The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-12-27
GaIlows For Mary Rogers
Gotten Out and Painted.
WARRANT NOT YET READ
Only a Small Number OF Persons.
May Witness the Exc.
cutiOn.

Windsor, VT, Dec. "a. Sheriff Hen =.
ry H. Peck was at the State prison to-
day making arrangements for the exc
cution of Mrs Mary Rogers on FeD. 3
next and inspected the gallows, which
has done service for about SO years
and which is kept in storeroom in
one of the prison buildings.
1t is stout oak affair with substan-
tial steps leading to the platform and
was used for the last time in 1892, when
Sylvester H. Bell paid the penalty OF
the law for wife murder.
1t is fastened together with iron bolts
and will not be set up until the morn
ing of the execution, after the prison.
ers have left their cells and gone to
WORK in the shoe shop.
Sheriff Peck did not read the death
warrant to Mrs Rogers today, and in
fact, has not yet received that docu~
ment from the clerk of the Bennington
county court
There is no specified time given in.
the Vermont statutes when the warrant
shall be read to the convicted person,
and the sheriff uses his discretion i'm
the matter. Sometimes the reading
has been done a day or two before and
at other times on the day of the execu~
ton.
There seems to be wide diversity
of opinion as to the number of witness
SEES who may be present at the execu-
ton, but the Vermont law on that sub
ject says that the sheriff shall request
the states attorney of the county and
II citizens, including surgeon or
physician, and shall permit the coun-
sci of the prisoner, such clergymen as
the prisoner desires, and his or her
relatives to be present, and such OH
GERS Of the prison, deputies, constables,
and military guard as he deems best
and no others.
Mrs Rogers is confined in the wom-
ems department of the prison, which
is in the main building and directly
oyer the Offices. Sne is not confined
in narrow cell, but has large welA
lighted cell where she passes the time
in solitary confinement.
She eats and sleeps we'll, and does
not seem to worry about her approach
ing doom. The meeting with her
mother which took place only a few
days ago rather unnerved her for a
time but she quickly regained her US
ual calm demeanor and still has hopes
thai Gov Bell will in some way inter-
vene in her behalf.
The execution will take place in the
west wing of the prison near the front
wall and in plain sight from the war;
dens' window, from the corridors and
other parts of the prison.
The condemned woman will have to
walk down flights OF stairs, through
the Office and the prison yard before 4
reaching the west wing, then across
the floor until the gallows is reached,
and up the stairs to the platform, some
eight feet high, and then upon the fatal
trap, the central figure in a human
which it is hoped this state
may never see again.
Sheriff Peck Saturday announced
his plans for the execution.
The death march will be long one
from the cell Of solitary confinement in
Fhich Mrs Rogers was placed some
lime ago TO the execution chamber.
Mrs Rogers, who will be prepared ex-
,ept for the adjusting of the straps
over the limbs, in her cell, win be- &C.
by the sheriff and his sls-
ven deputies DR. J. d. Brewster, the
prison physician and DR. o. w. Daley,
Of White River Junction will be pres
INT TO announce when life has left the
body.