Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-12-22
The Mary Rogers Case.
ISpringfield Union,1

There has been expressed much maud
lin sympathy for Mrs. Rogers, the YER
mont murderess who paid the penalty
for her atrocious crime, and in equal
measure there has been expressed Bit
ter condemnation of Gov. Bell, who refus-
ed to reprieve the unfortunate creature
We find in the recent message of Presi-
dent Roosevelt-a message remarkable
for the wide range of subjects 1t con-
siders-the following: Centuries ago il
was especially needful to throw every
safeguard around the accused. The dam
ger then was lest he should be wronged
by the state. The danger is now exactly
the reverse. Our laws and customs tell
immensely in favor of the criminal and
against the interest of the public he has
wronged." 1t is well to keep that in mind
in any consideration of the Rogers case.
Gov Bell deserves the support and the
commentator of every right-minded
and right-thinking person. When he took
office, he swore that he would uphold the
law, and at a time when 1t took very great
courage he has remained true to his OATH
Our sympathy goes cut to him far more
than to that woman who broke the great
commandment and suffered the conse-
quences of her rash act 1t took a brave
heart and clear mind to Withstand the
tremendous pressure brought upon him to
reprieve Mary Rogers. We can we'll
imagine that he must many times have
hesitated between his duty and his in
clination. Where many man would
have yielded, he stood firm. The law was
plain. 1t provided the penalty of death for
premeditated murder. There was nothing
in the law which made the crime less
heinous when 1t was committed by a
woman; there was nothing in the law
that made the punishment less severe
when it was to be melted out to a woman.
There was absolutely no question of Mary
ROparS'g Rllilf There mot n flaw in
the evidence. Her accomplice in the crime
had confessed everything. Skillful law
yers had resorted to every known techni
calty to save the woman's life. The high
est court in the land had passed judg-
ment on the case A fiendish murder had
been committed, the murderer, who hap
pened to be a woman, was found guilty
of the crime, and the law said she should
give her life for the life she had taken.
There was no reason, no possible excuse,
for executive interference.
1t is appalling, an awful thing,
to execute the sentence of death
upon a human being. 1t seems more ap-
palling and more awful when the human
being is a woman. The very nature of
man revolts against such a thing. The
chivalry inbred in him by ages strongly
asserts itself He feels himself to be the
natural protector of the weak, and woman
is the weaker sex. 1t is entirely natural,
because it is entirely human, that Mrs.
Rogers's fate should have excited wide
spread sympathy, even when the crime she
had done was remembered and due con-
sideration was given her conduct since
her arrest Try as one would to judge
this case by the infexible rules of Justice,
the mental picture of that woman going
to the scaffold, and being hanged by the
neck until the last hutter Of breath had
left her body, could not be obliterated.
That picture must have come many
| times to Gov. Bell, and we say that it
took man Of extraordinary courage not
! to be influenced by it.