The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-05-03
Conviction Of Mrs. Fair:-A Set
Back to Free Love.

ESQ.,, has been convicted Oh inur'
der in the first degree. This re-
suit, at the hands of a Western
Jury, was rather unexpected.
The details of the trial present a.
most disgusting picture OF the
workings of free love which pre-
walls to an alarming extent in GER
tain parts Of the country. The lady
is said to he beautiful and accom-
plished, and before her present en-
tanglement, passed through sever
al matrimonial alliances, with their
trials, difficulties and separations.
In fact, the facility with which she
put away one husband and. took up
with another would appear really
amazing and inexplicable, if we
had not her own opinions, given as
testimony on the trial, as to the
nature of love and the binding ef-
feet Of matrimonial affinities.
Amid her many conjugal adven-
lures she seems to have had an eye
single to her own welfare, and has
managed, with great prudence, to
lay up some $4,000 dollars in Uni
ted States Bonds, made either by
means of hers affectionate DISPOSE
ton, or else in spite of it.
Her last lover, A. P. Crittenden,
Esq, was a brother to John j.
Crittendcn, was second to none at
the California bar, and must have
been over sixty years of age, with
a wife, children and grandchildren.
What was the nature of his domes-
tic relations we have no means of
ascertaining, nor, whether, if un-
happy, this was owing to his en-
chantment by this young syren, or
to some other cause. But we do
know, that his own letters show a
degree of criminal culpability on
his part equal to that of the fair en-
chantress by whose hands he tell.
His family was neglected, that he
might indulge his affection for
strange woman, whose character
he must have known, and who, ac-
cording to her own statement, was
first led to believe that he was un-
married and then buoyed up by
the promise that he would obtain
divorce for the purpose of marry
ing her. And thus the affair went on
from bad to worse until the enrag-
ed woman, with her hopes deferred,
and her passion aroused to the
highest pitch by seeing Crittenden
kiss his oacn aoJe, deliberately shot
him through the heart while stand
between his wife and daughter.
On the trial, which of course at
tracted the usual crowd of curious
gossipers and scandal mongers, the
fair culprit unfolded the whole tale
of her illicit love and it's tragical
consequences. Though she had
one, and perhaps two, husbands,
during her liaison with Cr;ttenden,
married to her in facie ecclesiae, she
AYERS that all the time she was mar
ried in the eye Of Heaven only to
Crittenden, because he was the
only man she loved and she the
only woman that he had ever loved
or ever could love. This is carrying
the natural affinity doctrine about
as far as it can be carried. It was
the same principle developed in the
Richardson murder, endorsed by
Greeley and sanctifed by Beecher
in an adulterous marriage on the
death bed of a man murdered for
having a little too much faith in it.
1t is doctrine which prevails to
no inconsiderable extent through
out the Northern States, which
may be traced to the discontinued
rawlings Of strong-minded women.
with a few week minded men as CO.
adjutors. A California jury has con.
victed Mrs. Fair of murder for car
rying her peculiar doctrines to Their
legitimate conclusion. 1t is the
first Northern jury that has beer
found to interfere with the devel
opment of an ism which tends tC
subvert all ideas Of purity ani
sanctity in the family circle. AnG
yet they boast of higher civiliza
ton, and have their missionaries
all through the South endeavorins
to instll it in the minds Of the rebe
publicaps and sinners.
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| DOMESTIC L1FE.-He can not be al
unhappy man who has the love ant
smiles of woman to accompany hin
in everv dapertmant of life TIL,