Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1876-04-20
RIP VAN wINKLE DTsCoUNTED
Free After Thirty years Confinement

The Columbus Dispatch of Friday says
James Frazier, aged 70, formerly citi-
zen of Washington county, Ohio, was
pardened out of the Penitention to-day
by Gov. Hayes. The prisoner was con-
victed of having killed his wife thirty
years ago, and thrown her into a well.-|
He has always denied the charge sand
might, it is believed, have received par
don years ago if he had admitted his guilt.
On account of his persistent denial of the
charge, the citizens of Marietta, believing
him guilty, declined to move in manner
that would secure pardon. But it has
come at last. Thirty years has this man
stOutly contended that he was innocent.
The facts, in a word, were: His wife
left home Monday, as he says, to visit
brother-in-law who had a sick child, and
was not heard of until the following
Wednesday, when neighbors came in and
insisted that Mr.. Frazier should look for
her. She left an unweaned baby in his
care. He, up to that time, had made no
effort to find her. She was found in the
| bottom of the well, head downward, with
her dress on wrong side before. The the
ory is that the couple had trouble during
| the night, in bed, and that he choked her,
and unintentiOnally cut off her breath
ing. That he then, man-like, got her
| dress on wrong and threw her in the we'll.
! For the last fifteen years Frazier has been
1 =
He marked clothing, marked prison doors,
marked everything that needed marking
about the State shop. Mr.. Frazier is a
/ Scotch Highlander by birth, and a Pres
byterian by religious profession. He
would not wrong man out of a cent, on
any account. He has a son-in-law in
| Southeastern Ohio, who is a Methodist
Episcopal clergyman; another son-in-law
in West Virginia, who is Common Pleas
! Judge. Rev. G. W. Wakefield, of Johns
| town circuit, Licking county, came to the
city to-day and received the old veteran
prisoner to conduct him to his friends.
A few days ago visitor to the prison
from Champaign county, hearing the his
tory of Frazier, and liking his appear
ance, gave him $25. Frazier went out of
the prison with $50 and two suits of
clothes, an Overcoat, and was well pleased,
considering his outfit and his pardon a
glorious present.
In all of that thirty years there is but
one black mark in Mr.. FraZier's record, ,
and that was made for talking, early in
his prison history. He evidently violated
| the rule unintentionally.
Pardon was issued upon the ground
that the State could not reap any benefit
from further detainment, and his friends
having agreed to take care of him, it was
deemed best to let the prisoner go. His
conviction was upon circumstantial evi-
dence, and his thirty years denial still
left the matter in doubt in some minds
He is of sound mind and body, straight
in form, six feet high, and weighs one
hundred and sixty pounds. He has never
seen locomotive, except distant and Oc
casional glimpses from upper windows OF
the hospital of the old chapel.
He was, all the way up street, wonder
ing like child about the telegraph wires
the concrete pavement on High street, THE
street cars, and the beautiful iron fronts
of some of the buildings. These thing!
had their birth in Columbus and in Ohio
after he was shut up-it was supposed fol
ever.
Mr.. Frazier was forty-four years of agt
when he came to the prison, and had TIVE
or three children. He has discounted RiI
+ Van Wrinkle by ten years, but has the ad
, vantage of Rip in being able to read. B!
! the newspapers he was posted some abou
! the world, and had some knowledge from
pictures how new inventions looked. Blu
+ in spite of all that, much of the outsid
, was new; was to him as it would be to
I child. The case of pardon has been dis
> cussed for fifteen years, and ex-Warde
Burr says he never saw a man from Ma
rietta who did not believe Frazier wa
guilty. Warden Innis and ex-Warde
Burr were kind in giving the foregoin
facts. .-z-
Mr.. Frazier's wife sister was here to Sc
L him three months ago, and said that h
J, had better be pardoned. His words to a
n are "Before God and all mankind, al
innocent, and will risk my eternal sa
d vation on that.'