Weekly Trinity journal., 1871-04-15
SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
The Great Murder Trial.
FROM Our REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
SAN FRANCISCO. Anril 8. 1871.

insane?" and hundred other questions passing
from mouth to mouth, always about Mrs. Fair,
as she is now, or was, or will be. 1t is Mrs.
Fair in the newspapers, Mrs. Fair in the pulpits,
Mrs. Fair in the saloons, restaurants, parlors,
streets, horse cars, Mrs. Fair everywhere and at
all times, until one gets tired of the name and
its associations and wishes that Mrs. Fair and
her crime were eclipsed by seme new sensation,
that they might be heard of no more.
HOW THE COURT ROOM LOOKS.
All the week the Court room has been crowded.
Every morning before the doors have opened a
fragment of the "great unwashed " has taken up
positions in the lobby leading to the Hall of JUS
| tice--dim, dirty, uncontrolled hall more fit for a
prison than anything else, ready to pour in a tu
multuous throng into the room as soon as the
bolts were Withdrawn. Then later on have come
in the privileged the members of the bar and of
the press, few of the strong-minded, the friends
of the prisoner, then her counsel, the jury, the
judge and last of all, always the last, the pris-
oner herself. The proceedings vary but little
whether dull or interesting. In plain, family
rocking chair, rocking chair that suggests
happy, comfortable fresides, grandfathcrs, chill
dren, warmth and love, the unhappy woman sits
all day long. On either side are her counsel at
tentive to her as if she was lady in drawing
room needing her suggestions, now whis-
pering to her for information, letting not word
of anything tina: transpires escape their notice,
but watchful with eye and ear, and ready with
tongue, as if their own lives as we'll as their
clients was supposed to depend on the result.
The Judge, calm, immovable, slightly wearied,
says but little; the jury-unhappy jury, now
fourteen days from the bosom of their families,
and which more concerns them, their offices-lis-
ten to the testimony with countenances express
sive of listess resignation, the reporters ply
their pencils, quickly and noselessly the specta-
tors shuttle their feet, jerk about and make as
many small noises as possible, and so it goes on
day after day from morning to night, with little
or nothing to vary the dull monotony of the pro-
cedure. A trial is far more interesting to read
about than to witness.
| FAIR WOMEN AND DARK DEEDS.
Why it is that imagination iously de-
picts a bad women, and especially violent
woman as brunette, why dark hair and black
eyes should mentally associate themselves with
our pictures of resolute feminine wickedness is
more than l can determine, unless it is notion
instilled into us by Messrs the novelists. Cain
may have blue eyes and faxen hair, but Sisera
has always raven tresses and black flashing eyes
at least she is so drawn by our mental pencils.
had several illustrations of this tendency to as
sociate dark women with dark deeds while in
the Court room this afternoon. More than hal
dozen times | heard the whispered remark,
Why, she has light hair" expressed in man
ner that showed the speakers were surprised at
the fact. If Mrs. Fair has done little else to
commend, she can at least take credit for having
corrected popular mistake and given denial
to the innumerable poets, artists and romancers,
who in all ages and in all climes have made their
wickedest heroines as dark in complexion as
brush and pen could paint them.
MRS. FAIRS TESTIMONY.
The testimony given by the prisoner in her
own behalf, has had marked effect in infuenc-
| ing the daily verdict of clubs and parlors Mr.
Crittenden is shown to have been not quite such
an unwilling captive to Dalah as rumor as
serted, and Dalilah not nearly so bad as she was
made out to be. That Virginia City shooting
story about the manning of some who had
the patriotic audacity to hoist the natl onal flag
above her residence Fourth of July some
years ago, revolved itself into a very small mat
ter, and many other mountains were In like man.
ner reduced to mole-hills. Mr.. Crittenden, on
the other hand, is shown to have folio wed Mrs
Fair East, to have instigated her last divorce,
to have neglected his wife and children for her,
and to have behaved to her in all respects with
an infatuation sayoring either of love or mad
ness.
MRS CRITTENDEN.
"I was his wife for thirty three years." l
think these words spoken by Mrs. Crittenden
have been the most sorrowfu of any uttered dur
| ing the trial. "For thrty-three years." and
she seemed to add " Then you robbed m e first of
his affections and then of his life." Mrs Crit
tenden has been in constant attendance almost
| from the commencement. Mr. Wilson, her late
husbands law partner, escorts her into the room
every morning, finds her seat next to the pros
ecuting counsel, then goes out for an hour or
so to his place of business, and returns to stop
all day until the Court adJourns.
WHAT WILL THE VERDICT BE
| 1t is almost waste of time to speculate what
the verdict will be, it will probably be an
| nounced in the same issue of the JOURNAL that
contains this letter. The general impression in
this city is that it will be one of acquitta or at
the most disagreement among the jury. The
latter think is the most probable From pres
ent appearances the trial will last till Thursday
certainly until Wednesday night, and the jury
will take some hours to come to decision, even
if they are unanimous.
OUR ANNUAL EARTHQUAKE.
We had lively shock of earthquake about eight
o'clock last Sunday evening. Its duration was
from eigh: to ten seconds, and it was followed
soon after by several slighter vibrations. 1t can
hardly be a coincidence that for three years in
succession, smart earthquakes have been felt
here either on the 18th or End of April. In 1869
we had an unpleasant shock at P. NJ. ON the
18th !. last year a similar one at noon on the
18th, and this year as narrated at s P. NJ. on the
End. Who rises to explain why that particular
thirtY-siE honrs should be SO affected