go there with her and follow
Ter instructions. She said she would
-et Rogers to skip rope until he was
fred and then Perham would overpow- y
r him, after which his wife would |
him and both would throw c
he body into the river. Witness said a
e agreed to the plan at first, but lat Il
r decided to have nothing to do with /
/. [
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