Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-05-13

EsD 1HE MORAL OF A DELIGHTED
L1FE.-We clip the following article
from the Lynchburg Iirginian, giving a
description of the life and character of
Mrs. Fair, who was recently tried and
convicted for the murder of Judge a.
p. Crittenden, in California =
How truly is it written in the Book
of inspired wisdom:
"When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth
siu: and SIN, when it Is finished, brlngeih forth
death y
No one can read the history of the
blightedl life of that deeply erring NOR
tai who recently, on the golden shore
of California, was confronted by Judge
and Jury, with all the dread parapher-
MALTA of court convened to take cogm-
zance of the crime alleged against her.
"A crime the highest known to the
laws of God or society,-without com
pretending the full import of the Ian
ruage quoted above. In her case, an
unbrdled lust impelled to the commIs-
sion of Il sin whose consequence Is death
in its most hideous and revolving form.
Il is sad to think of womanS life go
inc out from the gibbet to think that
those ministrations Of mercy for which
infinite Love has so peculiarly adapted
the eentler sex. must be denied to her,
and she condemned to yield her lite on
the callows in obedience to that stern
decree against the murderer made by the
Great Author of the moral law, i'll the
words Thine eye shall not pity but
life shall 90 for life, Whose sheddeth
mans blood. by man shall his Tor herr
blood be shed.
However much we may share the
feeling that is common to our sex, VINO
find their sensihilities shocked at the
thought of condemning woman to eN-
plate her crimes on the scatlold, before
the gaping eyes of the vulgar herd that
would assemble to witness the meIan-
cholv spectacle and however ANXIOUS
" we might desire to secure commu-
tation of the stern sentence OF the law !;
there can he no doubt that Laura Far
was guilty of murder in the first degree,
and is Justly obnoxious to the sentence
that is now suspended over her. For
WAYS that are dark and wicked that
have terminated at last in foul crime,
adiudeed. from the days ofthe first muir
dercr until now, to be the greatest that
mortal can commit.-Laura Fair has
scarcely a parallel in this age and coun-
try. The circumstances OF her life, that
have been blazoncd with, in some cases,
an indecent freedom, by the press OF the
country, are but too familiar to many OF
our readers. All that a prurlent fancy
could suggest, or a sensual nature crave,
have been but too freely Iandered to
in the publications that exposed the IN
ner life and disgusting GmdIrs OF TINS
lascivious and wretched woman. We
retrained, pwposcly, from Promulgatng
these hidcous revelations through our
columns. and only refer to them now
with the view of pointing moral.
Mrs Fair was known in this commu-
nitv whore she soiourned for some
months, during the Summer OF 1861
She bore the name of one Of the most
brilliant young men that was ever rear
ed in this vicinity a man who, with,
out fame, fortune, or even distinguished
connections, went forth from his virgin
in home to seek fortune in the golden
land to which so many Young adven-
turers were attracted Oh what he did
there we know but little, except that,
in an evil hour, he met with and marrl-
ed the woman who has made his name
infamous. If reports be true, she made
his life miserable and drove him to eX-
ccsscs that shortened his days The
other victim.-the noble suffering wo-
man who bore so patiently, for her chi,
drcn's sake the wicked lntatuatlon ana
unfaithfulness of hayward husband,
and is now condemned to endure the
shame and modification consequent up
on the irnominious manner OF his life
and IFS tragic cnd,-was also a native
of Virginia. The daughter of an Fps
copal clergyman, the Rev. Alex. Jones'
who for many years was Rector OF
Church in Jefferson county, and alter
wards of st. Paul's, in Richmond she
has very different training, and develop
ed into widely different woman from
the wretched .Jezebcl who had the har-
dihood to charge the lawful wife ofCrlt-
tcnden with an adulterous connection,
while she claimed to sustain to the un-
fortunate man the true relation OF
spouse.
And here we see the Importance OF
training children in the right way OF
restraining their wild, tumultuous pas
sions in early youth and OF giving
them bias that may prevent the eX-
cesses andavert the bitter experience OF
later years. This poor woman may
soon pass from our view toind refuge
in the grave, or living tomb in that re
ceptacle prepared by the State for the
abandoned and the vile to whom socle-
ty is denied but, if the lesson which
her blighted life shall teach be properly