Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-12-08
STORY OF THE CRIME WHICH MARY ROGERS COMMITTED.

The crime for which Mrs. Rogers will
be executed today was the murder of her
husband, Merritt Marcus Rogers, i'm a
vacant lot off Stafford street in the village
of Bennington at II o'clock on the night
of August ~, 1902.
She was then only 10 years of age while
her husband was 49, Both were natives
of the town of Hoosck, N Y, where they
were married when the bride was only 16
During their three years of married life
they lived in Bennington. SALISBURY,
Hoosick and Walloomsac never remaining
long in one place. Mrs. Rogers's maiden
name was Bennett. Her father Is dead
but her mother still lives in Hoosick
one child was born to Marcus Rogers
and wife, a daughter, who was killed
when only few weeks old by fall from
it's mothers arms, she said, though her
husbands relatives charged at the time
and after her arrest that she killed the
baby by dropping it head first on the floor.
The death of the child occurred while they
were living in SALISBURY
Rogers and his wife separated ear
ly in the spring of 1902. He went to work
for his brother in Hoosick while Mrs.
Rogers came to Bennington and worked
as a domestic a part of the'time but led a
disorderly life and could not hold a posi-
ton long. Her husband visited her oc-
casionally and pleaded with her to return
to Hoosick and live with him but she re-
fused.
Wednesday. August 10, Marcus Rogers s
hat was found managing on the low limb
of a tree standing only a few feet off
Stafford street. on it was pinned a note
saying that the owner of the hat was
tired of life and would drown himself
That same day Mary Rogers called on
Deputy Sheriff Nash and told him that
she feared her husband had drowned him
self. She wanted Mr.. Nash to call out the
fire department and make a search She
said her husband had visited her Tuesday
but that they had quarreled and when he
left had thrown his life insurance policy
into her lap and declared he would drown
himself. Neither the note on the hat nor
her statements were taken seriously.
Thursday morning, however, S. L..
Jewett, who had heard the stories, started
on a little search and found the body of
Marcus Rogers lying face downward in
the Walloomsac river where the water was
about ~ inches deep and only a few rods
from where Stafford street crosses the river.
There was no outward sign of foul play
except one slight bruise on the head and
the suicide theory was instantly accepted.
In fact the body came near being buried
without further investigation.
A. x. Ritchie chairman of the Ben
nington board of selectmen, however, noted
that the handwriting of the note appeared
to be that of a woman and demanded an
autopsy. The autopsy showed that the
man died from the effects of an anaesthe-
tic and was dead when the body was plac-
ed in the water. 1t was evident that a
murder had been committed and an in
vestigation was Immediately commenced
1t was found that Mrs. Rogers had a
room with a family named Perham, living
on Grove street, and that her principal
associate was a young woman of question
able character known as Stella Bates. The
two had various male friends but were
most with Morris Knapp, militia man OF
Company K, V. N. c., and Leon and Lev
Perham. two young men of the family
where Mrs Rogers boarded. Knapp was
away that week attending the annua
muster at Fort Ethan Allen but the Other
four were arrested and questioned closely
Nothing was learned from the womer
and the first clue came from Levi Perhan
who said he knew nothing about 1t him
self but that the others did, he thought
as Mrs. Rogers had once approached hin
and tried to hire him to murder her hus
band. Leon Perham was then called int
the sweat box and after being questioned
five minutes broke down and told thu
whole story. He is only about half witteC
but told a straightforward story and after
ward repeated it on the witness stand. l
was his testimony that convicted Mrs
Rogers, corroborated as it was by cir
cumstantial evidence.
According to Leon Perham's story, Mrs
Rogers was completely infatuated witt
Morris Knapp and wanted to marry him
Her husband carried a life insurance
policy for $500 payable to her and sh
thought that with her husband dead sh
could marry Knapp and the $500 would Sc
them up in housekeeping. She first ap
preached Levi Perham to get him to he'll