The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1879-04-16
SUMMARY OF NEWS
Easiern Ind Middle slaIes.

| Eastern ana MloQle otdie%
Almost complete returns from the election
in Rhode Island give Van Zandt (Repubican)i
for governor, 9,7lS votes; Seger (DemocrHt)i
5,5l5 votes Hin (Greenback and soatterng)i
! 377 votes. Last year Van Zandt's majority
was 3,237. The General Assembly stands:
Republicans, 2si Democrats, s. nc
choice, 2. House-Republican 50; Demo
cnts, Is; no choice, 4.
IL has Just been made public that Whitelaw
Reid, OF the New York Tribune was offered
the position of United States minister 90 Ger
many, as successor OF the late Bayard Taylor,
last December. letter from Secretary
| Evarts, offering the mission TO Mr.. Reid, and
the latter's declination, have been published.
Five large buildings in Philadelphia were de-
stroyed by fire and twelve more damaged, en-
failing total loss OF S750, 200. One man was
| killed and two Others were seriously injured by
a falling wall.
The Hartford city election resulted in the
success of the Republican candidates for city
| auditor and marshal, and the Democratic can
didates for city clerk and treasurer. The Re
| pubcans retain control Of the common council
by majority OF two.
The strikes among the miners on the Mo-
nongahela river, the Panhandle railroad and
| in the coke regions of Southwestern Pennsyl-
wanna are now over and work has been gener-
| ally resumed. The strikes have resulted in an
advance except in the coke regions, where a
demand for an advance was withdmwn.
Nearly one thousand CANNES of every de
description were on exhibition at the third annual
bench show of dogs in Gilmore's Garden, New
York, and prizes for various points of excel
lence were given.
The Pennsylvania Senate has passed bill
establishing State board OF health.
At Clark's Falls, Conn, two boys, each
about four years old the sons of George Mason
and Bradford Perrin, were drowned in a mill
| trench.
William Simpson, the most famous OF New
| York pawnbrokers, is dead.
| John z. Phair, formerly machnist al Rut-
/ land was executed at the Vermont State prison
J in Windsor, for the murder of Mrs Ann Frieze,
on the evening OF June 8, 1874. The con-
| demned man maintained his innocence up to
| the last moment. Phair said that he forgave
the Judges and all who were concerned in his
death, but he believed that his innocence would
yet be made clear TO the world. He main
tanned that on the day of the murder he was
| at Boston soliciting work. In his statement
| affirming his innocence he said: "And to Al
mighty God, the maker of heaven and earth,
| who knoweth the secrets of all hearts, do
now most solemnly appeal in this the hour OF
| my extremity, to hear me and bear witness to
| the truth that L am innocent OF the crime of
which stand convicted; and as am innocent
| or guilty so may He deal with my soul in the
day of Judgment and eternity" Public'opin-
| ion on the subject OF Phair's innocence or
guilt was divided. Upon the trial two Boston
| pawnbrokers and several of their associates
| identified Phair as the man who had sold them
| the murdered womans property, and the
| clerk at the Adams House, in Boston, swore
| that a person who registered as " +. f. Smith,
| ST. Adams, VT" resembled Phair, and the
signatures upon the hotel register and the
pawn tickets were said to be almost fac
smile OF that name and address as writ
ten by Phair in jail at the request of the de-
| tectives. Phair was condemned to be
hanged April g. 1871; but on the day of exc
cution Boston manufacturer named Down
| ing happened to see Boston paper which
contained Phair's last statement. In this
| statement Phair gave an account of his
| whereabouts previous to and during the COM
| mission of the crime, and detailed u conversa-
ton between himself and gentleman on the
| cars while on his way to Boston. Downing
remembered having had such conversation
| on the cars on the date mentioned in Phair s
| statement, and at once took steps TO have the
execution postponed. Telegraphic messages
reached the governor just in time, and the
hanging was postponed to May 4th. The gov
ernor afterward reprieved Phair until the pres
ent month, and the Vermont Legislature
passed a special law which allowed his case to
come before the courts again. Phair's story
was corroboated by Downing and by persons
in Providence, who testified that they saw him
in that city on the day of the murder. Bu
every effort to secure new trial failed, the
Judges holding that the new evidence was of NJ
consequence when the circumstances of thu
pawned effects was taken in consideration. He
received last reprieve ola few days. but moth
ing could be done to save him. He walked W
the gallows' steps firmly and betrayed little
agitation. Two clergymen offered brief pray.
ers, the cap was drawn over his face, and ht
said in a calm but distinct voice: Lord, re
member me in the great day of judgment.
The sheriff then touched the spring and Phaii
fell seven feet, breaking his neck, and dice
without a struggle. The body was then taker
down and placed in neat casket and conveye,
on the midnight train to the home of Phairi
mother in Vergennes.
The lower house of the Massachusetts Leg
slature has rejected the bill to secure womei
the right to vote ON municipal affairs in cite
and towns. The bill giving women the RICH
to vote for members of school committee
came from the Senate for its third reading an
was passed.
At Glastonbury, Conn, Miss Julia E. Smith
sole survivor OF the Smith sisters, lamou
throughout the country for the repeated sale
NJ their Aldcrney COWS to meet taxes whic
they refused to pay because they could nc
vote, was married to Amos &. Parker, of Ne,
Hampshire He was a widower, is awye
} by profession and of the same age as the brid
-eighty-six years.
In regard to the great worlds fair to tax
4 Y
committee has already invited the governor
md mayors throughout the country to sen
delegates or commissioners to great nation,
convention to be held in the metropolis @
June Is next.
| Wasfarn and Cn,rtharn Ctatae