Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-04-18
A Reprieve-John p. Pfhir's Narrow
Escape

There was remarkable develop
ment at Windsor vt Prison yester-
day afternoon, where the usual prepa-
! rations had been made for hanging
John p. Phair, of Rutland, at two
O'Clock, for the murder of Mrs. Frieze.
At 1.35 there came telegram from
Gov. Fairbanks, at st. Johnsbury,
postponing the execution until May g
The reporters who had gathered to de-
pict the legal killing were out of a job,
the audience were robbed of the horrid
show, and the condemned man, when
told the news, covered his face with
his handkerchief and wept. There is
very good reason for believing that the
State Of Vermont has thus by a narrow
chance escaped killing an innocent
man.
1t will be remembered that the Gov
ernor had previously refused to grant
! a postponemenJ of the hanging and
the story of how he was induced, at the
last moment, to change his purpose is
a remarkable one John y. Phair, a
Rutland mechanic Of amiable, though
not absolutely correct, habits, was con-
victed in October, 1874, of numbering
MIS-. Frieze, and rObbing and burning
her house. The case was worked up
| by local detectives, who FASTENED mat
tiers as much as possible, and who con-
victed Phair upon the evidence of the
clerk of the Adams House. at Boston,
| and several Jew pawnbrokerS Of that
city, to whom the murderer was al
legged to have pawned his victims
effects. Phair left Rutland on the
morning of June 9, when the murder
was done, some four hours before the
fire set by the murderer was discov-
cred He has stoutly alleged from the
first that he passed directly through
Boston to Providence, where he unsuc-
cessfully sought work, coming back to
Boston at noon Of the following day,
the 10th, and thence going directly
toward Rutland, not knowing of the
murder till he read of it at Fitchburg.
and was soon after arrested. The
clerk of the Boston Adams House
identified him, on the other hand, as
the man who passed the night there
June 8; and the two pawnbrokers
sWore to Phair as the man who pawned
with them, on the morning of the 10th,
the articles of jewelry belonging to the
murdered woman.
But new witness now arises to
subStantiate the story told by Phair.
He had prepared circumstantial
statement of the murder, his trial and
| conviction, which was published in
| the Boston papers of yesterday, and
read by NJ. ID. Downing, of the Nov
city Manufacturing Company of that
city, who became convinced that Phair
was the man he met and accompanied
from Providence to Boston on the
morning of June 10, 1874, when the
pawnbrokers had alleged Phair was
selling them jewelry. Visiting the
| office of the Boston Chief of Police,
Mr.. Downing identified Phair's photo
graph among 200. If correct. this tes-
| timony would of course establish an
alibi beyond question. Downing tele-
graphed Gov. Fairbanks at Montpelier
"A statement of his discovery. The
Governor, however, was at st. Johns
| bury, whittier the dispatch was resent,
arriving twenty-five minutes before
the hour for Phair's execution. The
Governor, by mere chance, was at
the telegraph Office when the dispatch
was received, and Immediately tele-
graphed the Sheriff at Windsor to
postpone the execution.
This new development in the case,
coming so luckily as to save Phair's
neck by few moments, of course
creates the greatest excitement. In
view of all the facts, there is very gen
eral belief III the condemned mans
innocence. He has professed CONVEX
sion during his stay in prison. and
won the favor and confidence of the
officials. Phair in his statement, pre-
pared for publication after his death,
of all the circumstances connected
with the affair, atiirmS to the last his
innocence. and protests in detail to the
alleged great wrong done him. Public
feeling being very strongly excited
against him before trial in Octo-
Der. 1874. Phair asked that the
case be carried into Bennington Coun-
~ on the ground that it could not be
fairly tried at home; he also sought a
postponement, but both requests we've
refused. Being too poor TO employ
counsel, the Court assigned Lawyer
Dmton now appointed to the State
supreme BenoA-md Col. Neazey to
the case; hut they have acknowledged,
according to Phair's statement, that
they had too much business on hand
to give the matter suitable attention,
Phair having no money with which to
get the witnesses necessary to prove
his story. Then, the time required to
work up the case and prepare the de.
Tense was not allowed. and they were
forced 10 proceed with very made
quate preparation. The young man
had been imprisoned for larceny when