The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-09
JOHN p. PHAIR.
ALLEGED NEW EVIDENCE.
A BOSTON MANS STATEMENT.
THE CLAIMED LOST LINK.
The Reasons of the Governors
Reprieve.


Various Statements, Incidents and Comments
Of the Press.
Our community was again excited on
Saturday, by the rumor that new evidence
had been found, corroborating Phair's ac-
count of his trip to Providence, and prov
ing an albi. On the arrival of the Boston
papers on Saturday afternoon, reports
which had been current were verified,
and gave the reasons which fully justified
Governor Fairbanks in granting stay of
Phair, execution until thursday, May 4th.
The statement of'Mr. Downing, of Boston,
is entitled to consideration so far as IL goes,
ead will attract public attention every
where. That Our readers may have all the
facts of this case before them, and il is one
of the most remarkable instances of escape
from the gallows in history, we give q de-
tailed account of the various rumors and
incidents. The long statement of John P.
Phair, which appeared in the Boston Globe
Friday morning, created an intense ex-
element. The apparently candid manner
in which Phair stated his case, his solemn
statement of his innocence of the crime of
which he was convicted, made, as it were,
almost at the last hour of life, made q pro-
found impression, especially upon the
minds of people who had not read the re-
ports Of the trial, or those who had forgot
ten the circumstances of the case. People
who read the interesting and startling story
were inclined to doubt the guilt of the con-
demned man, whom all supposed would be
launched into eternity before many hours
had passed. By three o'clock news came to
the astonished people that Phair had been
reprieved till May 4th.
The following is the narrative of
HOW THE REPRIEvR WAS GRANTED:
Among the Boston men who walked
carelessly and in their usual manner into
their offices or counting rooms Friday
morning to transact what business the
rainy weather had left to them, was Mr.. M.
d. Downing, manager of the American
Novelty company, at 80 School street. Mr..
Downing's custom is invariably to buy his
papers on his way to the office, glance
through them hurriedly and to attend to
business. Friday morning one of his young
men, Mr.. Robert /. Loheed of South Bos-
ton, came in with the announcement that
the Globe had put out an enormous bulletin
announcing that "Vermont was to hang a
man to-day who claimed his innocence >
MIR. Downing at once sent out for copy Of
the paper. This itself was unusual, as he
usually buys the Globe and Herald every
morning on his way TO his office. He can
not recollect to have sent out to buy a
paper in the forenoon for three years. This
was at about fifteen minutes of II o'clock.
Then he did another thing he never did be-
fore-read long newspaper story in bust
ness hours. Coming down to this part of
Phair's statement, he sat almost rigid in
his chair, SO overwhelmed was he with as
constituent
q Here follows The account of Phair's visit
to Providence, given in his statement, pub
lished on Saturday morning
MIR. DewNNG's MEMORANDUM.
After reading this part of the statement
Mr.. Downing jumped out of his chair and
exclaimed: "My God, they have got the
wrong man! This man is Innocent" His
words and excited manner astonished his
associates, and as soon as he became calm
he stated that he went to Providence on the
morning of June 10, 1874, and returned
upon train which lett Providence in the
forenoon and reached Boston about noon
on that day. His memorandum book was
| referred to at once and the time was found
| to be correct. On that train, coming to
Boston, he met and talked with man
whom he firmly believed TO be Phair, and
on reading the above statement of Phairs
he saw how important a link he might
possibly supply. The reader will remem-
Der that the murder was upon June o,
| 1874, and that Phair claimed that he was
in Providence on the evening of that day,
and left there on the forenoon of the 10th,
arriving in Boston at noon. This led MIR.
Downing to recall to mind all the circum-
stances OF the trip, and his recollection of
the facts is about as follows;
| TILE TRIP FROM PROVIDENCE.
Mr.. Downing left Boston by the early
train and came back in the forenoon, az
stated, being anxious to keep an apoint-
ment with a gentleman in Boston in the
afternoon on an imports business matter.
Stepping into the smoking car at Provi-
dence he rode in that until he had finished
a cigar, and then passed into a passenger
car. The man whom he now suppose s to
be Phair sat in seat alone. Taking seat
by his side, Mr.. Downing soon entered into
conversation with him. The man said he
hailed from Vermont whereupon, Mr..
Downing, who himself was born and raised
in Vermont, inquired what section the man
from. 81 am from Rutland" said the man ;
81 came down yesterday, and tried to get
work Of the Screw company in Providence,
but it is so dull could moi, land am going
back to Rutland" This led to further
conversation. Mr.. Downing was in line of
business in which he employed good many
agents, and being favorably impressed with
the mans appearance and his evident in
telllgence, he told him ii he did not find