St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-04-13
Phair'S Statement.
He is Reprieved by Gov. Fairbanks
for Four Weeks.
PHAIR'S LAST STATEMENT.

10 commit the crime through others
influence. | was arrested, plead guilt,
of the charge, and received, by Judg,
Pierpont, what seemed to almost every
one most cruel sentence-six yeals il
the Vermont State Prison. | have new
Ell complained of that sentence L wa
guilty of the charge, aud was willing t.
suffer the penalty. As to my conduc
III prison at that time others can testify
L endeavOred to do all that was impOs
ed upon me without Il murmur. Sutfic,
it to say that at the end of five years
was pardoned out by Gov. Hendee, anC
went home, where was received will
outstretched arms by ii dear father an'
mother and loving sisters.
| soon secured work ut Rutland il
the shops of Mansfield & Stimson, ma
chinist. | was introduced to Mrs
Frieze, a disolute woman, by an ac
quaintance of hers, and became fire
quent visitor ut her house. | have no
the heart to justify my forming the ac
quaintance of this woman, and what
here say of myself is not in palliatiol
of any act of mine, nor will | in any
degree cover up anything in which
have been in the least connected. Goo
forbid. But l was not the only one
who visited this house. There are mel
i'll Rutland ut this moment who, if
should name, could not deny what
know to be fact. that while their fami.
lies at home supposed they had gone to
market on business they went no fur
ther than this house, where they spent
night after night. Mrs. Frieze was fol
Il time supported by a gentleman in
Rutland, who built for her the house
she occupied. 1t was made of light
wooden material throughout, and if
fire had been set in any part of the
building it would have been consumed
with great rapidity.
The horrible murder of which have
been so unjustly convicted occurred on
the morning OF June 9, 1874, and the
first discovery of the fire in Mrs FREEZES
sleeping apartment was about 7.3O
o'clock, at which time | was at Bellows
Falls on my way to Boston. The last
time | saw this was on the Saturday
preceding, June 6, when we rode to
CastletOn. On our return Mrs. FrieZe
was informed that Il box had been LETT
ut Il neighbours directed to her, and up
on opening it found it to contain a cdsk
of very choice liquors. On arriving at
the house note was also found pushed
under the door. She picked it up and
requested me to read it, when, to my
utter establishment, L discovered she
could neither read nor write. At about
this time Mrs. Freize was in very
Strengthened circumstances, and found
it exceedingly difficult to pay some of
her bills. | loaned her money. The
most friendly relations existed between
us. That evening we attended Bar
NUNS Circus, and | accompanied her
home. We were constantly interrupt
ed while | remained at her house. I'm
til this time | did not know that she
was such IL common character. They
continued coming until no less than
nine men had called. requested my
hat and took leave of Mrs. Frieze.
which was the last time | ever saw this
woman. | was at the Berwick House,
where | boarded, on Sunday. On Mon
don /; there remained all day, and re-
turned to Rutland on the midnight
train went to the Berwick House,
where | stayed till | took the train at
4.3O O'Clock on Tuesday morning, the
9th, for Providence, r. l., where | was
going to obtain work. The fire was
not discovered i'll Mrs. FREEZES house
till about Z. 30 o'clock that morning, at
which time | was at Bellows Falls, and
so, how could it have been possible for
me to commit the horrible act Arrived
at Boston, | went immediately across
the city to the Boston and Providence
depot, and thence directly to Provi-
dence, r. L., where | expected to find
work at my trade. | was never in |
Providence before, and can give the
names of none of the streets. My purse |
was low, for which reason | did not 90
to Il hotel, but found lodging that
Tuesday night at a boarding house.
There was no register kept that | know
Of, and l did not give my name.
In the morning Wednesday, l took
breakfast at restaurant near by, and |
vent to the machine shops for work.
but found none after which | took the
train back to Boston, arriving about
noon. As the train for Vermont did
not leave till $50 P. NJ, occupied the
time in visiting the Charlestown NAVY
\ ard, for having served in the NAVY
during the war | was interested in it
look the $50 P. Nj. train for Rutland
and rode as far as Cuttingsville, about
II miles from Rutland, where | was
arrested, handcutfed, searched and
lodged in the Rutland County Jail.
A reward of $1,000 was offered for
the arrest of the criminal, which was q
great incentive to the detectives. Pho
of me were taken and sent to
Boston and placed in the hands of
.he two OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and
Pierce, both Jews-with whom all the
world knows the Christian oath is not
and who could be brought to
swear away a human life for the paltry
sum of few dollars. My preliminary
Examination was held on Friday, the
18th, and earnestly requested the Of
lcers to allow me to change the light
;olored suit of clothes worn when NV
photograph was taken, as the pictures
lad been so widely circulated that
would be made by the
picture alone, but this request was re-
used and | was led to the examination
between two officers, handcuffed, and
rom my position between these officers
was easily recognized by three Jew
'awnbrOkers. | was remanded back to
all to await my trial at the September
ERIN of court.
An effort was made for a change of
enue, on account of the great prejudice
Vhich existed against me in Rutland,
nj also a pOstponement of the trial
Ias urged, that | might have further .
Ime to prepare fol it, but these re- !