New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-26
Never Heard of Mother
Killing Children Unless
Insane, Gregory Admits.
SEEKS TO PROVE SHE
DID NOT TAKE POISON
Prosecutor Fights Story of
Attempted Suicide - Case
Goes to Jury To-day.

Doctor did you ever hear Of single
case in all medical history in which n
gentle. loving woman murdered her
children unless she was insane
81 did not"
This was the climax OF the Rogers
case last night. DR.. Menas l.. Gregory,
head of the psycopathic ward Of Belle
vue Hospital, had been called by Dis
trict Attorney Martin 10 testify against
the alleged insanity which is expected
20 save Mrs. Ida Walters Rogers from
the electric chair for killing her two
children.
The hypothetical question put by the
District Attorney emphasized the sor-
did details Of the defendants life with
Rogers before she married him, and
assumed that her story that she herself
had taken bichloride of mercury after
giving il 20 her children was false. In
reply to this question DR.. Gregory de-
clared that he believed she was sane
when she committed the act.
Drives at States Alienist.
Then counsel for the defence thun-
dered the question which turned the
states star alienist into a witness for
the defence. Leaning half way across
the table and pointing a shaking finger
at Dr. Gregory, he cried:
Doctor, suppose a woman Of gentle
nature and refined character, a woman
who loved her children and had no
cause for killing them, suddenly did
kill them in the most coldblooded and
brutal manner would you say she was
sane or insane
81 would say" drawled the states
alienist, that il was a suspicious cir
cumstance."
What would you say in answer to
the hypothetical question framed oy
me ,"
your question, Mr.. Chanler, does
not include facts 20 warrant my form
ing any conclusion
well. did you ever in all medical
history hear Of a mother killing her
children unless she was insane =
IL did not"
Mrs. Rogers sank back in her seat
with a sigh Of relief.
When Theresa Gallagher, the nurse
who attended Mrs. Rogers at Lebanon
Hospital, told of her ceaseless weep
ing for her children she leaned her
head on her hand and her whole body
writhed in desperate efforts to keep
from sobbing aloud.
Attacks Attempted Suicide.
"she kept asking for the babies, and
we did not dare tell her they were
dead said the nurse. "Once she asked
If we were careful 10 give them the
same formula for their food that they
had at home. All the time they were
dead. When they finally told her she
cried for three days.
"She tore her hair and tried to jump
out of the window when she first
came She would stare rigidly at the
ceiling and not hear questions when
they were put to her She was ten
weeks in the hospital and for nine
she couldn't walk alone"
This last statement answered the
District Attorneys questions intended
n show that Mrs. Rogers had taken
no poison and was not seriously i'll IN
the hospital.
All day long the Prosecutor at
Tackled the testimony OF the witnesses
for the defence on this point. Several
times hc shook the stories. though Nr.
Chanler rallied 20 their aid in direct
examination.
The most dramatic OF these moments
vas during the examination OF DR..
william Wovschin, the pathological
chemist. who examined Mrs. Rogers
for bichloride poisoning.
Doctors Story Shaken.
Isn't it true that the first entries
you made in your charts said NO
traces and didn't you afterward
change those entries 70 read 'Found'7"
the District Attorney insisted. The
witness, who speaks English imper
foctly, and then mostly in profound
medical terms. broke into r food OF
in:oherent explanations. only 20 be
stopped by Judge Thompkins. Mr..
Chanler enabled him TO give the ex-
PLANTATION on redirect examination.
"Wo did not have the proper ma
terials for conducting the delicate
tests, SAID the llttle doctor, Win
happy sigh. II sent 10 Mount Sinai
Hospital and got some copper foil,
made more complete analyses, and
found traces Of bichloride."
The most telling witness for Mrs
Rogers was Or. Graeme Hammond. for
twenty years tho expert IN mental and
nervous diseases AZ the Post-Graduate
Hospital. He said Mrs. Rogers was in
sane when she poisoned her two
babies.
Puts Hypothetical Case
M Chanler shattered court trad- /
tion by framing a Hypothetical ques-
ton impromptu. I'VE will assume" T
he said. the following facts to have .
been true:
"A woman Of refined and gentle nat I
rrc. unusually devoted 70 her children /