Newspapers / Asheville Citizen (Asheville, N.C.) / Dec. 9, 1905, edition 1 / Page 1
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.fSO THE ASHEVILLB CITIZEN , A CITIZEN WANT AO Will Rent that Vacant Reom, VOL XXI NO 53 , ASHBVTTJ.R N. C SATURDAY MuRNlNG DECEMBER 9 1905 PRICE FIVE CENTS The Only Associated Press Newspaper in Western North Carolina DEATH HAD NO TERRORS FOR MRS. MABEL ROGERS STRIKE SAID s TO BE ABOUT Americans Who Are to Be Shot in Mexico for Insurance Frauds SCANDANAVIAN COLONISTS TO SETTLE HERE RYAN WILL BE PUNISHED FOR HIS REFUSALS "1 TO COLLAPSE ON MARCH TO SCAFFOLD f Woman Shows a Wonderful Nerve and Is Calm to the Very Last. GOVERNOR REFUSED TO GRANT RESPITE Last Thought of Condemned Woman Was for Sister No Mishaps. WINDSOR, Vt., Dec. 8. Without a tremor and without a word, Mrs Mary Mabel Rogers today marched to her death on the (fallows ut the slate prison here, and paid the penalty of murdering her husband, Marcus Rog ers, at Bennington, on August 13, 1902. To all appearances Mrs. Rogers was the calmest person in the chamber of death. She faced her end with the same stoleal Indifference that had marked her Cemeaiuc ever since her arrest more than thre years ago. Greatly to the relief of those of- - fleers who were assltmg in executing tho sentence. Mary Rogers' last hour was remarkably free from harrowing Incidents. It had been feared that the woman's wondarful courage would de sert her at the last moment and that, she would be carried to the seuffold i:i a state of collapse. Instead, however Mrs. Rogers met death bravely. There were no sensational incidents in connection with the hanging. Al though the woman was not officially pronounced dead until 14 minutes and SO seconds after the trap was sprung, phe evidently suffered no pain. Her neck was broken at the second cer vical vertebra and she lost conscious ness Immediately after the drop fell. A ew. feeble convulsive moments of her pinioned hands was the only evi dence that vitality hat! survived the first shock. The drop fell at 1:13 J. in. and Mrs. Rogers was pronounced (lend by the attendant physician at 1:27 1-2. The woman's feet barely touched tin floor for an instant, but the deputies on the platform of the scaffold im mediately tightened the rope and raised the unsconsclous form a cnuplt of inches. Altnough Mrs. Rogers remained calm until the end, she ate nothing today. Prison Matron Durkee prepared break fast, and carreid it to Mrsu Rogers' celll, but the prisoner declined it. At noon another meal was sent to Mrs. Rogers and again she refused to eat. 1 Ate Heartily. Since th death watch wr-.s establish ed about ten days ago Mrs. Rogers had eaten heartily until. today, and she had slept soundly. Last night she re tired at ll 'o'clocq and woke thl? morning at 5 o'clock. Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Loukes, of the prison staff, com prised the death watch, eating and sleeping in the same room with the condemned woman. Margaret, the lit tle child of the Loukes, was a fre quent visitor in the cell, and her child ish talk evidently eased many weary hours during Mrs. Rogers' last days and helped her to keep her mind off her own fate. During the last few d;iys Mrs. Rogers spent a great deal of tim in crocheting tokens for relatives and friends Kvery night her crochet hooks were taken from her for fear that s!ip might do herself sortie injury, but were returned tho next morning. She read the Bible a great deal and receiv ed a, number of calls from Rev. Mr. Hayes, the prison chaplain, and Rev. Faather C. C. Delaney, pastor of the.: local Roman Catholic parish. Up to within three hours of her death the woman consoled herself with the hope that she 'would not be exe-' cuted. It was shortly after 10 o clock this morning when she was Informed that Governor Bell had denied her a third reprieve, the final ffort for which was made by Mrs. Rogers' at torneys today. . Sheriff Had Bad Heart. High Sheriff Henry Peck, who offi cially was in, charge of the execution, but who in reality did not see it, ow ing to heart trouble, arrived from his home at White River Junction on an early morning train. Most of the dep uties had come to Windsor yesterday and at 10 o'clock this morning they pro ceded to the prison. AH of them had rehearsed their parts In the execution. By 12:30 o'clock, the deputies, wit nesses, guards ana me mr-c men allowed to witness the hanging, were at the Jail. The hour set for the fall of the drop was between 1 and 2 o'clock, and soon after 1 o'clock two deputies, were dispatched to Mrs. Rog ers' cell , to exrt her to the death chamber. The guard3 found Mrs. Rog ers receiving spiritual consolation from Father Delaney, her confessor, who the day before, had administered the sac rament, of holy communion to her. At 1:08 the death march was begun. Down three flights of stairs from Mrs. Rog ers' cU In the central section of th' vrpdh, the procession wended Its way. Through the great guard room and Into the west wing, where the space of brick floor and the foot of the trutt fold was reached. Holding her head higH. Mrs. Rogers never faltered for an Instant as her eyes rested upon the scaffold. - Unaided she mounted the steps, talked onto the trap and then seated herself In a chair. A moment later she arose, having declined an of fer by the authorities to make a state ment. Remembered Sister Even at this tragic hour Mary Rog ers thought of others Just as the dep uties approach) d to bind her limbs, she removed her eye glasses and pass ing them to one of the deputies, Hive said! "These are for my sister. Please see that she gets them." A moment later th" straps and noose were arraiiR.il and the trap was sprung. The rope was a trifle too long and the woman's toes barely touched the floor beneath. She was beyond suf fering, however, her neck having been broken at the drop and she had in stantly lost consciousness. A little more than fourteen minutes Inter the physicians pronounced that all signs of life had vanished and soon afterwards t in- body was cut down am! plnceii In !): coffin that had been placed near the execution place. At 2:25 p. m.. just an hour and twelve min utes after death was pronounced, the body was taken from the prison to the ruilroad station and the coffin was p aced on board the 2:.r. train nnd sent to Hoosick Falls, X. Y., where Mrs. Rogers' mother lives. Interment will be at St. .Mary's cemetery, in that town. In Coop1 Spirits, An official account of Mrs. Rogers' last days, given by the prison authori ties, says: "Mrs. Rogers has been In good spir its all tho time, considering, of course, what must have been passing in her mind In anticipation of the awful hour of execution. She has conversed with the death watch, hut has talked but little of her case except when Superin tendent Lovell was present. She has occupied her time to a great extent in crocheting lace for aprons to be sent to relatives and persons who had sent money to her. At night her cro cheting needle was regularly taken away from her, to be given to her again next day. She has read tho Bi ble ami has even committed some pas sages to memory, fciie. has written a few letters to relatives and sympa thizers. She has never lost hope that In some way her life might be spared mil even this morning appeared to re tain some faint idea that at the last notiK'nt something might interpose to save her. "The gallows was erectafT however, but every precaution w. taken to muffle tho sounds of thif hammer and no intimation whatever mhat the work was In progress rcaeh.Ji Mrs. Rogers' cell. Asked About Gallows. "Even the death watch did not know about It. Mrs. Rogers, however, was curious and kept Inquiring through the day if the gallows was being made ready. Toward night Matron Durkee told her that, it was. "Mrs. Rogers asked for the visit of the clergyman yesterday, and appeared to believe that her sins and been for sjlvim. She had not confessed her crime directly and positively, nor had she explicitly denied it. Indeed she has said little about it lately. She Bald -he did not consider it brave to go to the scaffold and tnaka a confession and that it would not do her any goodf to tell what other people had done. When she allowed herself to dwell up on the ordeal of today, she appeared to be making every effort to go to her fate bravely and With firmness. The usual talk has befell current about some kind of an opiate being adminis tered to her to dead her sensibilities, but it is unqualifiedly false. Mrs. Rog ers did not drink even coffee or tea, but contented herself solely with cold water. "Superintendent Lovell visited Mrs. Rogers' cell last night and talked with her a few moments. She was in good spirits and even told a story just be fore he left. She said her case was not properly managed." f'ostal and Ttlrgraph Com plications Are Fast Being Straightened Out. T LACK OF MONEY SENDS MEN BACK TO OFFICES Loaders Decide tD Save Their Strength for Final Fight In January. I GOVERNOR TALKS. (By Associated Press.) WHITE RIVER JUNCTION'. Vt.. Dec. 8. Gov. Charles A. Bell was promptly notified by telephone of the execution of Mrs. Rogers. Afterwards the governor gave out the following statement: "I am much relieved to know that the execution of Mrs. Rogers was ac complished -promptly, according to law and without a hitch or unnecessary de lay. It was a disagreeable duty 1 have been called upon to perform, but not withstanding my private views in re gard to the matter I have acted on rrty oath as chief executive and I be lieve I'have acted In the interest of public" good and according to the law abiding sentiment of the people of Vermont" DERBY RUN OFF. (By Associated Prass.) CHARLOTTE, X. C Dee. 8. A spe cial to the Obsei ver from Barber Junc tion. N. C saysy The sixth annual field trial Derby of the Pointer Club of America, was run off here In fine weather today. Wl R. Lyons' Alfred's King, from Plqua, 'o., won first: George J. Gould's Furlough Duffer, won second, and Gould's Fur lough Duster and Melksham divided the third. The All-Age stake was won by Alfred's King, the second by W. J. Gordon's Top-Notch Lancelot, .from Staten Island. New York: George i. Gould's Melksham" Boy and Gibson Girl, second, owned by Leonard Tufts, of Ptnehurst, X. C, divided third. (By Associated Press.) ST. PEi KUSHntfl, Dev. 7. (.'veil ing),! via Kyttkuhene. East Prussia, Dec. 8. A much more optimistic feel ing prevails, in government cir lew at the prospect of a complete collapse of the postal telegraph strike and the def- nlte passage of the danger that it night be ronvpluaite.d by an immedi- ite general strike throughout the em pire. The workmen's council and ..the ailroad men's affiliated organizations this afternoon came to a dual decision that it would not be wise to employ tho supreme lighting tool except to achieve the highest political .alms and reserve all their strength for the great struggle perfected for the middle if January. In the meantime they will devote heir energies to perfecting and extend- ng their organization and to the a: umulatlon of their resources. With-' out the support of allies, with their meager fund of $10,000 exhausted and with many reluctant and poverty- stricken members returning to work, he leaders of the strikers' unions real ize that they cannot hold out any longer. At the fame time it is report ed that even in defeat they have won a partial victoiy in the promise that their salaries, which pre on a very low scale, will be increased by the addi tion of $2,50,(K)O for salaries to the bud set. ' , Not any of their political demands, however, have been granted. V,af 17 14 - - a'. 1 V 3 I 1 I 7 11 .. m ll y x, f ii W f A i'i .... v .... v. a x a i Movement on Foot to Turn Head of the Equitable Refuses the Immigrants Towards - This City. D3. LILIA WILL COME TO LOOK OVEK GROUND Officer of Immigration So ciety Will Arrive Tuesday For Conference. Hie trial of .Dr. c. tf. Harle. Leslie n. Hulburt ' and William Mitchell, in Chihuahua, Mexico, , barged with mu rderlng two men for insurance money, has come to un etui after thnv years and the trio have been condemned to be shot. .There is n.. further giottml f,. appeal, it is said, ami the three will be stood beside their coffins, blindfolded, with a file of soldiers as their exe cutioners, before the fi-'-st of the year. Two r u,,, m,n Mitchell and Hul hurt, are New Yoi kr s. llulhurt Is a graduate-of Cornell. He was an attor ney In Rochester a,ml was also an as-slstant in the district attorney's of lice In Monroe county. lit got Into trouble through obtaining divorces llle gaily and fled the country. He took the name of C. T. Richardson. COOK BUYS CAUGHT BY PURSUING POSSE DIDN'T RESIGN. (By Associated Press.) ST. PKTERSTH'RG, Dec. 7. (Even ing.) Via Kytkuhnen, Kast Prussia, Dec 8. The Russo today pi lilted a ru mor that Count Wltte had tendered his resignation to the emperor and that he woulu be succeeded by General Count Alexis Ignaticff. This rumor is untrue. OFFICERS KILLED. 4 (By Associated Press.) HARBIN, Manchuria, via Warsaw, Russian Peland, pec. 8. Many officers are being killed -by rebellious trdops. T?es fve officers" are not permitted to return home. All messages from Man churia are censored. (By Associated Prass.) HAMPTON, 8. C, Dec. 8. "Bosr" Cook, Vincent Cook, Dan Cook and Henry Cook, brothers, were captured by a pos.se loniK.it. "Boss" and Vin cent are charged with lite mur.bT of Hainp Smith. The four bn last night at ti here, and the t their arrest. S assistant marshal. The officers had arrested Daw and Henry, when the other two brothers drew revolvers and opened fire, (mo bullet passed through Smiths' body and h- died within a few minuti-s. He leaves a widow nnd child. The f.m: Cooks made their escape through the crowd, but iio.-ses wore organize. 1 and began a search for the men. Toe town council met and offered a reward ..f $20 each for their capture. RIDERS PREPARE FOR LAST DAY'S SPRINT (By Ac!o;iattd Press.) NEW YORK, Deo. Nine twmi this morning are still i nthe six-day bieyle iace at Madison Square Gar dens. The finish of the race was but twenty-four hours away when the 1 o'clock score was announced, showing two teams tied for first place. The of the leaders at 1 a, m, A large Scandanavlnn colony for Ashevllle is the latest plan of the lo cal board of trade and other gentle men interested In the city's welfare that seems likely to be consummated. The city will next Tuesday be visited by Dr. Uila, a prominent member of the Swedish Immigration .society ot N'w York and, If he Is satisfied that Western North Carolina offers induce ments that should be satisfactory to Swedish colonists he will use his Inilu to Answer Questions of Committee. TESTIMONY TO BE SENT TO JEROME FOR ACTION Sensational Developments Occur In the Insurance Investigation. (By Associated Press.) I NEW ORK. Dec. 8. The legislative committee, which is investigating life insurance conditions, today determined to send to District Attorney Wll.lam iTi Jerome, a request that he Institute proceedings against Thomas F. Ryan, financier and owner of the majority of the stock of the Kqultable Ufa Assur ance society, to punish Mr. Ryan for refusing to answer when asked what K. 11. Ha-rrlman, president of the ence and that of the Immigration so- Union Pacific, and Southern Paclfla clety to turn a portion of the annual j railroads, had said to him when Mr. Swedish immigration to Ashevllle and ; Harrlrnan tried to Induce him to share the surrounding" country. That Mr. Lille will le pleased with conditions here seems almost an assured fact. The move for more Swedish immi grant? is due in part to Hans Rees & his control of the Equitable society with Mr. Harrlrnan. . . Mr. Ryan was asked whether Mr, Harrlrnan had threatened that results disastrous to Mr. Ryan's - Interest! Sons, the operators of the big tannery i would ensue or if Mr. Harrlrnan had on the French Broad river. This com. pany has for some time had a number of Swedish laborers In its employ and found them so valuable as compared with ordinary laborer they had been in the habit of employing that, through them the value of Swedish laborers be came known to business men of the told him that some action would be ' taken by the state legislature or an of- ' fleer of the government, unless Mr.' Ryau consented to share his stock with him. : Refuted to Answer, Acting on the advice of his attorney, Paul DeCravoth, Mr. Ryan dec ined to city generally. Dr. Jaicobson, pastor of answer those questions, although Sen- the First Lutheran church of Brooklyn " ator William. W, Armstrong, chairman and a Swede of prominence in this of the committee, directed him to do so. country, was In the city yesterday and t Mr. Ryan, however, did answer one talked with members of the board of 1 Question by saying that Mr. Harrlrnan trade and others about the opurtyrttmi-' not' tell him1 at that time there ties offered to Immigrants in this part would be a legislative investigation of score was tiers were disorderly carnival In progress j wo marshal attempted I .iib was aetinir as nn!1'J:u mlles 4 lal,s' 40r iIl'a aiul 3 lalm behind the record. Willi two teams now tied for the iead, the riders were conserving their en. rgles , tonight for tile final spurts, which will decide the winners of the seven capital prizes at stake. In the early hours yesterday morning Root, of the Root-Folger team, led a sprint which ended by his oveitaking the lead of the liedell brothers. i tfORTrf ' j. -Jr ' V : , J- . LiC ., ... .. , - ..... i - t .... of North Carolina. He was much struck with the possibilities of sheep raising In western North (."icrollpa nnd thought that the climatic conditions would appeal strongly to his country men. He said he would se g nd the ef forts of Dr. Lllla, in New York, and hoped that many of the Scandinavian Immigrants could bo Indu ed to come I to Ashevllle. I That Immigration of the sort men tioned would be most welcome seems assured for if is well known that the rapid development of the great North west was due principa'ly to the ef forts of the Scandaiiavians, who Hocked there by tho thousands several decades ago. The Norwegians and Swedes are considered us being the most desirable of Immigrants by many authorities and would prove an Important factor In th " agricultural development of this por tion of the state. It may be that the work of Mr. Ol son, a member of the Swedish parlia ment who visited this city several months ago will not be without Its value in this movement. Mr. Olsen has been forwarded some literature to be distributed among Swedish emigrants for whom it was specially prepared and ipromised while here to see that such literature was used to the best advantage. JOHN H. MITCHELL BLEEDS TO DEATH United States Senator Dies as Result of Having four Teeth Extracted Thursday. (By Associated Press.) PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 8. United States Senator John H. Mitchell, died t the Good Samaritan hospital, in this city at 11:40 o'clock this morning, death resulting from complications which fol lowed the removal of four teeth at a dental office yesterday morning. A hemmorrhage of unusual severity fol lowed the removal of the teeth and despite the application of the most powerful styptics known tj dental sci ence, the flow of blood could not be stayed. Senator Mitchell had long been a suf fered from diabetes and other vitiating diseases and this morning he suc cumbed to weakness following such hemorrhage and lapsed into a state of s mi-consciousness from which he nev er rallied.: Saline injections and pow erful stimulants were administered but without effect and the senator sank rapidly until the end. GERMANS MAY COME. From now en until the 24th this old gentlem' mail will be very large. : (By Associated Press.) BERLIN, Deo. 8 Foreign Secretary Rlehthoff today received Harry St. Oeorge Tucker, president of the James town Imposition' company, listened ap preciatively to Mr. Tucker's descrip tion of his acts and promised to sup port his request for the participation of a Grmn squadron at the opening ceremonies In May, 107. the lifo Insurance 'business unless he gave up part of the Hyde stock, Mr. Ryan had already testified that he secured control of the KViuitablo so ciety by paying James H. Hyde $2,500 for 502 shares of the total 1,000 shares of tho society. "After you had bought that stock was there any proposition to share it with you?" asked Charles E. Hughes, counsel for the committee. "Mr. H. K. Hnrriman desired to share the purchase with me and I refused to permit that," replied Mr. Ryan. Mr. Ryan said that he thought Mr. Harrlrnan made his request on the day Mr. Ryan bought the stock and before the purchase was publicly announced. "What did Mr.. Harrlrnan pay to you to influence you to make the sale?" "I do not think, Mr. Hughes, I ought to be called upon to answer a question like that to characterize Or state a conversation I had in private with Mr. Harrlrnan," said Mr, Ryan, To this Mr. Hughes said: "I deem the matter important In two aspects. In the first place that the committee may understand the motive which may actuate those who desire to obtain con trol -of the stock of the Insurance com pany, and the proceedings which may be taken to acquire It. and secondly 1 that we may know whether there is any truth In the report that there was any suggestion that life insurance con ditions in this state would be investi gated if Mr. Ryan did not accede to : Mr. Harrlman's request. I think that we' should have full light upon the transaction,; and I hope that Mr, Ryan will feel that he can do another publlo service by advising the committee , fully." , - Mr. Cravath said that Mr. jSyan would testify freely as to facta, but that he was not required to state what Mr. Harrlrnan said to him In private conversation. Mr. Ryan refused to an swer. In reply to further questions bearing on this subject Mr. Ryan said the re lations between Mr. Harrtman and him self were quite strained for several days , and thafSthe upshot of several Inter views between the two men wag that ' Mr. Ryan told Mr. Harrlrnan that he intended to carry out hla original plan regardless of what he or any one else might do. Mr. Harrlrnan would have taken any part of the stock which he could have got, said Mr, Ryan. The witness again declined to answer when he was asked whether Mr. Harrtman offered to put any share that he might get Into the! trust which wasafterward created by Mr. Ryan. Jerome Called In. , Neither Mr. Hughes nor the members of the committee insisted any further upon auswers on this subject, but asked Mr. Ryan about other matters. Later In the day, however. Senator Arm strong made an announcement that the committee had determined to transmit a certified copy of Mr. Ryan's testi mony to District Attorney Jerome with a request that proceedings be instituted by him to punish Mr. Ryan for refus ing to answer the questions, f "This course Is rendered necessary," said Senator Armstrong, "by reason of the fact that the committee has Ho summary power to punish for con tempt while, the legislature Is not in session." lv . Counsel for Mr. Ryan yav out a (CONTINUED ON PACE THREE.)
Asheville Citizen (Asheville, N.C.)
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Dec. 9, 1905, edition 1
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