The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-09
THE RUTLAND DAILY GLOBE MONDAY MORNING. APRIL 1877

~ JAIL Il ~ ANJDD IhO1
ligence of importance, and thought that
the least that could be done was to tele-
graph Governor Fairbanks of Vermont of
the facts and let him act as he chose in the
premises. So about ten minutes past twelve
o'clock two men went
FLYING DOWN STATE STREET,
burdened with the thought that possibly
they had some information that might or
might not cave the life OF fellow being
who was to be hanged in an hour or two.
The time was so brief, and the uncertainty
of what Governor Fairbanks might do even
II he could be reached, made the question
a very exciting one.
THE TELKGRAMs TO GOV. FAIRBANKS
BosToN, April 6, 1871
TO Governor Fairbanks Mont1elier, w..
think saw and cOnverSed with tho nan
who is to be executed to-day, on the train ON
ing from Providence TO Boston, June TO- 1871. 1
send by advice OF Chief OF Police.
NJ. d. DOWNING.
90 School street. Boston.
To Governor Fairbanks, Montpelier, w.:
MT: Downing's story about Phair seems u be
worthy OF delay for Investigation.
CHARLES ii. TAYLOR,
Manager OF the Boston Giob.
Mr.. William Martin Of the Western Jni-
on telegraph office took deep interest in
the matter on hearing the story, and cit
that the governor should know the fact at
once, even If nothing came of it. An at
tempt was made to forward the disptch
Immediately, and it was found, to the lis.
may of all three men, that it was the lin
ner hour of the Montpelier operator and he
was out. Then word was Immediately
sent to all the Vermont offices to ascertain
If the whereabouts of the governor we're
known. The hanging was to have been at
Windsor and of course the governor lad
got to be found in time to commnniate
with Windsor, il he desired to do So.
Meanwhile the moments were passing away
with lightning-like rapidity. Half-pst
twelve and fifteen minutes Of one camp
still no word from Vermont 1t was OF
course realized by all present that no per-
son save the governor had any control Uer
the sheriff who was to perform the excu-
ton, but the time for that horrible Gre
mony was so near that the following lis.
patch was sent
To the Sheriff at Prison, Windsor, ":
A reliable man here states, after reading
Phair's statement, that he is pretty certain he
met Phair on train from Providence to Bosom,
June 10, 1874, and thinks he can Identity Inn.
The man he met was large man, said he vas
from Rutland, and had applied 10 screw cm-
pany at Providence for work. Had you not let
Jer communicate with governor before hang.
ing. CHARLES II. TAYLOR,
Manager OF the Glob.
This was little before / o'clock. Sill
no word from the governor, and the mo-
rnents were full of suspense and anxiey.
1t had become very exciting in that tide
graph office. Finally at 1.15 word cane
that the governor was in the telegraph Of.
flee at st. Johnsbury, and had received The
dispatches. Then came the rumor that he
had
GRANTED RESPITE FOR ONE WEEK.
Still little later and it transpired thai
on receipt of the dispatches he had at once
telegraphed respite to Windsor until May
4, thus giving ample time to fully investi
gate the information of Mr.. Downing, ant
give the condemned man the benefit of Id,
doubt. Then the telegraph office became
useless for the time being.
THE ADAMS HOUSE REGISTER -PHAIRs PHO
TooRAPH IDENTIFIED.
AS the statement of Phair in the Boste,
Globe was set up from his own manuscpp
"a facsimile of which was given, and al i
was stated in that document that one pisc
of evidence against Phair was that b.
stopped at the Adams house in Boston, 81
the night Of June 0, 1874, as e, +. Smith
instead of in Providence, MIR. Downin,
went to see for himself if the handwriting
on the Adams house register resemble(
that of Phair. A visit to the Adams hous,
developed the fact that the register wa
still in Vermont, and the proprietor hat
been wholly unable up to date to regain
possession of 1t. Furthermore it transpiret
that the two clerks who went to RUTLAND
with the register and paid their own rail
road fares and hotel expenses, had neve
been reimbursed. AS the young men -
not nabobs and cannot afford I
'osO 10, tnvy i.~iiusu III
that Vermont courts do not do II
right thing by witnesses. A visit to III
chief of police office for picture of Pbai
came next In order. and il was promptly
furnished by Detective Ham from bi
pethoric album of criminal celebrities
The picture of Phair was as he looket
when arrested, with light clothes on and
Kossuth hat. Mr.. Downing, after careful
ly examining the picture, was certain tina
Phair was the man he met on the Provi
dence train.
WHO is MR.. DOWNING?
We presume in many circles this inquir,
will be made to-day, not only in Vernon
but in many other parts of New England
Mr.. Downing was born in East Brookfield
VT, and lived there until he was sixtee
years of age. His parents were born
lived and died there, and he has many rel
atives there and in ether parts of Vermont
all people Of the highest responsibility
When the war broke out MIR. Downin
was in Montpelier. He enlisted in Com
/, eleventh Vermont regiment, Capital
Robinson Templeton, and recruited scor
or so of men from his native town for tina
company. He has an honorable W.. record
At the close Of the war he came TO Boston
and for the last four or five years he ha
been in business for himself here in Boston
He is about 35 or SO years Of age, man o
much more than ordinary intelligence an,
ability. One important trait OF his in con
nection with this case is that, while he eau
| not remember names over night, he neve
forgets face even II he has not seen i
| for years. He never talks with a ma
without forever after remembering III
countenance distinctly and being able 1
place him at once. He is man who nat
urally shrinks from notoriety. In the pres
ent instance he can have no motive what
ever but to contribute. If he can, som
evidence to show the truth of the state
| ment of man who denies that he com
mltted crime for which he is about to b
hanged.
Comments Of the Press.
IFrom the Boston GIobe.l
phair nlav Varuontt