The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-21
Jail. and in October was tried for the crime and

and Departed Immediately Tor Boston. The nre
w"s ws ,nnnI n'n,Nr'T m & o. % G au MI I
Inflicted ~ her murderer. The prosecution
further alleged that phnir went e, Boston. and
according tUthr register ut tho Adams House.
he did not 80 10 Providence, but stopped in l}os-
ton that hy ihrt'stimcnY Of one Pierce. pawn
broker; nt u Howard street. Boston. he pawned
shawl md an oprrq glass that were the prop;
crty of the murdered woman. and thern signed
the pawn ticket IN the nalue oi i, f. Smith.
with one on" ASrams@. @ a, is salem street. and % the
triezc womnn's ring with ono Erlichs. on WASH
lngon MtS All ni y" pn,Wn w ifEe,s h wSro
Z. F. Smith. 81. Adams. VT. which name was on
the hotel register.
writing on all was that OF Phair. II was. there
fore. avcrrcd that Fhnir could not have been in
rroydencc either ,n, On the ni9nt 81 the Sh or tho
brokers swore to his identity Sufficient proof
was therefore shown TO warrant n conviction.
fsH is77 nc was sentenced TO DO hanged on Apr''S
Tho Boston Globe published Phnir's state
pncnt on tho morning OF Friday, April 9. 1877
II filed seven columns. Upon the bulletin at
the door was the announceniont that Vermont
Is to hang MN To-Day who Claims that he is
the American Novelty Works. at so School
street. Boston. seldom read the Globe at that
time. ic usually bought his papers on his
do SO. and during the forenoon his Office boy
alluded to the fact OF tho Globe bulletin. and
trary to his usual custom. Mr.. Downing sat
down TO rcnd the statement Coming down 10
that portion which rclnted tho trip 70 Provi-
dence. Downing was overwhelmed with aston
ishmcnt and the burden Of his own recollec-
tons and. jumping from his cha chair hS
man; this man IL innoccntv'
As soon as he became calm he said that he
went TO Providence on the morning OF June 10.
1874, and returned upon tram which left
Providence in the forenoon and reached Boston
about noon Of that day. His memorandum book
was referred to and the time found to be cor
rect. While coming to Boston on that train Mr,
Downing met and talked with man who said
he was from Rutland. W: had gone to Pr9vi;
the Screw Company in Providence. but that it
was 30 dull ho could not. and that nc was going
back TO Rutland. Mr.. Downing was in a line OF
business in which he employed many agents.
and being favorahly impressed with the mans
nppssSSne @ pc eye9 inr % bs " 9 TbS
| did not seem TO impress the man fnyorably and
| as Mr.. Downing was native OF Vermont. the
| two men tai ked awhile on general subjects nnd
| then parted neither man having had occasion
| TO ask tho other for his name or address. Mr..
| Downing paid no particular attention To- the re-
port OF tho murder or the trial and read the par
ticulars of neither. or courRe he could not have
| known that Phair was tho man he had met. nor
ter to his mind until he read Phnir's statement:
| Thinking Il very improlabie that two men had
| left Rutland Juno .. 1874, applied to the Screw
| Company for work and taken the same tram for
| Boston June 10. 1874. he concluded that Phair
| might have beeDthe man.
| When Mr.. Downing reached this conclusion
| II was nearly II O'clock and Phair was TO be
| hanged in sbouttwo hours. Burdened with the
Thought that he might possibly bc ahlc TO fur
! nish evidence that would help prove Phnir's in
| nocence he Immediately started 10 End some
| way to let tho Governor OF Vermont know his
impressions before IL WIS too late. He rushed
| into the editorial rooms OF ono newspaper
| office. but little attention was paid TO him, and
OF Police. where he was advised to go to the
| newspaper ofllccs or to telegraph the Governor
HE then went nS the g9s ,SS ass and
| mediately telegraphed the following:
| Bosros April, 1877
mink and csnvsr..d with N. man who /. to be
Boston. June TO- isTt / send by advice OF Chief OF
tssneO NJ u Dovspo, so School street
| Cor Fr,rl.ink, hontreli,r, VI.
Mr. Downng story about Phsir seems 10 be worthy Of
csisnedi CmiRty, II TAYLOR Manager OF GISe
An attempt was made to forward the de-
spatches. but II was found. 70 the dismay Of all
| three men. that II was the dinner hour ot the
| Montpelier operator and that he was ont. Word
was Immediately sent TO al the vermont tele,
| graph offices to ascertain the whereabouts of
| the Governor II was known that the hanging
| WAS to be ut windsor, nnd OF course the Gov
| with Windsor. II he desired 10 do so. Mean
| while tho moments were passing away with
what seemed TO be lightning rapidity ~ 80 mud
| II Was Of course realized hy those present that
| no person save the Governor had control over
| tho Sheriff. who was TO perform the execution
| hut the time for the execution was so near thai
| the following despatch was sent
| To n, Sh,r,f a Prf-1n. Eind-or. n
Arcisbe man here states after reading Phar's state
s he n i .sn Ss - Gs BE- IL. & rss s.a n .p
was from Rutland and h.i spplied 70 Screw Comlany,
pTsrdsnes for wSk sd y9" not better commune
| ts,snedl CHAs II T.rLoK, Manager OF Gk1>
| This was sent n little hefore O'Clock Still
| no word came from the Governor. and the mo-
| ments were full OF suspense and anxiety.
| Finally. at :l5. information was received thnt
| the Governor. almost providentially. IL seemed.
| was in the telegraph Office at st. Johnsbury.
| and received the dispatches. little later IT
became known that on their receipt he nt once
telegraphed 10 Windsor postponing the execu-
| ton until the 4th Of May thus giving ample
| time for fully investigating the statement Of
| Mr.. Downing. and giving the condemned man
| the benefit Of the doubt
The scene in tho prison when the news OF tho
an early hour the scafIold was made ready and.
at clock. Phnir, dressed In plain black. was
ready for execution. He was calm and col
| lected and fully rcconcled to the ordeal He
spoke freely ofthe execution. expressed the hope
| that death would bo instantaneous, said he was
vb 10 ee on thc rop ana ws b@ 6 VAS
| waiting to be conducted to the scaffold II WAS
announced to him that respite IN, ma been
whoIiy iIiyu upe1peetcd M he ' cxciaimsd @9iod be
praised" and. apparently .bewildered, he was
| overcome with emotion and fnintcd. With few
exceptions NIL present expressed great relief
| and Joy Mt the announcement OF the Govern
| or's respite as Phhr had made agood impress
sion during his term OF confinement in the
| The granting OF the reprleYe created good
| doal of excitement in the Stntc OF vermont. nhd
| petitions for and against the hanging OF Phalr
| were freely circulated and largely signed.
| Every effort was made 10 discover evidence to
| support phair's abatement, and that Obtained by
| the commission OF investigation sent by GOV.
| Fairbanks 10 Boston and Providence having
b-en presented him and examined, on the nd
| vice of q member OF the supreme Court and
some Of the States most eminent lawyers ne
| rOprieve WINS extended for two years, that the
| case might he Investigated by the prcs"nt As
srmbly. aud some acton taken. This was nee
| nssnry hscausc undnr the laws ~ vermont no
| judicial investigation could be Elective without
! the sanction ~ the LegislHturc as executions
| during the triHl hHd already been passed upon
| bv tho Supromc Court and the Governor hhF-
! ing no pr'TogRt.ye Of ordering Low trlel or ~
! committing the sentence This at urt wiih
! universal approval throughout the STATE. and
| to-dny the petitions Ot oN.'r loom eitlMns are
| hrfore the Legislature. praying tnr fprrihl leg
| islatlon in phhir's case, for the purtwse ot
| granting y new trial or Tor cOnnutinE the SON
| tenrn The case In now before the Junt Com
| mitrr on tho judiciary. II whom it ha0 boon
| referred. and henrin. has been So, for TO-
morrow. Al that hrar,H8 will hr brought out
! the results OF the investigation IN Boston and
| Providence, where. 50 Tar rs circumstances, To-
cAlities. nud distances nro concerned. the state
mont of Phair is corroborated.
|
Attacking a Gang Of Train Robbers.
ST. LOUIS. Oct. 2O-Advlces received from tho