Evening star., 1915-01-05
Formerly Wife of Arthur M.
Walters, a Friend of Man
in Case.
TRAGEDY ONCE AVERTED
BY LAWYERS PERSUASION
Woman Who Poisoned Self and
Children Has Chance to Recover,
Physicians Believe.

NEW YORK. January 5.-The trag-
edy which finally has overshadowed
the life of Mrs. Ida Sniffen Walters
Rogers. whose baby girl and boy have
died from the poison she administered
to them and then took herself. was
averted three years ago. 1t is learned.
only by the persuasion Of Lorlys Elton
Rogers, the lawyer and one-time actor.
whom the dying woman regards as her
husband.
In the winter of 1911, 1t was asserted,
she demanded that Rogers should
marry her and he refused. She has
told her physician on her deathbed
that she then made up her mind to kill
herself, but his persuasions led her to
suicide at that time.
whom the dying woman left to live
with Rogers, is somewhere on the
other side OF the continent, at lola
mine, Zinc, Ark, or Zinc. Mont. Mes
sages have been sent to him in both
wife is dying and that even If she
lives she must in all probability face
charge of homicide for causing the
death Of her son John, two years old,
and her daughter Lorida, eight months
old. These children. Mrs Ida Rogers
supposes, are still alive, as the ply
sicians have not dared to tell her Of
their death.
Divorced Her Husband.
When Mrs. Representatives. left the
home Of Arthur NJ. Walters at 201 West
saith street in the latter part of 1910.
it has been ascertained that she went
to some place in the mountains of
Tennessee or Virginia for her health
after obtaining a divorce from Mr..
Walters.
Believing she had regained her health.
Mrs. Walters. or Rogers. wrote to a
friend, music teacher, to find her a
desirable place to board. Attractive
rooms were found for her in the apart
ment of a friend of the school teacher.
Miss Caroline Rendell. Mrs. Rogers
lived there for six months.
ers confided to Miss Rendell that she
was a divorcee, and that she was very
anxious to be married to Lorlys Elton
Rogers. She described him as "splen-
did man." and said he was the son of a
famous southern actress, Charlotte
Thompson.
Rogers visited the woman at the
apartment of Miss Rendell frequently,
coming about o'clock in the afternoon.
He and Mrs. Walters took long walks
sometimes o'clock In the evening.
Miss Rendell said she was convinced
that Mrs. Ida Walters-Rogers was an
admirable woman.
Tragedy Narrowly Averted.
'T will never forget one night in our
fiat" Miss Rendell said yesterday. when
a tragedy was narrowly averted. I re-
member Mrs. Walters told Mr.. Rogers
that she wanted him to marry her. He
put her Off by telling her that he couldn't
possibly do SO until his son, then only
sixteen years old, became Of age"
Miss Rendell then told of a second
meeting between Mrs. Walters and
Rogers, when she demanded that he
should marry her, but was put off with
promises.
In the course Of their acquaintance Miss
Rendell learned that her boarder was the
daughter of an old friend Of her own,
"Sammie" Sniffen, a well known horse
man in his day. Their families had
known each other in the Bronx and in
bers of the same church.
The court records Of this county show
that November %. 1911. Charles Lex
Brooke Of SO Park row served summons
anu coiHpidinL on DenaiI OF Ioa .. walters
on Arthur M Walters. beginning a di-
vorce action against her husband. JUS
tice James W. Gerard, now ambassador
to Germany. heard the suit
Cause Of Divorce,
Mrs. Walters testified in the action
that she was married in Elizabeth, N
j.. April II. 1905. She sad I:e left
her husband on account of irregular
tiles in his conduct in March, 1910.
The only witness was Herbert MALTA
lieu. He testified he had known the
husband for ten and the wife for seven
years. His testimony supported the
charge of misconduct on the part of
the husband. No witnesses for the de- @
fense were put on by Clark l.. Jordan
attorney for the husband. This attor-
ney said yesterday that he had no
recollection of the case.
Rogers a Friend Maker.
H. S. Mallalieu, who had a room with
Walters and who testified in the d.
vorce suit, met Rogers frequently when
he visited the Walterses. and he de-
scribed him as "a man with an unusual
manner that instantly won him
friends" The mans attentions to Mrs,
Walters became noticeable. 1t was
known to Mallalieu that Rogers was
waiting for a divorce from Mrs. Annie
Roquemore Rogers. his first wife, SO
that he could marry Miss Caroline Gid
dings, sister of Prof. Franklin Henry
Giddihgs.
The boarder said Mrs. Walters ap-
peared to be a devoted wife and a
charming woman and Mr.. Walters a
contented husband and a studious man.
He was undemonstrative and was reti-
cent except when approached on sub
jects Of books and politics.
Second Baby Is Dead.
John, the two-year-old son of Mrs.
Walters Rogers, died yesterday MORN