The Cimarron news and Cimarron citizen. (Cimarron, Colfax County, N.M.) 19??-19??, 1911-04-15
PLEADS NOT GUILTY
ON CHARGE OF KIDNAPPING


tie Waldo Rogers, two and one
half years old son Of Mr.. and Mrs.
A. I. Rogers, and grandson Of H.
l.. Waldo, which has been a live
issue for more than two weeks,
came at 1890 O'Clock last night
when Will Rogers, 20 years old,
admitted in a written confession
that he together with Joe Virgins
an ex-convict abducted the baby
and held it for the sra, 900 ransom
The confession by Young Rogers
that he had taken the leading part
in arranging for the abduction of
his nephew did not cause great
surprise in this city. Rogers had
been shadowed every since the kid
naping and was strongly suspected
all along of being the ringIeader in
the affair.
Young Rogers and Joe Virgins
were arraigned before Justice b. r.
Murry at IL o'clock this morning,
on charge Of breaking into and
stealing there from. There is no
kidnapping law on the New Mexico
statue books.
A large crowd OF people assem-
bled in the court room when Rog-
ers and Virgins were arraigned.
Rogers was the first man before
the bar. The complaint was read
to him.
DO you plead guilty or not
guiltyf" asked Judge Murry.
Rogers hesitated for several sec
oRds and then replied unsteadily:
Not guilty, your honor"
Virgins was then arraigned and
he pleaded guilty. The court then
remanded both men to the territori-
al penitentiary in Santa Fe to
await the action OF the grand Jury
both having waived the right to
make appliction for bond in custo-
dy of Captain Fred Fornoff Of the
New Mexico mounted police. Rog-
ers and Virgins will be taken to
the penitentiary tonight. 1t is be-
lieved an effort will be made 10 get
Rogers released on bond after the
excitement caused by his arrest
has died away.
Young Rogers confessed to his
part in the kidnapping shortly after
1880 O'Clock last night. He inn
plicated Virgins, who had also
been taken into custody. Wiggins
made a written statement at two
o'clock this morning, in which he
denied having participated in the
actual kidnapping. He was kept
awake until daylight this morning,
however, and before being taken
from the jail to the court room told
officers that he had reconsideTed
his action and that he would tell all
he knew about the affair. Wiggins
then made a second written conies-
sion, which was sworn to before a
notary, in which he related all the
details of the abduction. Virgins
hlames young Rogers for his down
fall. Rogers says that reading red
back novels is the cause OF all his
trouble.
Before he was taken back to his
cell this morning, after his arraign-
ment, Rogers repeated over and
over to himself and to the officers,
that he must have been crazy when
he arranged for kidnapping his bro
ther's baby.
IL developed today, when Dis
triet Attorney c. w. G. Ward pre-
pared the complaint against Rogers
and WiRgins, that there is no kid
naping law on the statute books.
They were arraigned on a charge OF
entering a residence and stealing
thereirom, the maximum sentence
for which is twelve years imprison-
ment. Attorneys here today, how
ever, freely predict that it will be
possible to prosecute the men un-
deT the common law and that II
they are convicted Of kidnapping the
death sentence may be legally pro-
nounced.
Young Rogers has not yet retain
ed an attorney to defend him, but
il is understood that temporary in
sanity will be his defense when he
is arraigned for trial. The sra, 900
which Rogers paid for the return
OF their baby was discovered last
night in a ctevice in a chimney ia
the Rogers home. Rogers FIRST
lh;d a In he eutor,oh;le h,,t la,.,