Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-02-09
GOV. BELL AFTER URANKs.
VIII Attempt "a Have Writeva o
Threntcning Letters Punished.

VIII Attempt 60 Have Writers of
Threntcning Letters Punished.
Boston, Feb. ,.-Governor c. ]. Bell OF
Vermont has made a move which, he OK.
pects will land a number or Boston peo.
pie in Jail. Many letters came to him
from Boston in connection with the case
cf Mrs. Mary Rogers. and many threat
ened his life II Mrs. Rogers was hanged.
Others were full of abuse and scurrllous
matter. The most Of tho letters were
anonymous, but quite number were
signed, and many Of these contained
threats and were otherwise OF such a
character as to render the scnders liable
to prosecution in the opinion Of Governor
Bells law officers. The governor has
sent Attorney General Fits to Boston to
begin the prcsec ution of these people. He
arrived Saturday evening.
scores Of letters from Boston and vi
cinIty Threatened the governors life. In
fact Boston seemed a center for the cam
paign of letters in favor of Mrs Rogers.
While the letters which were signed were
not so fleryas the others, stili they passed
the border line and the senders are said
| to be liable to heavy punishment. Attor-
ney General Parker has offered his assist
ancc to the Vermont attorney general in
bringing some or the offenders to justice.
Sheriff Henry :. Peck. who was to
execute Mrs Rogcrs. also received n
s-rist of the slnlc kind of letters, but
he has not yet made up his mind to
make mov" against the authors.
Among the list of letters are some
sent TO the PRISON officials at Windsor.
three Mt least containing plans for Civ
ling Mrs. Rogers poison, and ono making
a. direct offer ~ $50 to Harold Harpin
| n guard at the poison. There letters come
under the scopc Of the investigation. For
some weeks the attornoy-gcncrars Office
has been busy -ooknR evidence as to tho
authorship Of the letters. Some of the
eases are ALREADY in the hands Of Chief
Watts, and INSPECTOR Rooney has been
Iasegned TO look up some of the writer's.
The Quincy police have been asked by
Acknowledgement Fits to investigate n
particularly facrant case in Quincy from
which city letter was sent to Cove,
nor He'll declaring the writer had vowed
to murder him. md that he would stop
at nothing.
The postorice authorities have vol
unteered their help in running down
some Of the cases ard are already nj
work. Many OF the letters come from
women, and arc written in n hysteri-
cal vein. Severe penalty is cXacted
for letters of this nature. and it will
go hard with ~uch authors OF these
, letters as can he traced. Governor
, Bolts action is somewhat Influenced
.i.tt 1,n
dcrgo the same siege again in IL few
months. Il Mrs. Rogers petition 70,
now trial j. denied by the supreme
court, she will be again under the
sentence of death. Governor Bell has
r said in advance he would not inter.
/ ferc in such case. and that Mrs. Rog
= crs must hang if the supreme courf
i decides against her. The same agi
i tation will arise again ana Governor
= Bell wants to head off this torrent d
: threatening letters. which have beer
$ a source of much trouble for him.
:. Every official connected with the cas-
: has been dcurod with such letters. bu
3 the governor was selected an an especia
e target. How closely these writers fol
f lowed the course Of tho agitation j
e shown by the fact that tie very next da.
after il was announced that Deput.
Sheriff Wilson Lowell Of Springfield. Vt
was to perform tho n al work of cxecu
ii ton. Mr.. Lowell hocau 20 receive threat
n ening letters, and his has kept up unit
n the present time. Inero is no ORGANIZED
t State police force il Vermont to handl
t such mn tiers as these, and it has devolve
It upon the attorna generals office AT
= tornoy-Ioneral Fitts is confident that tn