The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-05-20
The crittenden Murder Trial.

OflCCSnO0n mQfQGf ErIaI.
The trial of Laura d. Fair for the murder of
Alexander P. Crittenden, which. after occupying
twenty-six days, was brought to "a conclusion on
the 18th of last month. was one of the most remark
able that has occurred in the history of criminal
jurisprudence for many years. A brief statement
of the facts will be of interest to put on record
here. as found in the alta of the 9th inst:
"In the year 1863, Alexander Parker Crittenden,
about fifty years of age, one of California's most
gifted and prominent lawyers, went to Virginia City,
Nevada, and soon after WAS engaged in a most lucra-
tive practice. being the attorney in mining suits
which involved hundreds of thousands of dollars. He
went there with his wife and family, but after being
there a short time he formed the acquaintance of Mrs.
Laura D. Fair, who kept a public house. She is q
woman thirty-four years of age, at one time was
beautiful and fascinating, and has been married four
times. The acquaintance between Mr.. Crittenden and
Mrs. Fair ripened into a state of intimacy which was
kept up for a series of years. Mrs. Fair gave up her
house, and Crittenden became so infatuated with her
that he almost worshipped this woman, who is a vile
creature, and who reaped out of him an extensive
fortune, having at the present time about $40, 600.
Several years afterwards Crittenden returned to
this city, resumed his practice, which was extensive,
being the attorney for the Bank of California. San
Jose Railroad Company, insurance and other large
! C, operations. His intimacy continued with the woman,
who made trips to the East in 1867-69. While they
were apart, the parties correspOnded with each other
daily. Crittenden's family went East in 1869, and
were summoned 10 return TO the city by tile death OF
a brother of Mrs. Crittenden's They arrived on the
afternoon of the 4h of Nov. 1869, and Mr.. Crittenden
had hardly taken his seat alOn gside his wife on the
ferry-boat when he was shot down by the hand of an
assassin As can well be imagined, the greatest con-
sternation was created on the boat. The person who
fired the shot was n woman who was thickly yelled,
and almost Instantly disappeared in the crowd. A.
few minutes had only elapsed when a son of MIR.
Crittenden, while searching with n police officer
through the boat for the woman, found Mrs. Fair
seated in the cabin unveiled. He pointed her out,
remarking, This is the woman who murdered my
father She rose and replied, " Yes 1 did ; 1 don't
deny it." She was then taken to the city and lodged
his home and expired in forty eight hours from the
wound he received in the right breast, the ball pass
ing through the right and left lungs. both auricles of
the heart, and lodging between the eighth and ninth
ribs. Mrs. Fair was indicted by the Grand Jury for
the crime of murder and brought to trial in the Fif-
teenth District Court, Hon. S. H. Dwinelle presiding,
on the LIST of April. The case was prosecuted by the
two best criminal lawyers of the State, District At
torney Henry II. Byrne, and Alexander Campbell
The prisoner was defended Ivy Elisha Cook, an able
and Leander Quint. After two days labor Il
jury was empannelled to try the cause. The case WAS
holly contested at every step, the Court rooms being
crowded to excess by the leading members of the bar,
and for the first time Woman Suffragists attended
any of our Courts as spectators. The prosecution
made out n clear case, showing conclusively that the
prisoner had for weeks previous made threats that if
Mrs. Crittenden returned TO the city, one of them
must die that she purchased a pistol several days
prlof 10 the SDOOIlnG, nlreQ u nacKu1an 10 Ihke uf 10
the boat ; that she had been on the boat Il day or
two prior and made enquiries as to the best place to
observe passengers coming on the boat after leaving
the cars i'll short the prosecution proved that the
killing was a willfu~l, premeditated murder"
The defense was an extraordinary one, under
the circumstances. though by no means novel;
of insanity. It was claimed that the love
between Crittenden and his murderess was of the
most devoted character, and that he had in tine
-o.E ,oIor-, -,,.r nntIJ nrouDica 70
his own faithful wife, to whom he had been
married over thirty years, and marry Mrs. Fair. 1t
vas attempted to be proved by two physicians.
hat she was liable to partial insanity. from a dis
ase with which she was afflicted. peculiar to the 9
ex. and the hypothesis was, that this, combined {
the excitement of the disappointment in the q
respect of losing the object of her tOUe. made her s
or the moment franticaIly insane. and irresponsi- q
lie for the consequence of her acts. 1t was proved Il
n the part of the prosecution, that the preparations
Or the murder, the purchase of the pistol &C.. were \
lade in the most deliberate manner; that on that r
cry day she had made arrangements for investing i
10000 in real estate had sold a piano, and r
other business. 1t was proved by COM "
etent testimony. that her reputation for chastity s
-as VIGOROUSLY bad. and it was contended that the r
rime was committed for revenge that finding that ii
ne could not keep Crittenden from his wife, nor d
erself hold a higher position as mistress over the
Iwiul partner of his life, she determined that he T.
lould not live. a.
The trial of this case was conducted with great
ire and circumspection, and attracted crowds of =
A mass of correspondence between :
e murderess and her victim. embracing some -
rec or four hundred letters, was read in evil "
snce. to show the relations which were main %
ined. Every particular in the life of the wanton III
oman that could throw any light upon the idea of
sanity or be made to tell in her favor. was pro- a
iced, and eagerly taken down by shorthand an
porters for publication. A pamphlet of $40 Ia
has been published, containing a minute pc
story of the trial, and the prurient taste which ba
vels in the impure details of human frailty and an
lit, is fully ~pandered to. During the whole thu
days occupied by the case. the Jury WI
re not allowed to separate. day or night. being mol
pit in charge by the Sheriff, and on receiving pre-
charge from the Court they returned after an I'm
sence of forty minutes. with a unanimous verdict e. -
guilty of murder in the first degree, the penalty 40
which is death. The counsel for the prisoner {,
re moved for a new trial. the argument for l..
ich will be heard to-day, May z0th. ;nr
his righteous verdict was received with salts stir
by the community and by the press fail
Dughout the State. Doubts had been entertained Tor
the opinion freely expressed that, in Caiifor- &c,
OF ali places In the world. a woman could not cog
oapitally convicted, in these modern DAYS. But till
bis case, the jury have nobly acquitted them rlst'
Of ,ha;- dntr ~. u.hS a.. thre
and the sacredness of the marriage tie. and
the trumped-up plea of insanity as an excuse and
one OF the most wlllful and wicked murders on and