Evening journal., 1921-03-12
She's
PRISONER Wife
But Sailor Asserts He Mar
ried Her in March of
1920
MATRIMONIAL
TANGLE is CLOSED
BY Newspaper Enterprise.

BY Newspaper Enterprise
PHILADELPHIA, March "a
Chief interest in the Henry Pierce
murder trials which begin here on
March IS centers in the matrimon-
ial tangle of Boots" Rogers. 19
year-old ballet girl, who is one Of
the trio charged with the crime.
ThN girl has told police she mar
ried Peter T. Treadway, another of
those charged with the murder, late
in 1920. Ross Rogers, a sailor.
says he married Boots in March
of that year.
VIII she stick to Treadway, who
she says, might have escaped had
he been willing to throw me over "
or will she go back to Rogers, who
still loves her and says he never
will throw her over?"
Pierce. rich Philadelphia business
man was found murdered Nov. 22
in his Office in a downtown build
ing. He had been beaten and rob
bed. Investigation disclosed that
there had been a boisterous party
in the office the night before and in
a few days the Rogers girl and
/ Treadway, former boxer, were
arrested together in Wheeling, w.
Va Joseph A. Moss. a mechanic,
was arrested in Pittsburgh and the
police are still searching for a third
man, AL Smith.
The girl has been a mystery to
police ever since her arrest She
has laughed and chatted gaily with
her jailers.
At Wheeling she told officers her
name was Mrs. Norman West. Later
she and Treadway admitted the
West name was fictitious. At Phil
adelphia, after Rogers appearance,
the girl said her name was Mrs.
Marie Rogers.
Rogers says her real name is
Susie Evangeline. He, with the
girls mother and brother, seek to
persuade Boots" to turn States
evidence against the man.
Il don't want her to be an in
former 10 gain her freedom, butI
do want her to tell the whole truth
and to shield no one" says Ross.
Il believe she has been a tool in
the hands Of others. ] know she is
innocent OF murder. She is not a
vampire.
Il love my wife. I have forgiven
her indiscretions with Treadway,
and 1 will stick to her throughout
the trial and take her home when
che is free.
Il was introduced to- her in Feb
ruary, 1920, a short time after had
gone to New York from Texas. We
both attended the same church reg
ularly. 1t was a case of love at
first sight, and in March we were
married. 1 took her to Philadel-
phia and we moved into a place on
Arch street.
she liked parties and dances. ]
would rather have stayed at home
but 1 -humored her.
II was a mail clerk on the U. S
S. Frederick, and on August 20 ]
was called TO sea 1 left Susie s4OO
and sent her $50 every month out OF
my S91.40 monthly pay.
soon after 1 had gone a neigh
Dor woman induced Susie to smoke
and then to drink. She stopped
going to church. She went out
nights
Then this woman introduced
Susie to Al Smith, and Smith intro
duced her TO Treadway. He was a
clever fellow, with money and a car
He fiattered Susie-and called me a
boob. He told her $91.4O a month
was only kids pay. It was the old
old story.
But 1 married her for better OF
for worse, and I'll stick to her"
Mrs. Myrtle Planovsky, mother Of
the girl, in New York, says she ha,
pledged her jewelry and raised
$1,000 to aid in her daughters de.
fense.
Susie taught in sunday-schoo
/ here and never had a love affair un,
til she met Ross Rogers" says tn,
/ mother. "Shc went to Philadelphia
and when Ross was called to sea
she became the victim Of Loneliness
( and liquor"
After Rogers had visited her sew
2 eral times in Jail, wardens said tn,
! girl appeared distressed. Their,
seemed TO be a fiickering Of the oil,
2 love for her husband. She SCENE,
5 to be trying to make up her mind.
e on the one hand, there is the big