Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-03
LEASE OF LIFE,
Continued from page -

-
cr Delaney, however. dill not receive
the message until considerably Later.
and after waiting for hi:r until hair
past two o'clock il Was decided thai
the news should not b" withheld from
the prisoner longer and Sheriff Peck
was selected to carry the information
to her.
II was 2.41 y. NJ. when Sheriff Peck
Superintendent Odkcs and States At
torney Bacheldcr appeared at the door
Of the death cell. where they were join
ed moment later by Prison Captain
Fuller.
The sound of hammering reverber-
ated through the coli louin. The prison
carpenters hal begun to take down the
gallOWs as soon as tn. governors mes
sage was received, bur the woman in
her cell heard the sound ana believed
that il was caused by til" work of
erecting the structure upon which she
would die the next day.
As thu party, with The sheriff in the
lead, approached he grated door Mrs
Rogers was seated at a table writing Il
letter To her mnthcr. ErlitN ing that tho
sheriff had come to read the dea,n
warrant, she arose AMI moved toward
the door Of the cell.
Sheriff Peck had never seen Mrs.
Rogers before shat moment. Walking
Up to the door, he said:
Mrs. Rogers | am the sheriff l have
brought you good news
Il am glad to meet Won, Mr.. Sheriff.
said Mrs. Rogers as she extended h"r
hand through the grating. Il have often
before What is the good news?'
"Govcrnor Bell has today granted You
repri~ve until June >" replied the sheriff.
Mrs. Rogers remained like a statue as
though unable to comprehend the mean
ing Of the words. Without a sign of emo
ton she gaZcd at the sheriff a moment
and then said:
Il had given up all hope, but am glad
that the governor has granted me more
time. He is a good man
Mrs. Rogers then thanked the sheriff
ana his companions for the information
they brought her. She seemed uIaifct ted
by the tidirgS. and as the party moved
away from the door of the death cell she
returned to the table and resumed writ
ing.
Chaplain Fuller was the first Of the par
ty to come from the cell to the guard
room. As he entered the guard room h..
SAID
Il think that this is the happicst day
of my life. | had hoped that the eXccu-
ton would not take place, but ] feared
that my hopes We're in vain. l never
knew how badly | felt over the prospect
of the hanging of that poor woman until
l realized, today, how glad | felt when
! heard that Governor Bell had granted
the petition for an extension of time"
When Sheriff Peck came out of the cell
room where he had fingered 20 watch
the carpenters at their work of dlsmant-
ling the gallows. his face was wreathed
in smiles. The sheriff said that the task
he had just per formed was the most graf
tying that he had ever done in his offl
cial career He had expected that Mrs. |
Rogers would be overcome with COY and
he expressed establishment at her compos-
ure.
States Attorney Bachelor and Supt.
Oakes did not discuss the governors ac-
ton. Earlier iii the day the states at
torney had stated that he did not believe
that Governor Bell would reprieve Mrs. |
Rogers, explaining that she was not CON
victed solely upon Perham's testimony.
hut upon corrObOrative evidence as well. |
He considered the claim that Perham had
recently admitted that he lied at the trial
did not change the aspect of the case in
regard to Mrs Rogers guilt.
a peculiar duty will devove upon Sher-
if Peck, tomorrow morning. Although |
the execution will not take place before
June >, if it does at all. the sheriff. to-
morrow the date set by the court for the
hanging. will be obliged to visit Mrs. Rog-
ers in her cell and read to her the war
rant for her death. Immediately after
he will read the governors repricve.
When the fact became known here that
Governor Eel had granted the petition for
a stay of execution. the news spread rap
idly through the town. and tonight is the
sole topic of conversation. Yesterday it
was believed that Mrs. Rogers would not
he executed tomorrow, but after Sheriff
| Peck and his deputies returned from
Montpelier il was generally accepted tina
the governor would not interfere with the
execution. The residents of the town gen
ally seemed pleased that a reprieve had
been granted, not 50 much because of any
| debate as to the womans guilt but be
cause they did not care TO have an exc
cution i'll the town.
Montpelier VT. Feb. I'm discussing
his plans for his fight for new trial
Of MIS-. Rogers. Attorney 7. W. Ma
honey said. Tonight, that if the plea
for 2 new hearing of the case was
granted by the supreme court many
witnesses would be Jailed by him who
had not testified in the trial which re-
suited in Mrs. .;ogers' conviction.
The statements of Leon Perham,
who, by his own confession was a par
tv to the killing of Marcus Rogers, will
be of the utmost importance in the evil
dence to be placed before the supreme
court judges.
AS | understand his remarks Mr. |
Maloncy said Pernam admitted that he
falsiticd at the Rogers trial with a
view to saving his own life, laying
more blame OH Mrs. Rogers than be-
longed to her.
'As an instance of this injustice to
Mrs. Rogers. Perham said that the
hloroforn and blow on the head were |
l.