New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-01
LIVED IN WANT
TO FREE ROGERS,
WOMAN'S PLEA
Dying Mother Says Law
yer's Wife Agreed to
Get Divorce.
GIDDINGS DENIES
SISTER MADE PACT
Poison Victims Diary
Tells of Baby's Life
Day by Day.

Day by Day.
Desperately hoping that her sacrifice
and denial might enable Lorlys Elton
Rogers, father of her children, to save
sufficient money TO propitiate his real
wife and persuade her to grant him a
divorce, Mrs. Ida Rogers, with the
legitimzation of her children her sole
thought in life, lived for years in pow
erty so abiect that she had frequently
to borrow from the janitor small sums
10 pay the milkman and the baker.
On her deathbed, in Lebanon Hos
pitsl, following the poisoning of her
self and her two children, the woman
who calls herself the common-law wife
Of Rogers told her story yesterday TO
her physician, DR.. W. Grant Hague
"If he had had just $4,000" she is
alleged TO have told the doctor, "he
could have been free man at any
time"
Three Women in Mystery.
Rogers's divorced wife, his present
wife and the woman known as Mrs.
Ida Rogers are well acquainted one
with another, according TO the story
reported to have been told the doctor,
and met frequently.
"Lorlys and | just fell in love with
each other she is said TO have told
the doctor, in explanation of her rela-
tions with the lawyer. "He told me
that he had an agreement with his
wife that, if either Of them ever fell
in love with any one else he or she was
to tell the other all about it. When
he promised me that he would get di-
vorce from the other woman | agreed
to live with him.
"When our first child was born, two
and one-half years ago, he told his
wife. That was the first time she had
known that we were living together.
She promised to release him after a
certain period, provided he would 20
around with her and be seen with her
in public, so that everything would
seem TO be all right.
Pact to Free Husband.
"He agreed to that, and he took her
promise in writing that she would re-
lease him. Then, when the time was
I'D she refused to live up to her agree
ment. That was two years ago. She
demanded that ne continue to support
her.
"And so | saved, and did my own
housework, and got along on so little,
hoping TO clear the situation for the
children's sake"
Monday night, she said-the night
before the attempted suicide-she and
Rogers had a slight quarrel There
was an agreement between them that
neither should chastise the children,
which was broken by the woman when
the boy, John, became unruly at the
dinner table. When she struck him
Rogers became angry. The quarrel
amounted 10 nothing. she said, and was
made up the next morning.
Poverty in which the couple lived
was testified to by John II. Halden,
ianitor OF the apartments at 143l Uni
versity av., where they lived from 0c-
tober, 1912. until October, 1914. Their
first child was three months old when
they moved to University av.; there is
no record of where they lived prior to
that time.
Rogers Merely Visited Home.
Rogers, the jsnitor said, visited the
woman daily, but never stayed over
night. He would arrive late in the
afternoon, he stated, and remain for
dinner, leaving Immediately thereafter.
When the couples second child was
born there was considerable difficulty
about nurses, and the janitor's wife
and 9ister-in-law attended the woman.
Later. said Halden, his sister-in-law
was injured by a streetcar, and Rogers,
in gratitude for her assistance, agreed
to handle the case without charge. lie
recovered 800, according TO the jani-
tor.
All of the small sums which Mrs.
Ida Rogers borrowed were always re-
turned. .he janitor said.
Change OF residence by the couple
to 224 West 10th ST., which took place
October / last, was apparently marked
BY the Inauguration of new arrange
inent, as the lawyer, since that date,
has spent every night at the home OF
the second woman.
Woman Lived for Children.
That Mrs. Ida Rogers lived soIely
for her children is evidenced by a
diary kept by her since the birth OF
her second child. April OF this year.
The diary was written in the back Of
a volume by DR.. Hague, entitled "Eu-
genie Mother and Baby" Although
nearly daily entries were made for
eight months. Rogers or her condition
in life was never mentioned. Every
entry had 10 do with her child, Lorida.
Some of the entries follow:
June l4-Lorida had her hrst bath in
the large tub. Age 10 weeks.
July 24-Lorida sat up IN her car
riage. Age,3 months is days.
July 30-Lorida held up her head and
shoulders alone.
August 2O-Lorida laughed out loud.
Age 4 months IL days.
September l0-I put Lorida on the
bottle. Age months 4 days.
October 2G-Lorids began sleeping in
D room alone.