The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-15
THE PRISONER PHAIR.
IMPORTANT EVIDENCE ACCUMU-
IATING AGAINS'T HIM.
Thc watch and shawl OF the Mur-
dcrcd woman Found in Bos-
ton-1ntcrcsting Facts.

The universal interest which has been
taken and the excitement which has been
manifested by our citizens over the murder
of Mrs Freeze, and the arrest of the al
legged murderer, received strong addition,
on Saturday night last, by the arrival of
Policeman N. s. Stearns and Deputy j. G.
Thornton from Boston. As was announced
in THE GLOBE of Saturday morning, those
gentlemen had been sent to the city Tor
the purpose of following the tracks of the
prisoner, John p. Phair, made by him since
the time the murder was discovered. Much
was expected, by those who were the most
cognizant of the details of the case, from
this visit to Boston, and considerable i'm
portance attached to the discoveries made
| by them there. The statements made by
the prisoner and published in these columns
the next day after his arrest were of such
a nature that it was absolutely necessary to
ascertain If they were true, and for what
| purpose all this travel was made by him.
| The consummatc GOODNESS with which
Phair had carried himself throughout his
arrest and incarceration, the smoothness
with which his statements were told, and
the positiveness and precision with which
they were clung to, warranted n thorough
and vigorous investigation on the part of
the officers Of the law, and gave much
| ground, rs well, for considerable
belief in his innocence on the part
of the public. TIE officers, how
ever, who were instrumental in his arrest,
and those who have since distinguished
themselves by following up the case SO
promptly and so well, were and have been
firmly impressed with The conviction that
they had the real criminal and were ON the
right trail that would lead to his conyic-
ton. This belief seems, in all human prob
ability, to be correct, rs far as the strongest
crcumstantial evidence can make it, as the
reader will doubtless observe by the facts
rs stated in the foregoing
VISIT OF THE OFFICERS AT BOSTON.
Messrs. Thornton and Stcarns arrived in
Boston about two o'clock Friday afternoon
ON their GRAND of investigation and dis
covery. As soon as possible thereafter
they put themselves into personal
communication with Mr.. T.. II. Savage, the
chief Of police of Boston. To him they
unfoldcd their case and their business and
solicited his aid. This was speedily grant
ed. The officers also tclegraphed 10 Rut-
| land for the description Of the watch owned
and carried by the murdered woman in her
lifetime. This information could not be
obtained before the officers left on Friday,
but was to be sent them when and where
they lelegraphcd for it, by Messrs. Marshall
~ Cady, the well-knowr jewelers. of this
place, who had such description in their
possession. This was sent Messrs. Stearns
and Thornton, as stated on Saturday morn
ing by us. said description being that the
watch was of Swiss make, manufactured
by Nachcon Frercs, numbered 1886, put
up in handsome gold cases.
Nothing could be done by the Chief Of
Police until the next morning, Saturday
and on that morning Savage detailed
| Policeman Gould to aid them in their search
through the city. Could, it appears, was
specially employed to hunt up goods in the
different pawnshops in the city, and this
was the business wanted, rs it was thought
necessary in the first place to find out if
the watch or any other articles which the
murderer would probably carry away with
him, had been pawned. The trio started
out on their search at about seven o'clock
Saturday morning, knowing that seem
ingly almost endless job must be &C
complished, but resolute and determined to
| perform it with the minutcst thoroughness.
There are some two hundred and eighty
pawnbrokers' shops in the city; all were
known to Officer Gould, and all must be
visited if not successful before the last was
reached. At about II o'clock that morning
they came to the
PAwN-sHoP OF MR.. ABRAHAMs,
at No, IS Salem street, which was about
the sXtieth shop of the kind visited by
them that morning. Mr.. Abrahams was in,
and to the inquiry if there had been any
watches left there during the week replied
that there had. lie was asked for further
information and gave it. On Tuesday
afternoon at about three o'clock, he said, a
man came in and said he wished to pawn
his watch and chain that he and his sister
were in town, stopping at the Adams
House that he was dead broke" and
must have some money. He wanted $40
on the watch. The broker offered him $50,
and finally split the difference, giving the
man $50, and taking the watch, chain and
case. The man further gave his name,
as being "E. +. Smith of st. Adams, VT
The broker then went on and described the
man infinitely, his features and appear
ancc, and showing some clothing of his
own which he said was similar to that
worn by the man Smith. This description
answered to the person of Phair, the pris
oner and after all this was given, the of
flccrs then showed the broker the picture
of Phail taken on Thursday before, whicl
| he identified at once as being perfect like
ness of the man who called himself Smith
J This proof was almost staggering in it,
convincing force, and MS the watch wa!
, the identical one owned by the murdered
woman it was taken in charge and one linl
in the important chain of evidence wa
n found.
Tie officers then went to the
ADAMS HOUSE
Tor further investigations and there the.
: were also successful They found register
- ed on Tuesday the name of ''E. f. Smith
st. Adams, VT The clerk was nterrogat
" ed with regard TO the man and at first coul
} remember but little about him but O
" thinking further, remembered that he wa