The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-07
PHAIR STILL LIVES y!
RETRIEVED BY THE GOVERNOR
Only Ten Minutes to Spare-How He
Received the News.
his CONDITION, ACTS AND CONVERSE
TONS, ETC.

rest. He was guarded by one of the keep
ers, Spaulding, who has had charge of him
nights for the past week. For a week or
more, he has not been suffered to be out Of
sight of keeper either night or day
Spaulding keeping guard over him at night
and Moore, son Of the head keeper, during
the day. 1t transpired, some time ago,
that Phair bad stated to Hayden, the Derby
Line wife murderer, who for weeks occu-
pied an adjoining cell, that he would never
die upon the gallows that in due season
he would call for bucket of water as hot
as he could possibly bear his feet in; that
he would keep bis feet therein almost as
long as possible, when he would open
vein in both legs and bleed to death. He
seemed to feel assured, 80 Hayden said,
that this would finish him, but he declared
his firm purpose to cheat the gallows any
way. That he had nerve to bleed to death
in the presence of his keepers without Civ
ing sign, il it were possible, no one who
has seen him at any time during the past
Six months up to almost the second of his
reprievo can doubt This avowed purpose
| of his rendered it necessary that strict
watch should be placed over him, and, in
deed, we believe it is customary to place
guards, highland day, over condemned
Murderer, during the last ten days or week
prior TO mis- execution.
His keeper states that he was as calm
and composed during the night as he had
| been at any time since no came to Wind
sor that there was nothing to indicate
tina. he, any more than the keeper, was the.
man who was to give his life as penalty
for his crimes that there was not the least
appearance of fear or nervousness, and
that he was even more unconcerned than
would be one who was just closing five
years sentence and was to be released on
the morrow and that, in fact, there was
nothing to indicate any thought of his sp-
preaching death except tine mere fact of
sleeplessness, and that there was no ind!-
cation that this was the cause of his neg
lectng, or inability, to take rest, from his
appearance, or anything he said or did.
About seven o'clock in the morning, Z.
II. Murphy of VergenneS, who had been of
late particularly active in endeavoring to
procure a reprieve, returned from ST.
Johnsbury, where he had seen and labored
with the governor, presenting petitions,
etc., down to late hour last night, and
called upon Phair. He told Phair that
there was no hope of any interference
from the governor, and that he must die.
Phair received the statement without
tremor or excitement of any kind, as if he
was the person least concerned about the
matter OF any one in the prison. MIR.
Murphy spent short time in the cell, and
Phair occupied the time mainly in assever-
atoms of innocence, going over in brief
way substantially the same ground so often
repeated by him and as contained in his
statement prepared for publication.
Shortly after seven, work was commenc-
cd on the erection of the gallows by Depu-
ty Sheriff Amsden of Windsor, assisted by
conYicts. The gallows is an old fashioned
one, some ten or twelve feet in length by
eight feet in width; the upright posts being
about fourteen feet in height, the drop
which was worked by treadle requiring
only gentle pressure of the foot-was
about six and half feet 1t was made for
double executions-onc of the traps, at
this time, being nailed up-and had been
M fpr ba ~ II \,
and VIM. Barnet, who were executed to-
gether, on Wednesday January 20, 1864;
of John Ward alias Jerome LavIgne, on
the goth of March, 1868, for the murder of
Mrs. Griswold, of Williston; Hiram Miller;
25th of June, 1869, for the murder of Mr..
and Mrs. Joshua G. GoweD, of Ascutney-
VILE; and the last execution, January 20lh,
1871, when Henry Welcome, young man
of19 years, explated his confessed murder
of Perry Russell of Hinesburgh. AT these
former executions the gallows was erected
in the northeast corner of the old prison
but, upon this occasion, it was placed be-
tween the door which leads into tho old
prison and the steps leading up to the chap
ell, covering almost the entire space and
being in front of the door which leads into
the prison yards, so that the convicts, who
occupy this prison, were compelled to pass
under the ,gallows in coming from the
workshops to their cells at the dinner
hour.
From this hour until long after eleven
o'clock, the noise of tho hammer, etc.,
was constantly heard-the gallows being
within about ten or fifteen feet of Phair's
cell-and yet at about half-past seven,
Phair informed his keeper that he was
about to take q rest and thought he would
sleep for two hours, Immediately disrobed
himself, got into the bed and either slept,
or pretended TO sleep, for quite while,
undisturbed by the noise and apparently
without having the thought suggested to
him that the noise presaged his speedy dis
solution.
His period of rest, however. was CON-
paratiyely brief as he was owe 'whelmed
with visitors during the morning. At
about eleven o'clock the writer called upon
him and had brief conversation. AS the
event turned out it is unnecessary to say
more than that he re-asserted bis inno-
cence, going over the ground contained in
his published statement, He was cool and
collected, and very cheerful said he was
prepared TO die, but would die an innocent
man. He was asked II he intended to say
anything, to which he responded, with
laugh, "Do you mean on the gallowsf
And then stated that he should only say
that he died M innocent man, and, then
correcting himself. said AZ shall not say
/ die an iur Get man, because no man 10
| innncent Eve man Ia more Or laaa