The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-02-03
MRS. ROGERS AMAZED
At NEWS OR REPRlEVE
CONDEMNED WoMAN HAD ABAY-
DONED AL HOPE.


After Being Informed She Returns TO
Her Table and Resumes writing.
windsor, VT, Feb. IA few days
after receiving the last rites of the
Catholic church and hearing her ia
ther confessor read the prayers for the
dying, Mrs. Mary Mabel Rogers, who
was sentenced to die upon the gallows
tomorrow afternoon, listened with
amazement to the announcement of
High Sheriff Henry Fl. Peck that Cow
ernof Charles j. Bell had granted her
a reprieve of four months.
Preparations for the execution had
been perfected. The gallows had been
erected in the west wing Of the prison,
heavy black curtain hanging from
the guard room windows shutting the
gruesome machinery of death from
public view. When the news of Gov
ernor Bells action was carried to the
prison, the officials hesitated to believe
the announcement until Governor Bell
called up b. w. 0akes, the prison su-
perintendent, by long distance tele-
phone and formally notified him that
Mrs. Rogers had been granted a re-
prieve in order that her claim to not
having had fair trial might be passed
upon by the supreme court.
This forenoon Sheriff Peck was on
the verge of collapse. The idea of
executing the woman was repugnant
TO him, and he had brought every eff
"a
deputy sheriffs shared the nervousness
Of Sheriff Peck, but all Of them indi-
Gated plainly, both in speech and ac-
tfon, that they had no hope of being
able to escape their duty.
When Father Delaney visited the
prison to-day he found Mrs. Rogers
calmly waiting death. In the presence
of the death watch the priest admin
istered the last rites of the church and
spoke words Of comfort to the woman.
Mrs. Rogers told the priest that she
was resigned TO her fate, had forgiven
her enemies and felt no resentment
against any person connected either
with the prosecution Of her case Of the
execution Of the law.
Sheriff Peck was Immediately sum-
moned to the prison for a telephone
conference with Governor Bell The
sheriff was overcome with emotion,
tears filed his eyes, and 1t was few
moments before he could speak and
then he said:
This is grand good news. and the
fact that the reprieve has been grant.
ed compensates for the rebuke which
Governor Bell administered to me and
my deputies yesterday" hi
Az 2:41 o'clock Sheriff Peck, Superin-
tendent OalSes and States Attorney
Bachelor appeared at the door Of the
death cell, where they were Joined a
moment later by Prison Chaplain Full
ler.
The sound of hammering reverberat-
ed throughout the cell room. The pris-
on carpenters had begun to take down
the gallows as soon as the governors s
message was received, but the woman
in her cell heard the sounds and be-
lieyed they We're caused by the work
of erecting the structure upon which
she would die the next day.
As the party with the sheriff in the
lead, approached the grated door, Mrs.
Rogers was seated at a table writing
a letter to her mother. Apparently
supposing, that the sheriff had come to
| read the death: warrant she arose and
moved toward the door Of the cell.
Sheriff Peck had never seen Mrs.
Rogers before that moment. Walking
up to the door, he said:
Mrs. Rogers, + am the sheriff. I
have brought you good news.
II am glad to meet you, Mr.. Sheriff, :
said Mrs. Rogers, as she extended her
| hand through the grating. have
often heard of you, but I have never
met you before. What is the good
news?"
| Governor Bell has to-day granted
you a, reprieve until June ~ replied
| the sheriff.
Mrs. Rogers remained like a statue
as though unable to comprehend the
meaning of the words Without sign
of emotion, she gazed at the sheriff a
| moment and then said:
II had given up all hope, but am
glad that the governor has granted ms
more time. He is a good man.
Mrs. Rogers then thanked the sheriff
and his companions for the informa-
ton they brought her. She seemed un-
affected by the tidings and as the party
moved away from the death cell, she
returned to the table and resumed her
| writing. 4-.- H.
| A peculiar duty will devolve upon
Sheriff Peck Tomorrow morning.. Al
though the execution will not take
! place before June 2, if it takes place
at all, the sheriff Tomorrow, the date
set by the court for the hanging, will
be obliged to visit Mrs. Rogers in her
cell and read to her the warrant for
her death. Immediately after he will
read the governors reprieve.