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

TO say why sentence should not
be pronounced upon him, Phair made an
address protesting his innocence. charg-
ing the witnesses with perjury. etc.
After receiving his sentence he was
taken to Windsor Feb. 18th, 1875, and
was put to hard labor, and continued at
work for some months, when it was
deemed best to confine him to his cell.
No attempt was made to bring his case
before the Legislature in 1876. but dur.
ing the next spring, through the advice
of friends, he presented petition to
Gov Fairbanks for reprieve. The
Governor took upon himself the task of
carefully looking over the evidence in the
case, and became satisfied that the man
was justly condemned Phair had
drawn up very ingenious statement of
his case, and on the day preceding his ex-
ecution, caused it to be sent through E..
G. Carrigan, to the Boston Globe, by
which paper it was published. The
gallows had been prepared and every
preparation perfected for the execution,
which was to take place at precisely 2
p. m. At 1870 the sheriff received the
following reprieve:
ST. JoHNsBURY, April 6, 1877.
To s. W. .Stimson, Sheriff Of Windsor
County, Windsor, Vt.
Delay execution of John P. Phair IN
til Friday, May 4, next. Written re-
prleve till that day will be sent by
mail. (Signed)
HORACE FAIRBANKS, Governor
This was at precisely 1876 p. M, and
the condemned man had but twenty -four
minutes on earth. Sheriff Stinson, as
cending the stairway leading to the
guard room, said: Gentlemen, the ex-
ecution will not take place to day. A
reprieve has been granted by the Cover,
nor until May 4th next" When the
tidings were conveyed to the prisoner he
said, "Send to mother" and fell back
on his couch, in which position he lay
PROSTATE for some time, but the prison
physician, DIR. Henry Furness, vas call.
ed and Phair was restored to conscious.
ness. Prayer was then offered by Rev
Mr. Folger, and the scene can better be
imagined than described. The crowd
dispersed. Sheriff Stimson and his as
sistants, who had conducted the prepa.
rations with admirable tact and proprie.
| ty. retired. The gallows was removed
and laid away. The casket, designed
for the body of Phair, was taken outside
and returned to the undertaken. AL
was soon quiet inside, and the people
retired in wonder and amazement at tn,
extraordinary scene.
The occasion of the first reprieve
grew out of publication of Phair's state
ment in the Globe, and came about il
this way: A gentleman by the name o
Downing, a citizen of Boston, havin,
read Phair's statement in the Globe
recalled to mind an interview with
person on a train, between Providence
and Boston, which he believed to b
Phair. Downing notified the editors o
the Globe, and they telegraphed Gov
Fairbanks, intimating that they hat
discovered very important evidence. Tn
Governor accordingly granted the frs
reprieve.
Phair having been once snatched fror
the gallows, caused petitions to be cir
culated for second reprieve, whicl
was granted, and the time of his execu
ton was set for the lst Friday in April
1879. Phair's counsel and friends sc
about finding new evidence, and prepal
ing to bring the case before the Legs
lature of 1873. The Legislature r,
fused to interfere with Phair's case, b.
passed a general act, by which he coul
lay his case before the Supreme Cour
An application for new trial was mad
to the Court, and was heard by nearly ii
full bench. but the request was denied.
After this Phair's counsel made a
application to Judge Red6eld to stay IL
execution on technical grounds. TIL
, was denied by Judge Red6eld few da,
. previous to the time set for Phair's e,
, ecution. In the meantime Sheriff Slim
son had perfected his arrangements Il
5 second time for the hanging of the door
5 ed man. But Phair's friends had n
given up yet. They had hunted .,
t Downing and brought other witnesses
e light. Downing had been to Winds
J, and seen Phair, and had made an al
;. davit that Phair was the man he saw
!, the cars on the day mentioned.
: ought to be stated that the fact esta
d lished of Phair having been seen on t
d train mentioned, would be strong e.
T. dence in his favor Governor Proct
h had been besieged with petitions and
g quests for reprieve some days prece
W ing this time, and had refused to gra
d a reprieve or Communication. But
.e clemency was at length obtained, a
10 late on the evening of Thursday, Ap
ID Sd, he sent reprieve of six days. T.
,e extended the time until last Thursd;
he Phair's counsel brought the case ag;
er before the Supreme Court, on allee