The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-02-02
BY Marlen e. Pew.

by WdTICU &. row.
WINDSOR, Vt, Feb. 2.-For the
first time in 20 years a woman is to
die on the gallows in the state of
Vermont. The eyes of all New Eng
land are upon Mrs. Mary A. Rogers,
for but very few executions of wo-
men have ever taken place in the
New England states.
The fight for the life of Mary Rog-
ers has been going on for year
and a half, but it is now believed
there is no chance of saving the
woman's life. reb. is the date
set for the execution, and the scene
of the hanging will be the old Yer
mont state prison at this place.
A wave of sentimental opposition
to the hanging has recently spread
all over the United States, and Gov.
Bell, of VOont, has been receiv-
ing an averI e of so letters a day,
asking him to interfere and to save
the state the disgrace of hanging
woman" But Gov. Bell is firm
in his
Refusal to Interfere,
and just few days ago ne stated
positively that there was nothing
which could come up to prevent the
hanging.
But there is none of this SYM
pathy for Mrs. Rogers in the state
of Vermont. From one end to the
other there is universal cry for
vengeance, and had the question of
T. G, y, tnl To IN,
the state, it would have been de-
feated by an overwhelming major
ity. The women of Vermont prac
tically banded together to insist
that no mercy be shown Mrs. Rog-
ers, and when her case came before
the legislature, so strong was the
power of the women's influence
that the members of the legislature
did not dare to commute her SEN
tence.
Mrs. Rogers crime was the muir
der of her husband, Marcus Rog
ers, at Bennington, VT, Aug. 81,
1908. This was not the first at
tempt that had been made on the
husbands life. Mrs. Rogers was
married at the age of 16 and
Tired of Her Husband
some three years after her mar
riage. At the time of the murder,
she was living apart from Rogers.
For some time her name had been
connected with that of man in
Bennington. 1t was said she wanted
to marry Aim, and brooded over the
fact that her husband was bar to
hn o,.,.;o oil
insurance which Rogers carried.
On Aug. 80, 1908, Mrs. Rogers,
then living in Bennington, sent a
note to her husband in Hoosick
Falls. asking him to come to Ben
nington the next night, as she
waited to see him. The following
night. about 8 o'clock, Mrs. Rogers
met her husband in Bennington
square. The two walked up the road
about a quarter of mile, to the
banks of little stream which flows
nearly through the center of Ben
nington. When they arrived there
both sat down on the bank of the
brook.
They had been there but n short
time when Leon Perham, a 16-year-
old boy with whose family Mrs.
Rogers was boarding, came across
the fields to the brook, with
A Rope in His Hand.
He was expected by Mrs. Rogers
md his coming was part of pre-
arranged plan. Young Perham had
been there but a few moments
when Mrs. Rogers suggested a
"little game" She laid wager
with Perham that he could not tie
her hands with the rope so that
she could not release them. Per
ham wound the rope about Mrs
Rogers hands, but she slipped it
off easily. Then she said to her
husband. See if you can do that
Mark" Rogers consented, and Per
ham wound the rope around Rogers
wrists. Mrs. Rogers whispered to
Perham: "Tie him tight, Leon"
AS soon as the knot was tied
Rogers endeavored to slip it off, but
with no such success as his wife
had had. Finally Mrs. Rogers put
her arms around his neck, drew his
head down in her lap,
Kissed Him and whispered:
81 knew you couldn't get away,
Mark"
Then she drew from her waist a
bottle of chloroform and, spilling it
on handkerchief, pressed it
against her husbands face. "A
little perfume | bought for you,
Mark" she said The dull and
stupid Rogers never comprehended
the game. When he realized that
he was sinking into unconscious