Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1905-12-09
THE HANGING OF
MABEL ROGERS
All Efforts of Attorneys and Others
We're Fruitless.
KILLED HFR HUSBAND
Pretending to Love Him, She Bound
Mans Arms and While In This
Plight Was Put to Death
by Cblor0fOrm.

Windsor, VT, Dec. 9.-Mrs. Mabel
Rogers was executed in the state pris-
on here at lib o'clock Friday after
noon.
dead. Only comparatively few per-
IONS witnessed the execution, the num-
Der being restricted to those permitted
to be present by the laws of Vermont.
Mrs. Rogers maintained her compos-
ure to the last. She mounted the gal
lows with a steady step. Although
deadly pallow overspread her counte-
nance hardly a muscle moved. Dep
uty Sheriff Spafford then pronounced
the fatal words: Il now proceed to
execute the sentence of the law and
may God have mercy on your SOUL"
There was a moment of stiffness. then
the trap was sprung, and the woman
dashed to eternity.
The crime for which Mrs. Mary Mabel
Rogers was sentenced to dear was the
murder of her husband, Marcus Rogers.
at Bennington, in August, 1902. The
time the crime was committed Mrs
Rogers was only nineteen years old.
She had been separated from her US
band for some time She was DESTROYS
OF marrying a young man named
Maurice Knapp. The day of the murder
Rogers went to Bennington to visit his
wife. That night she arranged to meet
him in the woods. While caressing
him she induced him to let her bind
his hands, and while he was powerless
she chloroformed him. In this she was
aided by Leon Perham, a half-witted
boy, who confessed the crime Perham
WIS given a life sentence in the peni-
Tertiary Mrs. Rogers was sentenced
to hang. She had been twice reprieved
by Governor Bell. Tho United States
supreme court twice refused to stay
the sentence of the court. Mrs. Rogers
was the first person sentenced to death
In Vermont In the past thirteen years
who was refused clemency.
Early Friday Attorney Flynn handed
Governor Bell a letter from Attorney
Powers. a former justice of the Yer
mont supreme court and now a cor
poration counsel. who had become in
terested in Mrs. Rogers case. ne
questing him to show ciemency. Form
er Judge Powers argued in his letter
that the ends of justice would be sub
served If another reprieve should be
granted He said he had travelled
throughout the state and was convinc-
ed the sentiment Of the Vermont peo-
OVERWHELMINGLY opposed %
Z execution The governor. however.
declined to Interfere
The conference was attended by the
lawyers of Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Part
lon of Cincinnati. who presented a pc
tition with $4,000 names asking for
clemency in the name of humanity. The
governor examined the petition with
much interest and heard statements Of
attorneys. Then he said Il believe
that / know the sentiment of the peo-
pie of Vermont as well as does any
person in this room. l see nothing to
discuss and know of no law that is
not as much for .yoman as for man
/ consider that for me again to NEEDLE
in this case would place me as an
executive, and the state Of Vermont
and its laws in ridiculous position"
Governor Bell and Private Secretary
Walters arrived early in the morning.
The secretary stated that in the COVER
nor's mail were sixty-six letters ask
ing clemency for Mrs. Rogers and only
one was written by a resident of the
Green Mountain state. He said the
official state seal had not been brought
along. and that before reprieve could
become a legal document 1t would have
to bear that imprint.
A telephone message from White
River Junction to Sheriff Henry II.
Peck to make final arrangements for
carrying out the death sentence was
received State prison officials also
received a telephone message from At
torney McCarty. one of Mrs. Rogers
lawyers. that the governor positively
refused to grant another reprieve.
Windsor was thronged early with
persons from all over Vermont.