Montgomery County sentinel., 1879-03-07
PHArR's HOPE DESTROYED.

Jonu r. TnalT, au lTOu WOTkeT, was
employed in the Lincoln Iron Foundry at
Rutland, VT, on May 20, 1874, and con-
tinued there until june 8. About the
middle Of May he was introduced to Mrs.
Ann K. Frieze. with whom he became
very intimate. On the morning Of June
8 fire destroyed the house of Mrs. Frcze.
Her dead body was found in tho ruins,
bearing marks of wounds that in them
selves, it was declared, would have been
fatal. 1t was ascertained that on June
10 a man, signing himself on the register
of the Adams House, Boston, as 'E. f.
Smith, St. Albans, Vt.,' had pawned a
shawl, an opera glass, and a ring in
Boston, which articles we're proved I'd
be the property Of Mrs. Frieze. Ex-
perts testified that the handwriting ON
the register and on the pawn tickets was
that of Phair, and the pawnbrokcr iden-
teGed him as the person offering the ar
ticles. He was consequently arrested,
tried, convicted, and sentenced to be
hanged on April 6, 1877.
On March n, 1877, the Dartmouth
college glee club went to Windsor, Ver-
mont, in which village Phair was con-
fined, for the purpose of giving con-
cert. The manager of the club was II.
G. Carrigan, who then represented the
Associated Press in that locality. He
visited Phair in prison and ascertained
that the condemned man had written u
statement in relation to his whereabouts
at the time Of the murder, asserting be-
fore God and man, bis entire innocence
of the crime Of which he had been con-
victed. Carrigan obtained this state
ment, agreeing that it should not be
given to the public in any form until af-
ter Phair was hanged. If II was not
published until after his death, Phair
argued that il might be believed by
some, and, as he said ''If can die by
it they will surely think it of enough i'm
portance at least to read it.
Phair afterward consented that the
document might be printed in Boston on
the morning of the day on which he was
to be hanged, as the newspaper contain
ing it would not arrive in Rutland until
2 o'clock, the time set for the drop, and
in Vergenues not until 4 o'clock and
that it would arrive in Windsor at l
o'clock, so that he would be able to see
that his statement had been treated in
accordance with bis stipulations.
In his statement Phair set forth that
on June @, he accompanied Ann Frieze
to a circus, and aftcrward, going with
her to her house remained with her un-
Til 2 o'clock next morning. This, he
AYERS, was the last time he ever saw her.
On Sunday, June 7, he drove to West
Rutland, and on Monday he went by
train to Brandon, expecting to meet
person there, remaining in tn" village
until evening. lie returned TO Rutland
on the midnight train, went to his room
in the Berwick House. aud slept until
about Al o'clock on Tuesday morning,
June 8. AT about that time be took the
train for Boston, arriving there in the
afternoon. At s o'clock he started for
Providence, and he describes in detail
his journey tbither, where he stayed and
his unsuccessful efforts to obtain work.
On june 10 he returned 10 Boston, and
be tells particularly of an interview he
had with stranger on the train, who
said he was engaged in the manufacture
Of novelties in Boston, and was hiring
agents for their sale, and who offered him
a situation. In the afternoon be took
the train for Vermont and was arrested
while on it for the murder Of Ann Frieze.
On the morning Of April 9, IT. the
Boston GioJe published Phair's state
ment. IL filled seven columns. Upon
the bulletin at the door was tho an
Vermont is 10 hang man
to-day who claims he is innocent"
Mr.. NJ. u Downing, manager Of the
American Novelty works; at so School |
street, Boston, seldom read the GioJe at
that time. but on the morning named
bis Office boy saw the GLoJe's bulletin
and spoke Of il. He was sent for copy
IF the newspaper, aud Mr.. Downing sat
lown 10 read the statement. When be
,ame 10 the description Of the ride Phair
claimed 20 have taken between Provi-
lenco and Boston on June 10, Mr.. Down.
ng recognized the description Of himself
md the account Of the conversation. He
prang up, saying, My God, they've
80 AZ. ...o.,, man . fl... -. Z. t.. |