The New York herald., 1871-01-10
"a y :. --sf- 4
CALF ORNlA.
The Crittcnden Murder Case-Dosperate At.
tempt as Suicide--Tr0ubIes In the Branch
Minf.


SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 2s, 1870.
The Christmas holidays have come and gone, and
In spite Of the proximity Of the new year there is
general dulness over the town; so much SO that 1t
taxes imagnatio sorely remember that II is
the holiday season. The weather has been un ssually
ne much to the satisfaction Of young California OF
boh sexes, but greatly to the disgust farmers and
business men aenerally, who are growing loudly at
The absence OF RAIN The that we were blessed
with at the end OF last month and commencement
Of this have barely suced for pouyhng and seeding
and more rain Is anx0usy looked Tor IN order to full
Ill the anticipations OF O plentiful and profitable
wheat crop. Should old Pluiyus play US a scurvy
tick, and not visit us with more beunteous
supply OF wacr than was received here last year,
the golden expectations OF the agricultural interests
viii be all knocked askew And In view OF the pro-
bable continuation Of the European war; and the
consequent high prices that wheat Is likely to obtain
In European markets, 1t VIII be rough sturdy
yeomen If they cannot go in and get a share OF
the profits. IL is to be hoped that the gods win be
kind.
The absorbing interest that all parties took in tns
Crittenden tragedy enacted here some weeks agos
like all california eXcitements Is atating among the
people generally. although with the legal fraternity 1t
still presents oil its points OF interest Ia the in
tensiiy as ut first The probabilities are that the
prisoner, Mrs. Fair, will not be tried for some time
to come In the first place comes that dlsagreeable
question Of jurisdiction Was the killing committed
In San Francisco or In Alameda coun,yS That Is the
knotty point The District Attorney OF THIS county
insists that to him belongs the high moral duty of
prosecuting IS the boundary lines OF the county
extend very nearly TO the opposite shore. leaving
the whole OF the bay under francisco Jurlsdlc-
ton. On the other side the Grand Jury or Alameda
htIln
Laura Fair for murder Her counsel also, Elisha
Cook is rather In favor OF having trial come or
in Oakland. probably for the reason that Crit,en.
den's antecedents are not well known in Oakland
as mere, though for my part should think mat
tne less tnat .to "as r,ades Ias anteoe,
reputation. In the meantme ii Is didlcuiS decide
how this question OF jurisdiction Is to be settled
Can II be ueciaed on writ OF haDeas corpusp Some
say no; tnat she VIII have To be tined for the
crime, and that TINS question must come up Incl
den ally. Then comes the question: II she be tired
IN A ameda county and 1t be found that that county
has not the Jurlsdicton, may she be tried again IN
these questions are puzLlng but seem 10 be mucn
In iavor or the cuprit. The Grand Jury OF this
county does mol convene until next month, ana it
will still further Iomplicate matters IL tney nd
bill against her, " hicA they probably VIII.
Probably one OF the coolest Cases OF attempted
suicide that has ever been recorded was witnessed
in san Francisco on saturday night last. A young
man OF ABOUT twenty flour years OF age arrived mere
ABOUT three months ago from New ork His name
is stephen Massett. He came here with som. money
intending TO so into business, but somehJw or an
other he hat managed to get TO Tue bottom OF nis
pile without opening an Office or stUre the proba-
bities oeing that the gambling fraternity got I'D
o. him. However, on Saturday evening lie entered
sell at one or the tabes, ordered q sumptuous DIM
ner. lie ate his dinner with extreme Satisfaction
his bill ior TODD alone amounting 70 Two dollars and
a half. he then ordered the waiter to Lring hun a
bottle OF two dollar Wine Inis was brought
5 ana Masse Of draSS ran about w9rd o Of
leaned back tn his chair, drew single-barre.led
pistol from his pocket placed the mlzzle n ms
the restaurant, and on looking round they saw him
reelng III his seat, with blood streaming from his
mouth. Several people rushed TO nin but one OF
the attendants supporting MN he got to his eet
As soon as lie coua clear the blood from his throat
and mouth he expressed his surprise Inat a leaden
pistol bullet could be shot through a mans month
without stunning nm. lie refused TO give his name
or assign any reason for the act He was reminded
by some one cOnnec ed with the establishment that
If he wanted TO shoot himself he might have gone
out on the sidewalk instead Of disturbing the whole
restaurant. This ne freely admitted he was then
asked TO pay his bii He replied, "Wnat The hell do
you take me fors DO you suppose | should try TO
was then put into hack and conveyed TO
surgeons Office. Upon examination it was dis
covered hat the bullet had grazed the roof or his
mouth, cut the paate and then had descended into
the stomach. From the DOCTORS once he con-
veyed 10 the station house for sale Keeping There
he conyersed very cooiy about the matter express.
ing his utter astonishment that pistol at such
short range should fail OF the lata effect. lie SAID
ne tnoug At he mad dead sure lhingn aud Bad he
even dreamed OF failure he would have used a
b,underbus He said he HAD experienced mucn
Noubie and thought that death was the best way 70
end his troubles but he ADDED that he ielt ashamed
To have 1t known that he had failed. Nnen II was
suggested to him that his palate was shot of or
blood has spoiled my pants.n lie Is SAID 10 be a
relative OF Stephen Masse {, the alleged humorlst
Young MaSsett evidently IS a cool hand.
There Is quite diminutive civil war going on
within the walls occupied by Uncle Sam as the
United states Branch Mint. The superintendent
General La Grange) is pet OF Grants aud was put
In by him; While lne cllef cOluer position
/ TO Senator Cole. These two men are not actuated
BY friendly feeling towards eacn otner on the con
trary, they have been working at cross purposes
ever since they have been in together. Lately, La
Grange who is an aspiring politician, and Is ampi-
tious to get into Congress. has made several re-
movals, ana appointed, IN place OF those removed
men VINO could help hlm In his aspirations. Besides
this he has made many and sundry promises which
he never kept, and altogether has acted in such
manner as to draw down upon him the disgust OF
most OF those who come III contact with him.
Even his appointees place no reliance upon him.
for they are there to-day and gone tomorrow. me
coiner In the meantime steadily refuses TO give the
there Is none to be done. Each OF the parties have
had friends at work to get the Other removed aud
La Grange now proposes to so to Washington and
fight 1t out there, Insisting he will either have the
coiner removed or he himself viii resign. He Is
attempting all manner OF shifts to bring the neces-
sary influence to bear upon the Washington author-
ties. His most plausible one was, tnat having i'm
the adjusters being all ladles-he wanted them
TO get up card thanking him lor such
Improvement one of the ladies suggested
that il would look funny to get up public test,mo.
NAL for the superintendent for having bored an
extra hole In the roof or the building. The fact is
that Mint matters might be managed better IN this
city II men were appointed who were not actuated
by petty ambition.
There is not much Improvement evident In blsi.
ness-the holidays probably being Responsible there
Tor in a small degree. But the merchants are ali
camoring about the dull times. Money is still IN
rather active demand, although the OF Interest
hods It's own. one loan Of $l00,00 was nade last
week at one per cent per month for four years. This
rate or interest is TOO high. and business must ne
cessarily lag until it Is reduced.
The Bank OF California and the Pacific Bank both
goth INST.