The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-14

feet. 1t was . frightful scene. There on the
feor, unconscious of all that surrounded him,
lay George Crittenden. His wife had tainted
away, and his daughter was on her knees with
clasped hands, crying out bitterly, Papa, speak
to me; oh, speak to me once morel You will
not die, will you, papa" But he did not
answer; only q low gurgling sound was heard
as II the wounded man was gasping for breath.
he fingered in an unconscious state until this
morning. when he died.
TIE MURDEREss,
Mrs. Fair, is tall, slight woman, and there are
traces in her face which indicate that she was
once beautiful. She advanced upon Mr.. Crit
tenden with a nerve and GOODNESS worthy of a
Wilkes Booth, placed the pistol within two feet
of his breast, Ared, dropped the pistol upon the
deck, and ran, getting into the crowd of pas
sengers.
The ball entered Mr. Crittenden's right breast,
under the nipple. He sat for few seconds as
and fell senseless to the floor. 1t was done so
suddenly that neither his wife, nor son, nor
daughter, who were near him, could realize
what had occurred till they saw him PROSTATE
and bleeding before them.
1t was fully five minutes before the MUIR
deress was discovered, and then she was found
standing in a cool and collected manner among
the crowd usually on the evening boat. On
being charged with the deed, she admitted it
Immediately, sayiDg:-'I didi', certainly. Yes,
did 1t. was looking tor the clerk of the boat
to give myself up"
Parker Crittenden, the son. who was on the
lower deck at the time of the deadly attack, on
being informed of it he said Immediately, II
know who did it; 1 knew it would come to this"
He was terribly excited, and when he came face
to face with Mrs. Fair it was with difficulty he
could be prevented from wreaking his revengeful
wrath upon her. Mrs. Fair was arrested, and
was conveyed to the City Prison. Here she be-
came SO violent it was necessary to send for a
medical man to devise come means of quieting
her. He administered stimulants, but they
rather increased than lessened her rawlings. At
one time glass of water was given her. when
crushed it to pieces. A large piece got into her
mouth, and had the physician not been very
quick, she would have swallowed it; but he
caught her by the throat and forced the glass
from her mouth.
THE MURDERED MAN.
Mr.. Crittenden is nephew of the late Hon.
j. j. Crittenden, and was one of the most promi-
nent citizens of this city. AS n lawyer he had
few equals and no superiors among those prac-
tising in San Francisco. His opinions upon any
question are generally considered to be the law
WHO IS MRS. FAIR?
The woman whose desperate deed has startled
the community is one whore character is we'll
known to Californians. Hergmaidensname is
said to have been Lane, and the first known of
her in this State was when she became the wife
of Colonel William B. Fair, at one time Sheriff
of Sacramento county, gentleman of acknow-
1edged accomplishments and of considerable
wealth. So infatuated was he with her that every
caprice and whim OF hers was gratified, and in
few years she had squandered his splendid
fortune. But when he became a bankrupt she
cast him off and took up with another man.
Fair was q man of tender sensibilities, and so
| deeply did his disgrace wear on him that one
| night in 1858 he entered the office of DIR.
| Murphy, an intimate friend, and after remain
| ing few minutes, took out a pistol and shot
| himself dead. After this Mrs. Fair married
! again. was divorced, married again, and left
| the State.
She emigrated to Virginia City in 1861, and
opened the Tahoe House, where she first met
| Crittenden. He became so taken up with her
| that he for time forgot all things else.
| When the late Rebellion first broke out she
was a strong Southern sympathizer; and when
| the whole Pacific coast was in a state of doubt
as to the side it would declare in favor of, she
| made her appearance in the streets of Virginia
with the ''stars and bars" in one hand and q
cooked revolver in the other, and dared any
person to raise the stars and stripes in her pre-
sence. 1t is stated that one patriot was bold
enough to face her, and he raised the old flag.
She shot at and missed him.
She also raised the Confederate flag over her
house. and defed any one to pull it down.
| Great excitement and ill feeling were caused by
this display on her part, but the flag was finally
| lowered, some persons entering the house
during the night and cutting the halliards.
| When the heat of political excitement had
| passed away, she was arrested and tried. Crit
| tenden defended and procured her acquittal.
Then again she was forgotten until Yesterday,
when she brought herself into more terrible no.
toriety than ever.