Evening star., 1915-01-06
Mrs. WaIters-Rogers Learned
Father of Her Children
Planned Desertion.
HER ANGUISH INCREASED
BY PAINFUL Interview
Mother Who Killed Her Little Ones
Not Yet Aware of Their
Deaths.

NEW YORK, January 6.-The despair
which drove Mrs. Ida Sniffen WATERS
Rogers to take the lives OF her lwo
babies and attempt to commit sulcloe
overwhelmed her when she was toio
that Lorlys Elton Rogers. the actor
lawyer. was about to desert her ana
their little ones She knew that ne
was about to return to his wife, MIS-
Caroline Giddings Rogers, and go with
her to Chicago to live with her uncle.
The actual motive was revealed to Dis
trict Attorney Francis ]. Martin of the
Bronx, who visited the woman, still
near death. in Lebanon Hospital.
Mrs. Walters Rogers said that Rogers
had been growing Indifferent toward
her, and there had been quarrels pc
tween them. Rogers, preparing for ms
departure from this city with his VIE, WE
so arranged that his pseudo "lIe
should not be left destitute at once he
paid her rent at 224 West 161th street,
the Bronx, up to January 10.
Mental Distress Increased.
The mental distress of Mrs. Walters
Rogers. according to the information OF
the district attorney, was increased oy
a visit she paid to Mrs. Caroline Cid
dings Rogers. The woman in the hos
pital said she was told by Rogers that
he and his wife entered into a written
agreement, when they were married. ny
which either was to obtain divorce.
and thus free the other, in the event
that their marriage proved unsatlsiac-
tory When Rogers professed to nave
grown cold toward his wife the other
woman went to Mrs. Caroline Glddmgs
Rogers and pleaded with her to aplde
by the supposed agreement Inen came
her disappointment. when she learned
that Mrs Caroline Giddings Rogers had
no intention of divorcing Rogers.
The woman in the hospital told the
district attorney she was deeply re-
morseful for the trouble and anxiety
she had caused the man she long re-
garded as her husband. When assured
by Mr.. Martin that 1T was Rogers VINO
had caused her untold sorrow she trled
to excuse him by repeating the adage
that it took two to make quarrel,
and insisted she was more to blame
than he.
Talks of Her Children.
Mrs. Walters Rogers spoke with great
animation of her children, whom she
believed to be recovering from the
poison she gave them. When the ques-
ton of their birth was raised she sud-
denly became reticent, but on other
subjects she talked frankly and freely.
When District Attorney Martin left
the sick room he was confronted by
the man, who complained that the pros
ecutor's interview with the woman had
been too long for one in her exhausted
physical condition.
Il don't need any suggestions from
you as to how I shall perform my du-
ties as district attorney" replied Mr..
Martin. "I am perfectly aware of the
physical condition of this patient, who
is a prisoner charged with attempted
suicide, and I have every consideration
for her feelings. You are not even the
husband of this woman and have only
contempt for you"
District Attorney Martin said to
others that the steady Improvement In
her condition indicated clearly to him
that he would have to change the
an to one of homicide. In an affi-
davit obtained by Coroner Jerome
Healy and in her statements to Mr.
Martin personally she confessed hav-
ing poisoned her little boy and girl.
How She Administered Poison.
To her physicians Mrs. Walters
Rogers hopefully discusses the chances
Of the recovery of the two, and in
doing so she daily relates to her
physicians how she gave them poison.
According to Mrs. Walters Rogers. she
dissolved a poison tablet in an ounce
of water and tried to make the baby
girl drink it. The infant was unable
to take the poison from glass and
was strangled. Then the mother gave
it to her with q spoon. The autopsy
showed that the child died from suffo-
cation. Another tablet was powdered
and mixed with sugar. This was fed
1ift TNh nd
gone he impatiently asked for more.
The mother says she then took three
tablets herself. Meanwhile the poison
began to cause the children much pain.
Her mother love responded to the suf-
fering of the little ones, and she had
q doctor summoned. Her physician ar
rived in a few minutes and apparently
succeeded in ridding the mother Of