Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-08-01
OF him to produce it, but he will not
THERE is NO SCANDAL

affair of mine with Mr.. Crittenden. II h.
been said that Colonel Fair was sheriff of ST
kiyou county and that he absconded with
large sum of money belonging to the county
and that l, his wife, ran away with a man
the name of Gordon. Now. there was ma
by the name of Fair sheriff of that county
and he is reported to have absconded, bu
whether he had wife or not I am unable t
say, or whether man by the name of Gordo
ran away with her. His name was Samue
falr, but IN no way was he connected with 10,
husband and as for Gordon, I never saw him
1t has been stated that
SHOT MY PARTNER
In the Tahoe House. in Virginia City. for at
tempting to raise the American flag over m,
house, and that Mr. Crittenden defended me
Also, that | walked the streets of that city
with Confederate flag in one hand-a pisto
In the other. All this is false, and one of the
meanest things ever uttered There was false
hood enough uttered against me on my trial,
under the solemnity of an oath, to crush a
dozen mortals like me, without resorting To
wholesale mendacity like this. This is all a
malicious manufacture. In the first place. I
never had a partner In business nor in the Ia
hoe House. | never had a Confederate flag,
and never saw one. | never walked the streets
OF Virginia City with pistol in my hand or a
flag OF any kind, or the streets of any city
with either. kept the Tahoe House Id Vir-
ginia City. and kept it alone About Christ
mas OF 1863 man engaged in the toy business
kept store under my house. He placed a
large Christmas tree, covered with dolls,
drums, flags, flies, and other articles belonging
to toy store, upon my balcony My boarders
complained of the obstruction. I then re-
quested the toy merchant to take it away and
put 1t upon his own premises He refused,
and said he had right to put it there, when
l called my brother, O. D. Hunt, who was
then acting as my clerk, and had been for
some tlme to come and cut it down; which he
did. Some of my friends came and told me
that the crowd outside misunderstood my mo-
tive in removing the tree, and supposed it was
on account Of the flags which were upon it
L at once stepped to the front Of the balcony
and explained the case to them; adding, to
remove all doubt about it, any gentleman
among them who so desired had my full per-
mission to place flag upon my house, and l
think some one did SO. The toy merchant also
sent his clerk to raise flag over my house, to
which objected, as he had not treated me
like a gentleman but he persisted, whereupon
asked the loan of a pocket-knife from Mr..
Walters, aud attempted to cut the rope, for
which act the toy man brought a suit against
me, which resulted In verdict against him,
and being tried for the act of aggression, was
fined $75.
And now few words l wish to submit to
the public about
THE MONEY,
1t Is alleged was given me by Mr. Crittenden.
L kept the Tahoe house thirteen months, and
after paying all my debts and $4,000 on a
house On A street, which furnished with nv
own money--eXcept two rooms furnished by
Mr.. Crittenden-I had left over $4,000. The
Tahoe house contained thirty-seven sooms, thir-
ty- one of which were rented, bringing in each
night over fifty dollars. invested In Savage
stock, which L purchased for sums varying from
500 to 81, ZOO per foot. sold it in 1867 for
$4 1000 per toot-having ten feet-and pur-
chased other stock; and made all the money |
ever had IN the way and manner above indica-
ted.
For the truth of this I most respectfully re-
fer to Mr.. Ned Eyre and Mr. Bradford. who
were then my brokers, and also Mr. Bnrling.-
Mr.. Eyre purchased and sold for me other mi
ming stock after | sold my Savage, and in all
these transactions | made money.
MR.. RALsTON,
Of TIE Bank of California, knows that Mr.
Crittenden never paid dollar for me on any
note or for any stock, and any who doubt my
can call upon these gentlemen for in
formation. L am In no way or manner indebt-
ed to Mr.. Crittenden for any OF the money |
ever had or the little [ now possess When
Colonel Fair died | had never seen Or known
Mr.. Crittenden. He sought me and found me,
and would not let me go. | married
MR.. SNYDER
to avoid Mr.. Crittenden, and, as his own let
ters prove, he would not then leave me- ALI
the force of the San Francisco bar were and are
to-day my enemies, because brother lawyer
had been killed by me In a moment of uncon-
sciousness, and, as my God knows, of irrespon-
sibility. Every effort of my attorneys, made
in my behalf on trial, were treated with idle
chattering or at least it appeared so to me,
and those who sought my blood drank of it to
their fill. If there is just God who rules and
directs the judgments Of men, [ shall live to
satisfy the world that have been, to say the
least of it, greatly wronged. There is one 9th
er matter to which | wish to refer.
IN THE SPRING OF 1862.
[ leased and furnished house on Mission
street, in this city. It was between I'd and Sd
streets purchased my furniture on credit
[ kept boarding and lodging house. The
Legislature of the State were in session here,
having been driven out by the food at Sacra-
mento. Among my tenants were Messrs
Wilcox, Pemberton, Tompkins and others
members of the Legislature. After the Legis-
lature adjourned [ had vacant house, and hac
not yet paid for my furniture | was obliged
to seek aid, and as my husband, Col. Fair, wal
a prominent Mason when alive, L made
APPLICATION TO THE MASONIC ORDER
for assistance. Walter Tompkins conveyed th,
application to Mr.. Laidley, and he to the prop
er authority In response to my application
oomm mittaa comnoSnd of AlnYander n A hal
and two others called On me and were shown
through my house and saw my poverty and &C
knowledged it. My relief was embraced in thu
following language. addressed to me by one O
that committee: We'll, Mrs Fair, woman
with such pretty face ought to be able to sup
port herself without applying to the Masons
When on my trial [ was allowed to go will
George Knox, Judge Quint accompanying, Il
see Mr.. Abel for the purpose of his Identity
ing me as the party he had called upon. Blu
he refused to see me-
Of the thousand and one things charged t.
me and my dishonor since my conviction, | Cal
only add they are pure inventions, and all false
| desire that the newspapers will leave M
alone. | ask the charity of their silence. LIE
me settle my troubles with the egel tribunal
where | now am, and where [ expect to fin
exact justice. LAURA ID. FAIR.
| The above statement is accompanied by
number of afidavits to prove the several assel
tions contained in it.
TAXATION AND EXEMPTION. N.-The seizure
| Missouri railroads for taxes from which the
charter declared them exempt, leads the Rict
mond Whig to observe: ''The present const
tuition of Virginia declares all property subje
| to taxation, and as there are railroads here e!
empt by charter or law, the question will ari