Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-08


body was claimed by her mother and
sister, and will be buried at Hoosick
Falls, N. T., where the mother, Mrs.
Josie Callahan, resides
Mrs Rogers maintained her COM
posure to the last. She mounted the
gallows with a steady step. Although
deathly pallor overspread her coun-
te11ance. hardly a muscle quivered as
Deputy Sheriff Spafford pronounced
the fatal words Il now proceed to
execute the sentence of the law and
may God have mercy on your soul. :
When the words were pronounced the
deputy sheriff sprung the trap and the
drops fell.
Promptly at 1:0e Deputy Sheriff
Spafford dispatched two deputies to
Mrs. Rogers cell. A few minutes later
the sound of foot steps in the corridor
indicated the approach of the doomed
woman. The death procession wended
it's way down the stairs of the wOnlan's s
section OF the prison to the west wing
where the little group, consisting Of
sheriffs deputies, prison guards, mil
itary guards, legal witnesses and
three Vermont newspaper representa-
tives had assembled, and where the
scaffold had qoeen erected. Mrs. Rogers
appeared to be the calmest person In
the party, although her pallor bore
silent witness that she realized the
meaning of III all. She was gowrled in
black and deputy sheriff marched on
each side Of her. Previous to the march
to the scaffold Father Delaney. Mrs.
Rogers spiritual adviser, had recited
the prayers for the dying in Mrs. Rog-
ers' cell. The clergyman did not ac-
company the woman to the scaffold.
Upon reaching the scaffold the con-
denned woman mounted the steps un-
aided, and stepping exactly upon the
center of the trap sat down in the
chair. To bind her with the leather
straps was the work of a minute on
ly A large black sack was brought
up about her body, fastened around
her neck The moose was adjusted by
one OF the deputies and another dep
uty placed the black cap upon her
head. The trap was sprung exactly at
'1:13 and the woman was officially
pronounced dead at ,1.271k.
Story Of the Crime.
Windsor, VT, Dec. S.-The cr-ne for
which Mrs. Mary Mabel Rogers was
sentenced to death was the murder OF
her husband Marcus Rogers, at Pen
nington, August 13, 1902. At the time
the crime was committed Mrs Rogers
was only 10 years Of age. She had
been separated from her husband for
some time, and was desirous of marry
ing a young man named Maurice
Knappe. On the day Of the murder
Marcus Rogers went to Pennington
to visit his wife, and that night she ar
ranged to meet him in the woods near
Walloomsac river. While carcassing
him she induced him to allow her to
bind his hands and while he was pow
erless she chloroformed him. In this
she was aided by Leon Perharn, half
witted boy, the son Of woman with
whom she had boarded. Another wo1n-
an, Estella Bates. was present. After
chloroforming Rogers, Perham and
Mrs. Rogers rolled the body into the
river, where it was found the next day.
In order to divert suspicion the woman
wrote note. to which she signed her
husbands name, giving the impression
he had committed suicide. Immediate
ly after the murder Mrs. Rogers en-
deavored to collect her husbands life
insurance. amounting to $500, and also
made arrangements to purchase furn1-
ture for the house where she expected
to live when she had married knappe.
A few days after the murder Mrs. Rog-
ers, Perham and the Bates woman
were arrested. Perham made COM
plete confession and both he and Mrs.
Rogers were found guilty of murder
in the first degree. Perham was SEN
fenced to Imprisonment for life. while
Mrs. Rogers received the death SEN
tence.
Under the Vermont law, the power
of communication of sentence rests with
the legislature. The law also provides
that when person is sentenced to
deatl, a session of the legislature must
be held between the time OF the SEN
ence and the date set for execution
At the last session Of the legislature
various attempts We're made to COM
mute Mrs. Rogers sentence. but all
failed Then an attempt was made to-
pass a law albolisl1ing capital punish
ment in Vermont, but that also failed.
An attempt to secure pardon for the
woman shared the same fate. A bih
was then introduced providing for the
of a state commission to
examine into the woman's sanity. This
,ill passed the house unanimously, put
was defeated in the senate. Inc cate