The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-12-12
MARY ROGERS is HANGED
Vermont Woman, Who Murdered
Her Husband, Pays the Penalty.
GOV. BELL REFUSES RETRIEVE

Declares at the Last Momont That the
Law Must Take Its Course MRS.
Rogers Was Only Nineteen when She
Committed the Crime-History of the
Celebrated Case.
Windsor, vt-Mary Mabelle Rogers
was hanged in the afternoon for the
murder of her husband, Marcus Rog-
ers, at Bennington on August IL. 1902.
Shortly before o'clock Mrs. Durkee
went to Mrs. Rogers cell and dressed
her for the execution. The woman
wore the combination black dress Of
waist and skirt that was made last
spring for the execution set for June.
AS Mrs Rogers left the guardroom
to walk down a short flight of steps
to the inclosed court she saw for the
| first time the instrument of her death.
| It is walk of forty feet OF more to
| the gaIlows steps When the con-
| demned woman reached the gallows
| floor a deputy tied her hands The
black sack and the cap were then
drawn about her and all was ready
A signal was given to a deputy be-
low and the trap sprung.
The prison physician, DR.. Dean Rich
mond, stepped forward, examined the
swaying body, and pronounced the
woman dead. The witnesses, who had
formed a semi-circle around the gal
lows. fled into the guardroom
Later the body was cut down and
turned over to an undertaken.
| The final blow to Mrs. Rogers hopes
for life was given in the forenoon
| when, after a conference at his hotel
| in White River, Governor Bell refused
reprieve.
The condemned woman collapsed in
her cell when told of the Governors
refusal.
Father Delaney came later and they
prayed together for many minutes.
Then he gave her the last rites Of the
| church.
Mary MabeIIe Rogers killed her hus-
band, Marcus Rogers, in order to OBJ
| tain 5000 life insurance ana marry
another man. She never received the
money and the day before her execu-
| ton signed 1t over to her br0ther-in-
law.
| Mary Rogers was deeply loved by her
husband. firing Of her life with this
quiet, unpretentious man, she left him.
In her unfortunate life that followed
in Bennington she met youth, barely
seventeen years old, by the name of
Leon Perham, a half breed Indian, who
became enamored of her. Perham
wanted to marry her
Rogers was powerful man, and his
end had to be accomplished by cunning
and deceit She wrote that she was
ready to come back; wanted to come
back and would he forgive her.
According to Perham, Mary Rogers
had written to her husband, asking
him to meet her at $50 at night.
After the meeting and pretended rec
onciliation Leon led the way into Nor
gan's grove, and by winding path to
| the river.
May said she had new trick with
rope.
"He laughed. May laughed too, and
drew out piece of clothesline. Then
she said she'd bet she could tie me so
that couldn't get loose.
"'Tll bet you can't, I said.
"She tied my hands loosely and /
broke away She tried it again, and l
DfOke away again.
Try it on him, said.
I'll bet you can't tie me-, said
Rogers.
HE was as strong as an OK. May
tied him and tried to tie him tight. but
he just gave a heave and broke away
She tried 1t a second time, and he broke
loose without any trouble. She was
getting worried She tried it third
H. IL,
saw that she couldn't tie him.
"'Let me do it, told her.
II took the rope-a piece of clothes
line. | said to Rogers:
Kneel down and put your hands
behind you
"He thought it was fun and kneeled
down. tied his hands behind him
and he struggled, but could not get
loose. His back was toward May.
Il gave her a signal, and she drew
the vial OF chloroform and the hand
kerchief from her bosom. She poured
"a few drops on her handkerchief mot
very much--and put her arms around
his neck. Suddenly she drew his head
in her lap. The move threw him on
his hands, which were behind him, so
he was d0ubly helpless He sputtered.
Suddenly she emptied the vial on the
handkerchief, completely saturatlng 1t.
He began to struggle.
May, what does this mean2' he
asked. heaying his body. What does
it meant
Jump on his legs she said
II jumped on his legs to hold him.
May had gripped him around the neck
and pressed the handkerchief against
his nose. His struggles were terrible.
He threw me off as If had been
kitten. He got one hand free and used
| it to help himself.
while he struggled, his breath was
deeper. Suddenly he became more
quiet, and in moment he was limp
May chung to him, even after he was
! quiet pressing the chloroform- soaked
handkerchief down over his face.
When all was over she got up.
The body was rolled into the river. A
note was left, purporting to have been
written by Rogers, that he had
drowned himself
Mary Rogers is twenty-five years old,
and was little more than nineteen when
| she killed her husband