The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-09-03
.TNN0US ROGER MURDER
Where Poe Got the Plot for a
Famous Short Story.
RAFFLfNG GOTHAM CRIME
ucio,ls of the Moat Puzz!ing Murder
Crsr in New Yorks Criminal An
rn;s--pathrtic Fate of Beautiful
MARY Rogors-Attcmpts to Solve
Fiddle by Expert Criminologists.

vhe most famous murder mystery
~ New York was the case of Mary
,{ogers, around which Edgar Allan
poe wrote his famous story of Marie
Kogct. Mary Rogers was a pretty
rir9r girl who worked on lower
broadway and lived with her mother
one Sunday morning she left home.
and was seen later boarding a stage
roach at the Astcr House with a
Grange man. About a week later
the body was found in the North Riv-
ar. opposite the Stlvens Institute in
uoboken. Poe was living In Phla-
delphia at the time, but read the New
Crk papers-at that time there
wore several iiashy Sunday papers in
New York--and from the clippings
O, these Sunday papers he wrote his
celebrated Marie Roget, setting the
scene OF the murder in Paris instead
of New York. That story and The
Murders in the Rue Morgue." are the
TWO stories that made Poe famous on
both continents and established MS
reputation as a writer of detec I've
tales
HIS theory was that young naval
officer had gone with tn S girl to
Aoboken, to the Elysian Fic DIS which
was not unlike the Coney Island OF
10 day, but withou its large buildings.
where people went on Sunday to
drink beer. Poes theory, as brought
out in his story OF Marie Roget, was
that the young naval officer had as
sauted the girl and choked her IN a
small boat that he had previously
moored on the Jersey side, and that
he rOwed down the river, threw her
pody overheard and escaped to his
vessel In the lower harbor. In justi-
fcation OF this theory Poe describes
marks on her back as having been
the imprint OF the ribs of the boat
where she lay before being thrown
overheard. He also noted the fact
that boat was found floating in
The bay about where the Liberty
Monument now stands. That was
generally accepted as the solution of
the mystery.
Superintendent Byrnes. In his
book on The Criminal Cases OF
America" takes up the Mary Rogers
case and puts another construction
on the case-that she was accompa'
Lied by dark man who came from
Philadelphia and murdered her and
tten escaped.
The girls body was found in the
river nearly nude, but In a thicket on
the shore OF Hoboken, arranged
with very dramatic effect, were found
her belongings-hat. shawl. &c..-to
give the impression that the murder
had been done there. Some four ol
five years ago. writes William M
Clemens, | went to Hoboken and
looked into this case. l found. fifty
years after. that there we're nve liv'
ing witnesses. found one old gen
teman who was a constable in 1S+i
and endeavored to make an arrest II
the case | fount there was road
house run by an old woman and hel
Two sons, two rough, tough boys o
The Bowery type. and 1t was proved
by tuoSt WllutSSeS lndt lhlo Sill hoe
been seen at the roadhouse. justify
ing the theory both Of Poe anc
Byrnes. But. going over the news
par er files, found a small accoun
OF the hnding OF mans body In the
rIV>. Off Fulton street without Goa. ol
hat. well dressed. as a dandy OF tina
ta" dressed; and in further investi
eating the case and talking Will
these old people. proved to my sat
lstaction that both the man and th'
Woman wore killed in the road hous'
10" their money and both thrown IN
10 the boat, and the girls appare
placed In the thlcket to attract at
,e"tion. One of these witnesses wa
arrested ca suspicion at the time
ana afterwards moved West and dis
appeared The other was drowned
The Bachelors Excuses.