The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-01-21
WOMEN
ASK MERCY
For Condemned Murderer,
Mary M. Rogers.
GOV. BELLS WIFE TALKS
The Governor Deluged With Mail That
Death Sentence Be COMMITTED
While Others Desire to Have
It Enforced.

East Hardwick, Jan. -@Something
is now being done for Mary Rogers, and
her life may yet be saved. Certainly
her case has attracted widespread at
tention."
This important statement was made
BY Mrs. Charles j. Bell, wife of the
Governor Of Vermont, to a representative
of a Boston newspaper at an interview
granted at the country home of the
Governor, several miles from this place.
Mrs. Bell, while ayerse to discussing
the case, said:
While | have decided opinion re.
garding capital punishment, do not
think it proper at this time to state
whether or not | advocate communal
tion Of sentence for Mary Rogers.
ITO me, life imprisonment is far
more terrible punishment than the in
Fiction of-the death penalty.
Il will say that if capital punishment
is the law of any state, / cannot see
why there should be any discrimination
between man or a woman in the ex
ecution of justice in the event of a
fair trial, and where the person SO
charged is not of unsound mind.
There is an impression that seems
prevalent that know to be incorrect,
and that is that Mary Rogers was with
out proper training in her girlhood.
She was certainly taught to know the
difference between right and wrong, and
her religious training was also not ne
elected.
"As you have suggested to me there
may be evidence offered to show that
Mary Rogers is of unbalanced mind,
vet the remarkable letter written by
her several days ago to the Governor
was hardly that of an insane person.
"The letter was so well written and
eouched in such excellent language that
the Governor at first could not believe
that it had been written to him BY the
woman who has so often been described
as illiterate and unintelligent.
eSince its receipt the Governor has
investigated the letter and has discoy-
cred that it was really written by Mary
Rogers.
"You must not ask me as to the
contents of the letter, as it was adj
dressed to my husband and !, therefore,
/ lnnot tell you whether it contained
IA plea for mercy and Communication of
the death penalty,
in this letter, however, Mary Rogers
does describe in detail the early and
later records of her life, of her bringing
lup and Of her life in the days prior
to the time of her arrest.
x do not know the views Of my
husband regarding capital punishment.
That is a matter | have never discussed
with him, nor does he know my we'll
defined opinion on the same subject
Letters continue to pour in both to
the Governor and myself relative to Mary
Rogers. Most Of them are from women.
Many of these letters, among which are
those from Mrs. Devereux Blake and
Mrs. w. J. Bliekensderfer, ask for elem
Iency for the woman and a milder form
lof punishment than hanging.
Many others, and among whom are
b number Of Massachusetts women, ex-
lpress the conviction that Mary Rogers
should suffer the death penalty. These
latter letters have been received very
recently.
Il am informed that large petition
Is being prepared by women outside the
( state asking for a Communication Of the
death sentence. This undoubtedly indi-
Gates a widespread interest in the case
: outside Of Vermont"