Mary Mabel Rogers, a 21-year-old white housewife, walked unaided to the gallows for the murder of her estranged husband, Marcus Rogers, on August 12, 1902.
The Crime
Mary wanted to be rid of Marcus so she could be with another man, Morris Knapp, and collect Marcus’ $400 life insurance. She persuaded Marcus to go on a picnic in Bennington, Vermont, accompanied by 17-year-old Leon Perham.
There, they tried out a Houdini rope trick that Mary had learned. After demonstrating on herself how easy it was to escape, Mary persuaded Marcus to let Perham tie him up. Once he was secured, she chloroformed him and rolled his unconscious body into the Walloomsac River, where he drowned. The body was discovered the following day. As Marcus’ hands were still tied, it was clear that he had not died by accident or suicide.
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Trial and Sentencing
Mary went to trial on December 9, 1903, and pleaded not guilty. Leon Perham was the key prosecution witness and admitted to helping Mary. She was convicted on December 22 and sentenced to death a week later.
After extensive but unsuccessful legal maneuvering, including an appeal to the Supreme Court (which was dismissed on November 27, 1905), Governor Bell signed her death warrant and set the execution date for December 8, 1905. Bell received over 7,000 letters calling for a reprieve.
Perham received a life sentence for his part in the crime.
It was alleged that Mary had managed to have sex in prison with a convicted rapist, presumably in the hope of getting pregnant and thereby being spared execution.
The Execution
The hanging took place just after 1 p.m. at Windsor Prison in Vermont on a gallows erected in a closed courtyard. The drop was sufficient to break her neck.
At 12:45 p.m., Mary changed into a specially made long black dress for her execution. She walked unaided to the gallows and climbed the steps without assistance. She was allowed to sit for a moment. When asked if she had any last words, she simply replied, “No.” She asked that her glasses be given to her sister.
Deputies tied her arms behind her and bound her legs with a cord around her dress. A long black hood that covered her head and shoulders was applied.
Thus pinioned, hooded, and noosed, Deputy Sheriff Spafford told Mary, “I now proceed to execute the sentence of the law and may God have mercy on your soul.” The drop fell immediately after he had finished speaking, at 1:13 p.m., and she was pronounced dead 14½ minutes later.
Only a small number of witnesses were permitted, including three reporters. Mary was reported to be the calmest person present.
Such was the public interest in the case that a film reconstruction of the hanging was made a week later and shown in movie theatres. Her execution made front-page news in papers across the country.
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