The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-11-02
YERN ROGERS
and filth
Features Of the Prison lnves.
tisation Yesterday.
NASTlNESS NEARING END
II Is Expected That the Committee
Will Hold Only One More
Session.
NASTlNESS NEARING END

closures In regard 10 Tho oonduc, Of
the state prison ~ere made today,
whom tho investigating committee inc,
al tho prison, and examined number
Of prisoners and guards connected
With the institution. Vernon Roeets.
Tho ''trusiy," whose name has bcen
prominently mentioned In connection
wlih that Of Mrs Mary n Rogers the
condemned murdercss. admitted that
he had been In Mrs Rogers cell sever.
al times. lie stated that Fred Morse.
another "trus,y." had made key for
him. with which he opened the outer
lock OF the cell door, aud that Mrs.
Rogers, by means OF q pair Of scls.
. ,rs. opened the inner ias,enings.
The hrst witness OF the day va.
Vernon Rogers, whose name has be.
como very yell known Ia connection
With the Nary Roger. scandal. His
testimony was Ia substance - follows:
Who frat pu, the idea Into your
headS
Mrs Rogers spoke about going.
How did yon get q notice OF thisy
She raped on tho door add spoke
10 me when was sweeping the CORR.
dor.
Did you answer
Yes, sir.
Did anybody suggest IL 10 you be.
foreY
No sir. Jacobs, an officer, spoke
about Il in n fooling way.
What was your talk with him.
. Nothing particular.
Did he tell you how TO get inY
No sir.
Did anyone else speak about itg
Mr. Button spoke once or twice, and
said "Any old key will fit the door,"
but he spoke In joking way.
Was this before you went 10?
Yes, sir.
How did he happen 10 say that?
don't know really.
Did he call your attention TO the fact
that the lock was easyy
He said any old key would unlo ok
the door.
Judge Palmer conducted q rigid
cross.exsmination. la appearance
Vernon Rogers was not OF a very pre-
possessing aspect, and seemed unin-
telligent. But Notwithstanding this,
he stood strong cross-examination
without losing his self-control.
Did you ever have any talk with
Mary Rogers about your being lone
some?
Not that | remember.
Didn't you tell her that you felt
pretty blue here In prison?
l might have.
Where was the conversation?
BY her door, / think.
Wasn't that conversation before the
keys were prepared?
Yes. sir; think il was.
In that conversation, do you re-
member saying to her that you told
Harold Harpin you felt blue?
No, sir.
Did you have any more converse
lions with her before you first went in.
Oh yes, several.
Quite good many weren't there?
Yes, she used to rap on the door.
Sometimes l would talk with her and
sometimes wouldn't.
Your recollection of what was said
isn't clear?
She said she wanted me to come In,
and that she wished was there, and
l said wished l was. She asked me
If couldn't get key, and I said l
didn't know how because 1 couldn't
make one.
Was anything said between you
and Mary Rogers about your names
being the same?
uOh ohlhS oOs VII, do lOnoM'
Der, she said she liked that name.
Was anything said about your CON-
ing In for friendships sakeP
l don't think there was.
Was anything said about the officers
getting on to what was going on?
Yes, told her she would have to
be careful about rapping, or they
would get onto 1t. At one time l saw
Craven in the guard room, and told
her of it. She said she didn't "give a
d-n" for Craven.
] told her did, and didn't want
to get into trouble. She spoke about
Craven being very intimate with
lady prisoner here. Sometimes l
would tell her there was someone in
the guard room, when there wasn't, to
make her keep still. Jacobs said af-
ter she was taken out of there that he
Mould have gone in himself II he sup.
w. vas so nice g Looking lady.
nHoouest4( hnfarnG