Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-02-17
REV. Mr.. LEWIS MIsoUoTED.
Referred to the Mary Rogers Case But
Did Not Speak Of the 80 HysterlcaI
Women Of Brattleboro.

Mr.. Editor
My attention has been called to an
item in The Phoenix OF Feb. 10th with
reference to my sermon Of the preceding
Sabbath; the item is calculated to convey
an impression at variance with the facts,
and needs some Tevision-though l freely
admit that the text is correctly quoted.
First, II is hardly true that "a large
part" Of the discourse was devoted to
the Mary Rogers case" this could be
easily be shown II my time and your
space would permit of the reproduction
Of what was said. The sermon had four
divisions, each Of which was elaborated
and illustrated fully; in one of these di-
visions, and one only, the Mary Rogers
case was used as an illustration; even
here II was not the only illustration en-
ployed, though some minutes were
naturally devoted to it and to sugges-
tions growing out of it. The charitable
assumption is that your reporter was
DOING "a large part of the time
The portion to which l take particular
exception, however, is that which pur-
ports to be a quotation from my remarks.
namely, 80 hysterical women OF Brattle-
boro:" that phrase did not occur in the
discourse. There was a reference to what
has been observed as to the course OF
some Sensational papers and hysterical
women" but 1t was general in character
and applied not only to this case but to
several others where the crime committed
has been OF peculiar atrocity Whoever
transferred the adjective and made the
application conveyed by the ostensible
quotation. may have the credit OF so do
ing Probably the reporters pencil point
broke at about that time. which might
account for the mixing OF the two things
that were separate. OF course the change
could not have been Intentionally made,
for the sake of producing a more spicy
paragraph.
l do believe capital punishment to be
necessary, under present conditions, for
the protection OF society; It is a necessity
to be deplored. but a necessity none the
less And while il remains the law,
see no good reason why IL should not be
applied to women. as well as to men,
Alice Stone Blackwell has been considered
an earnest and capable champion of the
rights of women and she takes the same
position. President Roosevelt may be
counted on the same side: when he was
governor of New York, appeals were made
to him to commute the sentence of a
woman who had murdered her STEP
daughter and attempted to murder her
husband; Governor Roosevelt said II will
not allow the question of sex to enter
into my judgment" and being satisfied
that she was justly convicted he allowed
| her to meet the extreme penalty of the
law.
ANY Diin6 IiAe d idlI report OF tne SER
mon would have indicated that emphasis
was laid upon the duty and Importance Of
| preventive measures, in the direction OF
presenting the Gospel, promoting reform,
and lifting the fallen. 1t is to be feared
that many who sign petitions and aid
the clamor for the purpose OF securing
reprieves, Communication of sentence, or
pardon, (often to the thwarting of jus
tice) are doing very little in these more
| important directions; and probably some,
who appear so interested for Mary
Rogers just now, would refuse to lift a
finger in personal effort among the class
OF women to which she belonged. many
Of whom are now in course OF prepare
ton for the commission of similar
| crimes
Respectfully,
F. w LEWIS,
Pastor Methodist Episcopal Church