Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-08

recalled that he had at one time headed
cure reprieve for the condemned woman
Sheriff Peck was not personally to act as
exeeutioner He had delegated all the ac-
Windsor county the law requires him to be
present at the hanging however.
AT the prison no one was admitted dur
ing the forenoon except persons directly
connected either with the Institution or the
execution. All attempts to gain intorma-
ton concerning Mrs Rogers condition were
frustrated by the guard at the prison en-
trance. Finally. however, newspaper rep
resentatives. who, by ruling of the officials,
were the only press men permitted to wit
ness the hanging. were escorted into the
prison.
Official Account of Last Days.
BY agreement between Governor Bell,
Sheriff Peck and Superintendent LovalI the
following official account of Mrs Rogers
last days was given by the prison authori-
ties and Mrs. NJ. II. Loukes, one of the
death watch.
The death watch began November IS.
When Mrs. Rogers was placed in solitary
confinement in cell on the southwest cor.
ner OF the women's department on the
lower floor. The death watch consisted of
Mr. and Mrs NJ. II. Loukes of the prison
staH, VINO have passed every hour of the
oay and night with Mrs. Rogers except for
an occasional brief relief by some other
prison official. This room has contained
Two peds, curtained off from each other.
ana mere Mrs. Rogers and her death watch
have slept night after night, and here, too.
on a small table they have eaten regularly
together The windows overlooking the
prison yard are painted, SO that the in
mates OF the room have had absolutely no
opportunity to see out of 1t.
Inc only visitors In the death room
since solitary confinement began have been
Superintendent Lowell Warden Palmer
81. u. q nat L
Hayes, the prison chaplain; Rev. Father
Z. {. Delaney and Marguerite, the four
year-old daughter OF Mr. and Mrs. Loukes.
The little girl has helped to divert Mrs
Rogers mind by her childish prattle. Mrs.
Rogers has slept well most of the nights
since the death watch began, and her ap-
petite has not failed her. Last night she
did not go to bed without some urging She
retired about IL o'clock and slept fairly
well until o'clock this morning.
In Good Spirits All the Time.
Mrs Rogers has been In good spirits all
the time, considering, of course what must
have been passing in her mind in anticipa-
ton of the awful hour of execution She
has conversed with the death watch, but
has talked but little of her case except
when Superintendent Lowell was present
She has occupied her time to a great ex-
tent in crocheting lace for aprons to be sent
to relatives and persons who had sent
money to her. At night her crocheting
needle was regularly taken away from her,
to be given to her again the next day. She
has read the Bible and has even committed
some passages to memory. She has written
few letters to relatives and sympathizing
persons. She has never lost hope that in
some way her life might be spared, and
even this morning appeared to retain some
faint idea that at the last moment some
thing might interpose to save her.
THE gallows was erected, however. but
every precaution was taken to muffle the
sounds of the hammer and infinptiOp
whatever that the work was in progress
reached Mrs. Rogers cell.
Even the death watch did not know
about 1t. Mrs. Rogers. however, was Curl
Gus. and kept inQuiring through the day If
the gallows was being made ready. Toward
night Matron Durkee told her that 1t was.
Religious Services.
Yesterday morning Rev. Father De-
laney Of the Roman Catholic Church ad-
ministered communion to Mrs. Rogers
and gave her spiritual consolation. In the
afternoon Rev. William H. Hayes, The
prison chaplain. visited her cell and read
the Scriptures and prayed with her. After
he went away Mrs. Rogers Joined with
Mr. and Mrs. Loukes in singing hymns.
Mrs. Rogers asked for the visit of the
clergyman and appeared to believe that
her sins had been forgiven. She had not
lively nor had she explicitly denied 1t.
Indeed, she has said little about 1t lately.
She said she did not consider 1t brave to
go to the scaffold and make confession
and that 1t would not do her any good to
tell what other people had done. When
she allowed herself to dwell upon the
ordeal Of today she appeared to be max
ing every effort to go to her fate bravely
and with frmness. The usual talk has
been current about some kind Of an Opt
ate being administered to her to deaden
her sensibilities, but it is unqualifiedly
false. Mrs. Rogers did not drink even
coffee or tea but contented herself solely
with cold water.
superintendent Lowell visited Mrs Rog-
ers' cell last night and talked with her a
few moments. She was in good spirits and
even told story just before he left. She
said her case was not properly managed"
The time set for the execution was be-
tween / and o'clock, and 1t was intended
to start the death procession Immediately
after 1 O. clock Soon after the news was
broken to Mrs Rogers that Gov. Bell had
declined to grant her further reprieve
Matron Durkee went to the condemned
woman's cell to prepare her for the execu-
ton. Miss Durkee assisted Mrs Rogers to
dress in simple gown of black.
All of the deputy sheriffs were at the
prison more than an hour before the time
of the execution. In the street In the vicin-
ity of the prison Just before l o'clock a
small crowd. numbering perhaps thirty per-
sons, gathered, apparently hoping to get
glimpses of Mrs. Rogers as she was led
down the stairs from the women's section
of the prison to the scaffold. Nothing could
be seen of the galows, a curtain had
stood.
IMPoRTUNED GOVERNOR.