Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-16
The Phair Case.

Messrs Editors NV patience has been re-
peatedy and severely tried by the way some of
the Massachusetts daily newsp ,pers have mis-
iep esented persons and things il. this state and
hv the c edence which has been given to these
misrepresentation by Vermont people even, who
nught on general principles To be able to discrim-
inaie more justly between what l. probably true
and what is probably ftse in the letters and dis
MATCHES from this state to those newspapers.
There never has been but one instance-that of
the BtXter sclndal-in which the people Of Rnt-
land have heen much ANNOYED by snch mis-
representations as in the Phair case The state
oi Vermont has been charged with heing small
and stingy in allowing only twenty d liars To pay
the counsel assigned by the court IN defend Phair
these correspondents have never taken the trouble
IN learn that the amount which may be allowed
at the discretion gf the court in snch eases is fixed
y statute law, and that Veim mt il the only state
in the Union that furnishes its criminals any Pc
cnnary aid for their defence. la the trial OF
Pliair the court, ms is customary in this state,
allowed All the witnesses for the defence to be
summoned hy the states attorney and paid ly
the state II has been said too that Phair did
not have fair trial. Bnt he hHd able counsel
who did everything in their power to establish
his innocence. Colonel Veazey took minute di-
rectinns from Phnir and went to Bnstnn and
Providence and with the aid of the hest detectives
| failed to find any evidence that Phar had been
| in Providence. Alter he returned TO Rutland he
told Phairs brother-in-law, a lawyer from New
| York state, that there was no discOverabe trace
| of the journey to Providence, and this brother
| ln-lAW gave up tine defence AS hopeless ana re-
turned To his home. The case reviewed by
the supreme Court and no fault was found with the
proceedings in the county court Governor FAR
| banks examined the reports of the murder the
arrest and trial with great care, and wrote a let
ter to Phair which has been published, telling
| him that he could find nothing to justify re-
| prieve The people of Rutland have been also
| criticised by these Massachusetts newspapers be-
cause they do not now contribute funds To pay the
expenses of the correspondents and detectives
| and lawyers who are now engaged in phairs be-
half And vet in spite of all this there are people
Of prominence In Rutland who have signed the
| petitions to the legislature to do something to
| save Phair from execution. This TACT does not
show that these men attach any consequence to
| the so-called new evidence, but that they, like
thousands of men everywhere, will sign petition
| as the quickest and easiest way of getting rid OF
| impOrtuning friends or disagreeable bores. Nearly
all the men, we think, who have signed this petit
tion in Rutland say that they think Phair murdered
Mrs Freeze The counsel who defended him
think he is guilty All the men who are familiar
with the case believe that there is no eVi
dence worthy of a moments consideration. The
readiness with which men have lent their influence
to aid phair is only another evidence OF the re
luctance OF men generally 10 face popular ealnoI
when 1t has gained any considerable headway.
The editor Of the Rutland Herald, and of th'
Herald d Globe since the union Of the two papers
has maintained u consistent course with respec
to this case, from the tirst II the business
manager of the paper, Mr., A. II. futile, has haC
, any views on the subject at variance with thu
views OF the editor and the assistant editor, hI
has never expressed them to the editor, who nov
learns for the first time, that he sgned the peti
tion presented By Mr. Redington to the legisla
: ture The editor who has been responsible 10
/ what has been published in the Herald and tn
Herald d Globe, with reference 10 this case, ha
not signed this petition, and he nov holds tn
opinion that has been repeatedly aud clearly eN
a pressed from time to time, IN regard to Phair
guilt, and the interference OF outside parties i
| the case :. h r.