The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-07

uutu W ucI slctplnB apartment. Inc 1l0Or |
of this room was heavily carpeted, and the |
room well furnished with light, combusti- |
bic furniture, all of which could not fail of |
burning as rapidly as the fire reached IL. |
Now, If Mrs. Freeze was really murdered, |
as IL is claimed she was, believe that the |
party who burned her house was the same
who murdered her; and as | am foully |
branded with the vile crime, |, In the name
of reason and justice, ask how 1t were DOS
sible that could have been the perpetra-
tor of this dastardly crime when | was so
many miles away from where 1t occurred
at the time l repeat, how could 1t be pos
sible just think of it By the very best
of proof have proved my whereabouts
three and quarter long hours before her
house was discovered to have been on fire.
And had l been the author of the deed,
three quarters of an hour more must neces-
sarily be added to the above time to have
allowed me to reach my boarding place be-
fore quarter TO four o'clock, which time
the proof of my whereabouts commenced.
This, it will be seen, would have set the
hour of firing her house at three o'clock, if
it had been done by me. Now, does any
sane man believe that it would take four
hours for a fire to burn through an ordna-
ry wood roof house? Or does any Que think
that it would even take one hour Every
body knows that q four hours fire has often
consumed almost an entire street of build
ings, and, If it will do that, what would be
left Of small cottage house ia one-quarter
of that time One more fact in connection
with the above, and then / am done with
this part. And that is, it will readily be
seen that If had been the perpetrator of
this enormous crime it would have been an
impossiblity for me to have made my way
through the largely populated streets of
Rutland to my boarding place without be-
ing met or seen by some one or another. 1t
is broad daylight in the month of June at
that hour in the morning and a time when
many people are stirring about, especially
those citizens of the place who are more or
less connected with railroads and hotels.
IAN INNOCENT OF TIE CRIME.
have said that death has no terror for
me, which is true; but at the same time ]
would have no one understand that this in
any way aleviates the painful thought OF
being forced to suffer an ignominious and
premature death, as an atonement for the
death of human being whom God knows
| had never harmed. All the unpleasant
ness arising from confinement of
body during the long and weary months
that have past, sinks into utter nothing
ness when compared with the constant
| thought OF the terrible SANDER and false
| hoods which were published in the news
| papers before my case ever reached a law
full tribunal. 1t seemed to me, as it must
have appeared to everyone who knows me
personally, that was tried and pronounced
guilty by the public press before the course
of the law could be brought to bear on the
case. Now | did not think this fair or
even right, for every person accused of any
| oifense against the law is supposed to be
| innocent until proved guilty in court of
| justice. At least the law so declares. To
show the advantage taken of my unpless-
ant condition as an accused, deem il my
duty TO herewith append the heading of
! three articles, published in the Rutland pa
pers shortly after my arrest, which we're
in substance as folloMs: A gentleman from
Troy; N. Y, visited the all Sunday morn
ing where he saw and recognized John p
Phair, who is under arrest for the murder
of Ann +. Freeze of Rutland, as being the
man who, year ago, murdered woman
and two children in Troy, N. Y, and after
wards threw them into the canal in that
place. He was arrested, tried for the
crime, and acquitted on the ground of
| there being no proof to sustain the charge.
1t is said that this ]. p. Phalr, who has so
recently become notorious as the murderer
of Ann E. Freeze, once attempted to decoy
the cashier of the Vergennes bank ont on q
certain evening with large sum of money
for the purpose of waylaying and robbing
him Of the same, etc. This J. p. Phair is
supposed to have been the person who,
some yeare ago, shot at one ii. @. Thomp-
| e ..l.k H..
turning home from his place of business;
motive, to kill and rob him of his money,
| etc. Now the solemn truth is, these were
the most malicious and wicked falsehoods
that human tongue could utter concerning
me, and defy the world to prove any one
of them true, or that l was ever arrested on
such a charge. 1t was undoubtedly the
work of the reward-seekers, and in my
mind it bore but one unmistakable mean
ing on the face Of it, and that wac, to so in
flame the public mind against me that an
impartial trial could not be had. Previous
to these publications there was also pub
lished full account of the terrible means
by which the unfortunate women is sup
posed to have come by her death, and tC
which was attached a wood cut photograph
of the deceased, and one of my own repre-
senting me as her alleged murderer. There
was not a single false statement made by
the press about me that was ever after re
. iaosee w .ne'i uu.nois, hui u'u aiialsl
.heni ,oI .heii iniainons woih. peiiev ..,
snen as w INV, ona. !ney themselves WI.
evehe9a'iy reap 'he lrui's Vi 'he wrong III
'enueu'
UNFAIR MEANS OF DEGRADING HIS CHARAo
TER.
The fact that had ten years previous t
this been sent 10 nrison for the ofiense
horo dooor;had II ,ho ono.,u - .,o,o
nave oe'0i'oeN III 'ne opon'ns VI my ''A'e
ment was also published, with comments
purportlng that this fact alone showed tina
L was person likely to commit the vile
crime OF which am accused. In word,
every conceivable unfair means were re
sorted to by these so-called detectives anc
reward-seekers for the purpose of degrad
| ing my character IN the estimation of the