Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-04-14

mes the greater portion of his life. His
father at one time was a prominent
wooden manufacturer and died some
years ago. Phair's mother, now living
in Vergennes, is an estimable lady.
From his youth John has been vicious.
At three different times. warrants have
been issued for his arrest for ate mpted
murders. In the first instance, man
was shot at by Phair, as it was general
ly believed. The second instance, was
the attempt to kill man by dropping
stone on to his head. as he was passing
through bridge. The man was badly
hurt but recovered. Phair was the
man thought to have dropped the stone.
At later time he threw heavy plank
out of window, which came near strik-
ing and killing the same man who had
escaped the bullet and the stone. Com
hitting larceny in 1865, he was senten-
fenced to States Prison for six years.
In 1871 he was pardoned out of prison by
Gov. Hendee. In 1874 he went to Rut-
land and let himself as machinist.
The crime of which he was last con-
victed was that of arson, robbery and
murder of Mrs. Ann E. Frieze, who
kept house of ill-fame, on Forest street
in Rutland, Vt. On Tuesday morning,
June 8, 1874, the house owned and oc-
cupied by Mrs Frieze was discovered to
be on fire in the second story, in the
chamber she occupied as sleeping
room. In a few moments the flames
burned through the floor, and the scorch-
ed and mutilated trunk of human body
came falling through. An examination
was made, when, to the horror of all,
they found huge wound extending
from ear to ear, completely severing the
laryux, and four stab wounds in the
right side of neck. Three of these
struck the vertebr9, while the fourth
passed behind and severed the muscles
in the back part of the neck. The lungs
showed that death ensued before suffoca-
ton could have taken place. The first
person to enter the building was gen.
tleman named Jardine. He pushed his
way through the smoke to the front up
per room, and there, under the thick
cloud in the midst of the smouldering
flames, saw the remains of Mrs. Frieze,
which had fallen through the partly
consumed bed and lay on the floor. He
was driven from the room, but as the
flames worked their way through the
floor underneath he poked away the de-
bris with long pole and the partly
consumed body fell down. With it,
came articles of mems clothing done up
in bundle. Mr.. Jardine noticed them
particularly. and pushed them apart.
thinking they might contain some por.
ton of human being. 1t did not occur
to him that they might belong to the
murderer, for it was not known that q
murder was committed then, and they
were allowed to burn. 1t is a we'll
known fact that that Phair's working
clothes have never been found. 1t was
thought that robbery instigated the
horrid crime, as she was known to have
money, jewelry and some valuable cloth
ing about her, all of which were miss
ing. Suspicion was at once directed t.
John ?. Phair, who was, at that time
in the employ of Mansfield & Stimson
machinists, Rutland, and who was
frequent visitor at her house las he him
, self acknowledges in his statemenO, ant
had also been seen many times in he
, company, on the street. On the Satur
day before the murder, the 9th, he &C
= companied her to Barnum's circus, an,
= went home with her. He was not a
his clearinghouse after Sunday. 18th
until Tuesday morning, 9th, when b
= left Rutland, on the 4:30 a. m. trair
for Boston, from the Berwick House
and arrived there in the afternoon. II
Immediately went to the Adams Hous
and registered his name as E. F. Smith
st. Adams, Vt. ; he then went to brol
! er, named Abraham, and pawned lady
- watch and chain for S35, giving h
name and residence same as at the hote
He stayed at the Adams House tn;
night, and the next day pawned, to OF
q Pierce, an opera glass, shawl and ring
one of which was torn from her fnge
q In closet, in the room he occupie,
=, was half shawl which he had eviden
p ly forgotten, and which was identift
70 as one which Mrs. Frieze owned ar
y wore. He left Boston for Rutland {
u the evening train of June 10, whi'
% was due at Rutland on the mornil
10 of the llth; and at Cuttingsville, fe
" miles from Rutland, he was arrested al
~ taken to Jail. At the examination
lie was proved to have been the person W
NJ registered the name Z. F. Smith, al
"a. also by the brokers in Boston, who Car
Of to Rutland and identified Phair as t
GO one who pawned the watch and 9th
.rs articles. Before the examination,
II was handed pen and paper, and reque
ba ed to write the name, E. F. Smith,
m Adams. VT, which he very reluctant