The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-09
MRS. ROGERS DIES
ON THE SCAFFOLD
Woman Pays the Penalty for Murder.
ing Her Husband.
GOES TO DEATH UNMOvED
HISTORY OF THE CRIME AND
TRIAL.

GAI INDsOR. Vt. Dec. S.--AIrs. Mary
w Mabel Rogers was hanged at the
Vermont state prison at Wind
'r at 1913 o'clock this afternoon for
he murder of her husband, Marcus
;ogers, at Bennington. Aug IT, 1902
drs. Rogers was pronounced dead by
he prison officials at 1:21ia.
Twice Reerieved.
The execution took place after the
woman had twice been reprieved on ac-
count of appeals made in her case by
ner counsel and after the United States
supreme court had refused TO take
action in the case.
only a comparatively few persons
witnessed the hanging, the number be
Ing restricted TO those permitted to at
end by the law of Vermont.
Did Not Weaken.
Mrs. Rogers maintained her COM
bosure 10 the last and mounted the
lgallows with a steady step. Although
p deadly pallor Overspread her coun-
reliance, hardly a muscle quivered as
Deputy Sheriff Spafford pronounced
the fatal words: Il now proceed to
execute the sentence of tn" law, and
may God have mercy ON your soul"
When the words We're pronounced
Deputy Sheriff Angus McAuley sprung
the trap and the drop fell.
Scene at the Gallows.
Promptly at 1:O6 O'Clock Deputy
Sheriff Spafford, who was in charge Of
the execution, dispatched two OF his
deputies to Mrs. Rogers cell in the
central section or the state prison
where the women prisoners are con-
fined. In the meantime d little group
consisting of officers, deputies. prison
guards, military guards, legal wit
nesses and three Vermont newspaper
representatives were in the west wing
OF the prison where the scaffOld had
been erected.
Procession Formed.
A few minutes after the sheriff had
sent his deputies for the condemned
woman. the sound Of footsteps in the
corridor indicated the approach of the
doomed woman.
The death procession wendell its way
down the stairs of the wOman's section
of the prison. through the guard room
and into the west wing
AIRS. Rogers appeared TO be the calm
IS, person in the party. although her
pallOr bore silent witness thar she real
lied the meaning of il all. She was
gOWncd in black. Deputy sherifs
marched on each side OF her.
Prayers for the Dying.
Previous 10 the march 10 the scaffold
Rev. Father &. c. Delaney, pastor Of
the local Roman Catholic church, Mrs
Rogers spiritual adviser had recited
The prayers for the dying in Mrs.
Rogers cell. The clergyman did not
accompany Mrs. Rogers 10 the scat
fold. Prison Chaplain Hayes witnessed
the execution through "a window.
Passing through the door that opens
from the guard room into the west
wing Mrs. Rogers was Obliged TO de-
scend a flight OF iron steps She did
not finch. Her step was firm. She
refused the aid of the deputies and
/ I.frained from steadying herself by the
ron balustrade.
Had Nothing to Say.
4'A rev short steps brought her TO the
stairs leading 10 the scaffOld. Again
AIRS. Rogers declined assistance and,
Nuaided. mounted steadily 10 the top,
stopping exactly upon the center OF
the trap. She sat down i'm a chair for
a moment, and when asked if she had
any final statement 10 make. shook her
head negatively To bind the con-
demned woman with leather straps was
the work of a minute only. \ large
black sack that was lying open on the
trap was brought up about her body
and fastened around her neck, the
moose was adjusted by one Of the depu-
ties and another deputy placed the
black cap upon her head. The next
step was the official announcement by
the sheriff:
Continued on PAGE 2.