The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-07
JOHN p. PHAIR.
His Dying Statement.
Accuses Witnesses FOf Perjury.
GENERAL REVIEW OF HIS LIFE.

COuNlCIOuJ L uuNe tCNSTu tuSs pSSh III
terviewed by newspaper reporters, who
seemed anxious to get at the truth OF the
grounds on which my conviction was
claimed. The most of them were strangers
to me and represented the press of New
York and Massachusetts,. AT the time they
called on me, l did not think 1t would ever
be necessary for me to make any statement
relative TO my condition But now, when
/ see that a few short days will in all hu-
man probability end my afiliction, | deem
it my highest duty to God and man, to
place before the people the following trnth-
full statement; am to-day confined in a
solitary cell awaiting the execution of
death sentence for the crime of murder,
which no being can justly say have ever
perpetrated. Since, and before, my foul
conviction, have had most implicit faith
in just deliverance. from this great and
grievous wrong, of which the Almighty
knows l ain helpless victim. But asyet,
have learned of no change in the so-called
evidence against me that will in any way re-
vive my courage. AS for the matter of
death, it has no terrors for ne. Indeed,
can hail it as q welcome messenger, know
ing that with it will come freedom, Di-
vine justice, and righteous acquittal be-
fore the Saviour of man, who knew my
heart and cannot be mistaken. l deeply
regret that the conduct of my earlier life
was not more closely guarded against the
dishonesty which dragged my character
into state of disrepute which my best en-
deavors to reform have been misoonstrued,
laughed and secuted at by class whom l
can call by no mlder name than my Ier-
sonal enemies. The great and browning
mistake of my life was made between the
age of seventeen and eighteen, when COM
mitted larceny on a respectable citizen of
the town in which l lived. The act was
rash and done at time in my life when |
was not as wise as | should have been.
When accused of the crime, l Immediately
confessed it, ard plead guilty before the
county judge, who sentenced me 10 six
years hard labor in the state prison. Many
arraigned the judge who sentenced me, and
believed he was too severe with me consid-
erlng my youth. But as as for me,
offered no complaint, and accepted it as a
just penalty for the offence had given.
On entering the prison where expected to
serve every day of my sentence, the
thought of the terrible shame and disgrace
l had brought upon an unsuspecting father,
mother and affectionate sisters, SO Borrowed
my heart that it was many days before
could reconcile myself to my shameful sit
uation. finally braced up under SOL
emn resolves that if it were in mortal
power to regain what l had lost, l should
prosecute the resolution to the end of my
life. During my Imprisonment not q single
day passed over my head without kneeling
to the Almighty in my lonely cell and i'm
ploring His forgiveness and help to
strengthen me against any and all tempta-
ton in the future that led to dishonesty. l
was confined among nearly one hundred
offenders of the law, and taught by per-
sonal observation and experience q lesson
which, in my opinion, can be disregarded
by none but the most depraved and aban-
doned of mankind. Notably associated
with these were the sad and violent deaths
of two men upon the gallows for the crime
of murder, and another awaiting a similar
fate, which was to take place in few
weeks after my release from the prison.
evidence THAT OUGHT NOT TO HANG A
DOG"
Accused as | an of like crime, and
convicted on evidence that ought not to
hang dog, L cannot help arraigning the
partial Judgment of a jury who have delib-
erately conformed to the wishes of unprin-
cipled reward seekers and prejudiced enc
mics, by robbing me of all doubt which
they knew to have. been legally mine, For
any one to suppose mo guilty, or even ca
pable of such a deed, without direct and
positive proof, is great injustice to me,
which hope time will prove to both my
friends and enemies. Think OF my dearly
bought experience in this place. Think of
the solemn promises l made to my friends
on arriving home from here; and above all
the terrible shame, disgrace and inevitable
death which l so well knew follow such 6
deed. even had dreamed of its commits
sion. My accusers have tried to manufac
ture motives which they claim might have
had in perpetrating such deed. But al
such attempts, so far as they relate to me-
present no truths whatever For had
been the guilty party the deed could have
been prompted by no other motive thar
that of the most extreme wickedness, and 6
desire to ruin myself in this life and my
soul eternally. After serving Ave of my
ak years sentence | was pardoned by Gov
ernor Hendee, on petition presented by
my friends. On receipt of the pardon my
heart leaped with inexpressible joy, a
what supposed to have been genuine for
giveness and complete burial of all pas
issues, and an open way TO future life o.
honesty and happiness. But, alas, how
fallecious are human hopes and expecta
tions in this world. The fact that all haC
received this pardon for was for the seconC
time raked up and heralded throughout tn,
Union by the press, for the purpose o.
firing the public mind against me, was con
elusive evidence to me that l had nevel
been forgiven by the people, and that tn,
pardon had received in the best of iaiti
was fraud. OF the twelve juIymen who
sat on my case, there was not one who hat
not from time to time read the damaging
assaults upon my character, which ap
peared daily in the Rutland newspapers
from the day of my arrest until my fou
conviction. Every scamp who visited Rut
land had some new SANDER to contribute t
the hungry editors about me, whether they
ever knew me OF not. Hearsays of thu
most absurd and damaging character wer,
freely published. Not damaging becaus,
they could have been proved utterly false
but because of their appearing at that par