Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-08
PAID DEATH PENALTY
Mrs. Mary Rogers Hanged at
Windsor, Vt, Today.
EFFORTS TO SAVE HER
GOV. BELL REFUSED ABSOLUTELY
TO INTERFERE.
Drop Fell at :13 O'Clock P. M.-Last
Scenes and Incidents-Story
Of the Crime.
EFFORTS TO SAVE HER

Mrs. Mary Mabel Rogers was
hanged at the Vermont state prison
at Windsor at I:I3 o'clock this
afternoon for the murder of her hus-
band, Marcus Rogers, at Benning-
ton, August I3, 1902. Mrs. Rogers
was pronounced dead by the prison
officials at :27 80.
The execution took place after
the woman had been twice reprieved
on account of appeals made in her
case by her counsel and after the
United States Supreme Court had
refused to take action in the case.
Only comparatively few persons
witnessed the hanging, the number
being restricted to those permitted
to attend by the laws of Vermont.
Mrs. Rogers maintained her COM
posure to the last and mounted the
gallows with a steady step. Al
though deathly pallor overspread
her countenance, hardly a muscle
quivered as Deputy Sheriff Spaf-
ford pronounced the fatal words: Il
now proceed to execute the sentence
of the. law, and may God have mercy
on your soul"
When the words were pronounced
Deputy Sheriff Angus McAuley
sprung the trap and the drop fell.
WINDSOR, VT, December S-Promptly
at LOS 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 Of the state prison, where
the women prisoners confined. In the
meantime little group, consisting of sher-
ifs. deputies, prison guards. military guards,
legal witnesses and three Vermont newspa-
per representatives. had assembled In the
west or old wing of the prison. where the
scaffold had been erected.
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 QeaCh procession WeNO0U ltS way
down the stairs of the women's section OF
the prison, through the guard room and
into the west wing.
Calmest Person in Party.
Mrs. Rogers appeared to be the calmest
person In the party, although her pallor
bore silent witness that she realized the
meaning of 1t all. She was gowned in
black. Deputy sheriffs marched on each
side of her.
Previous to the march to the scaffold,
Rev Father C. C. Delaney, pastor of the
local Roman Catholic Church, Mrs. Rogers
spiritual adviser, had recited the prayers
for the dying in Mrs Rogers sell. The
clergyman did not accompany Mrs. Rogers
to the scaffold Prison Chaplain Hayes wit
messed the execution through a window.
Passing through the door that opens from
the guard room into the west wing, Mrs.
Rogers was obliged to descend flight of
iron steps, She did not finch. Her step
was firm. She refused the aid of the depu-
ties and refrained from steadying herself
by the iron balustrade.
Steps to the Scaffold.
A few short steps brought her to the
stairs leading to the scaffold. Again Mrs.
Rogers declined assistance, and unafded
mounted steadily to the top, stopping eX-
actly upon the center of the trap. She
sat down In a chair for moment, and
when asked If she had any final statement
to make, shook her head negatively.
To bind the condemned woman with leath-
er straps was the work of minute only.
A large black sack that was lying open
upon the trap brought up about her
body and fastened around her neck, the
moose was adjusted by one of the deputies
and another deputy put the black cap upon
her head. The next step was the official
announcement by the sheriff:
Mary NJ. Rogers. 1 now proceed to exc
cute the sentence of the law, and may God
have mercy on your SOUL"
Hardly had the words been uttered when
the trap was sprung. 1t was exactly 1:13
pm. when the drop fell, and the woman was
officially pronounced dead at 1.271a.
In the opinion of the attending physicians,
Mrs Rogers neck was broken.
The law having been fulfilled the deputies,
guards and spectators quietly left the
prison. The body was cut down and placed
In coffin that had been awaiting 1t behind
the scaffold.
Mrs. Rogers, body had been claimed by
her mother and sister, and will be buried
by them at Hoosick Falls, N Y, where
the mother. Mrs. Josie Callahan. resides.
Governor Declined Reprieve.
A telephone message from White River
JunCllOn 10 TIC state pTlSOn at WINDSOR,
Va. sent by Attorney Charles A. Nc
Carthy, representing Mrs. Mary M
Rogers, to the effect that Governor Bell
had declined to grant reprieve. indicated
that the lastSossibility of interference with
the execution of the woman, set for this
afternoon, had vanished. The lawyers In
formation was Verified few moments later
by an official telephone CALI from Governor
ReiI to Sheriff Henry H Peck The final
arrangements for carrying out the death
sentence then were made
The information that the governor had
refused further to interfere did not sur
prise the prison officials in view of the re-
peated declarations of the governor that his
duty required that the law must take its
course
Aside from the presence OF an unusual
number Of deputy aheriffs and a large num-
ber OF newspaper correspondents and tele-
graph operators, the town of Windsor pro-
ceeded with its business as usual today.
There was apparently little interest in
what was taking place at the prison. Sheriff
Peck came from White River Junction on
an early train. He seemed considerably at
fected by the prospect before him. It was