Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-04-11

the State Of Vermont, hereby grant repreve to
John L. Phar for six days, and direct you to delay
the execution Of the sentence OF death upon him
until thursday, April 10, 1879, when you will exc
cute the warrant which you now hold in that be-
half, according to law, between the hours named
IN said warrant.
REDFIELD PRocToR. Governor.
PHAIRs HISTORY.
Edward Phair, John P. Phair's father,
was born in Dublin. Ireland, September II.
1907, emgrated to this country at the age
of II and lived in Philadelphia, Sandy Hill
and Granville. and finally moved to Yer
genneS. whore he worked in q woOllen mill
owned hy Edward Jewett. His first wife
died here. and in October, 1913. Edward
Phair married Mary Preston, and the son +,
John II. PhaIr. was born July |, 1913.
Passing by the records OF bis earlier years
and OF several mlsdemeanors OF which his
towns men believed him guilty but OF which
no direct proof was established. We come to
biz nineteenth year. At that time Henry
Thompson kept a restaurant in the base
ment of the Stevens House, where John p.
Phair was in the habit OF spending his even
ings Remaining till time for closing, he
saw Thompson each night count up the
days receipts and put the money
in his pocket. On the night OF
January 10Th, 1862, he was in
ThompsOn's place until Just before
closing, when he disappeared. Thompson
put the amount Of the Gays business in his
pocket, as usual. and started for home, his
road going past the scale factory in the sec
ond and third stories OF which Edward
Phair had his woollen mill, in which John
p. Phair worked. As Thompson passed
this place a two-inch plank, twelve feet
long. shot out of an upper window. narrow
IL missing him. and falling with such force
that it made an indentation foot deep in
the ground. For this attempt on Thompson s
life John z. Pnair was arrested, but the
evidence being defective he escaped.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT MURDER.
The next day Phair hung around in the
ofce of NJ ID. Hall, coal merchant,
and saw him receive sums of money from
his customers That night as Mr. Hall was
going home through the bridge he was
struck hy some heavy object falling from
above and thrown down. Recovering him
self he proceeded a short distance when
John p Pair lid down from one Of the
beams of the bridge. Graphing with him.
Mr. Hall asked him what he meant, when
Phair denied everything and fled into the
darkness Tne next day it was found that
the object that bad fallen upon Mr.. Hall
was stone weighing fourteen pounds and
a Ratchet which Paair had carried around
the day before was found near by. Phair
was arrested, bound over. and committed to
Jail in default of $500 bonds. On trial in
the county court, however the States At
torney. being young and inexperienced,
n eelecied to procure proper evidence and
Phair was acquitted.
ANOTHER MURDERGUs ASSAULT.
Some time later Henry Thompson was
crossing the bridge on his way home.
at about midnight. when man arose
and fired upon him, the ball pass
ing through his hat and cutting the
hair in it, cour-c. Thompson ran, the man
pursuing him, and went to neighbor's
house, where aid was procured. The party
then went to Phair s house, but he was not
in his room. lie was missing the next day,
but soon his family received letter from
him. saying he had shipped in the merchant
service for a foreign p0rt-but in few
weeks he re-appeared in Nergennes.
FoIIED IN MS PURPOSE.
Subseq uen;!y Phair wrote letter pur-
porting to be from Mrs. Samuel Strong to
the cashier of the VergeDnes Bank, asking
him to send her 81 500 of her funds that
evening, a. she was going away on the
morning traia. Phair induced a negro boy
to deliver this letter, threatening tG kill
him if he ever told Of it. That evening he
was seen pacing up and down the road be-
tween Mrs Strong's house and the bank;
but fortunately the cashier, on consultation
with the president, decided not TO send the
money, and Phair was thus ioiled in his
probable purpose.
IN STATES PRISON
For some time. as it afterward appeared,
Phair had been stealing hides from c.
d. Keller tannery. taking them on a
barrow to the river, below the falls, there
loading them on skiff and taking them
across the lake. Watch was kept, Phair
was found in a stoler skiif laden with stolen
hides at the mouth of the river, arrested,
and bound over for trial. lie plead not
guilty before the grand jury. but was in
dicted on six counts. Being placed on trial
he plead guilty and was sentenced on four
counts to four years in the State Prison.
When his sentence had nearly sxnirsh-
rhair became ANXIOUS TO OBTAIN q pardon,
in order to retain his civil rights. and, his
conduct in imprisonment having been e1.
rmplary, he procured it. lie then obtaipe d
IN the St Adams machine shop,
afterwards in Nergennes, and finally in
Rutland. During his imprisonment his
father had moved to Elizsbethtown, n. Y.
buying mill there and subsequently an
other building and a water power. giving
mortgage on the FIST to secure the
second. About a year alter his sons
release he died. and was buried in
V,rgennts. The time drew near when
a sum o! money-S200 - must be paid
10 prevent the estate from being fore
closed on the mortgage; and this Phair
tried to raise IN various ways. but in vain.
Then came the murder Of Mrs Freese, with
the details of which and OF the subsequent
Iacts our readers are already familiar.
SIch are few incidents briefly told in the
life OF man v hon it is in possible to consider
other than cs cold hearted, cold-blooded |
murderer.
SwANToN --Swanton fisherman have CON-
menced shipping fish. 1t is said they have
leased Canad. waters.
&. r. Smith lost valuable horse, last
week. lie had taken off ihe shoes " hen
the horse slipped down. striking on his
head and killing him instantly.
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