Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-03
THE new LONDON TRAGEOY
PURIFIERS DETAILS OF ROGERS
MURDER AND SUICIDE.
Former Judge Bewailed Failure OF
Career-Would Not Permit Wife
to Live and Suffer.

NEW LONDON. Conn. April i.-''lve
| been failure. was failure when l
| freed to be a mining engineer. and have
failed at the law bitterly declared VIII
liam r. NJ Rogers. former probate Judge
and prosecutor of New London. few
days ago.
The Significance of his statement dawn
ed upon his friends only yesterday when
he shot his handsome wife through the
head as she lay asleep. telephoned his
most intimate friend to come Immediately
to the house. and then killed himself.
Husband and wife were iifeless, side by
side in bed when Judge Rogers friend
eached the house. No note or WORD OF
explanation for the murder and suicide-
this is the coroner's verdict-was LETT
Judge Rogers made two weeks ago, a
codicil to his WILL hut that suggests no
motive for his destruction 1t may point
to his having contemplated his wife death
since that time. The will left everything
to his wife: the codicil added that In
event of her death the estate should De
held In trust by Richard p. Freeman. 1r
for Judge Rogers sister. Mrs. Della r.
Seeley of Washington. d. c.. and FOR MS
wife's mother Mrs. Mary Cam of THIS
city.
Sent Message Before the Deed.
The message sent over the telephone
at 7:O5 a. m. Yesterday gave no intimation
of the tragedy impending OF then partly
enacted No one knows, but the sus-
picion is that Judge Rogers killed his
wife. then telephoned for his friend. ana
returned 10 bed and committed SUICIDE.
! He called DR.. Hiram B. Thomson on the
telephone and said: Get Rick Ont. Free
mani and come right up to my house
DR. Thomson. who was Judge Rogers
physician and an intimate friend. had
spent that evening with MRS. monsoon
and Miss Ida Stanton at the Rogers home
| playing cards. The agitated tone caused
| DR.. Thomson to ask what was the may
| ter.
Just get Dick and come up here i'm
mediately.' replied Judge Rogers per-
emptorily and before the doctor could
ask further questions the receiver was
| hung up. Or. Thompson communicates
with MIR. Freeman Immediately. and the
| two hurried to Judge I.ogers nome On
/ the way they discussed the card party
and the happy mood of the host. Ar
| irving at the house. they entered the hall
without ringing the bell. and waited down
irs. expecting the judge to come 10
! greet them. Becoming suspicious of the
! silence they called. and then went up
stairs.
Found Couple Dead.
Receiving no answer to their repeated
knocks. they entered the Nhamber in
was shot through the back Of the head
and her husband through the roof of the
mouth.
| Why Judge Rogers determined to take
| with him the wife to whom he was de-
| voted Is left to speculation. 1T is the
! only subject discussed tn New London
and this part OF Connecticut, where the
| Rogers family has stood for years for
| it's best citizenship The possible ex-
PLANTATION was found when Philip H. Han
key, New London lawyer, recalled
Judge Rogers remark Of few days
ago: I'm a failure: I've been a failure
at everything I have undertaken
For a man Of his brilliant attachments
the self-sealed verdict was true. His fell
low-lawyers, even those less successful.
Judge Rogers career. Drink gradually
got the upper hand. and with increasing
neglect his practice dwindled until PEN
ury seemed to be not many months dis
tant He could not maintain his wife in
the style to which he had accustomed
her: they had dismissed the servant and
were keeping house alone. though still
simple dinner party. Mrs. Rogers was a
charming entertainer. and there was
scarcely a subject in science. literature
or art upon which Judge Rogers was
not unusually we'll informed.
Mrs Della r. Seeey. a clerk in the
assignment division of the patent office
here, and who is sister Of Judge w. F.
NJ Rogers. was notified about noon yes
terday Of the suicide of her brother, and
left Immediately for New London Her
friends in the division where she is en-
ployed say she was deeply shocked by
the news OF the tragedy.