Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-05-09
THE MORAL OF ABL1aHTED LIFE.

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How truly is it written in the Book Of iu-
spired VISIONS:
"when lust bath conceived, Il brinee,h firth .,,.
and sin. when IL Il finished, brineet6 for,h ds.,h =;
No one can read the history of the bIirh,ed
lie OF that deeply erring mortal who reSentIy.
on the golden shore Of California, was con.
ir0nted by Judge ADD Jury, with all the dread
ParaPhernalia OF 4 court convened TO take
cOgh'zance OF the crime alleged against her.
"a crime the highest known 70 the laws of
GOd, or sOciety,-withOut cOmprehending the
iuh import OF the language quoted above
In her case, an unbFidled lust imbelled 10 the
commission Of = sin whose consequences Is
death IN Its most hideOus aud revolving form.
IL Is sad to think of a wOman's life going ont
from the gibbet; to think that those ministra-
lions OF mercy for which infinite Love has SO
peculiarly adapted the gentler sex, must be
denied to her, aud she condemned to yield her
NE on the gallOWs in obedience to that stern
decree against the murderer made by the
Great Author OF the moral law, in the words :
h!ne eye shall not pity; but life shall 20
Tor lille. Whose sheddeth mans blood. by
man shall his Tor herr blood be she'd"
however much We may share the feeling
that Is common to our sex, who fnd their
senslbiltIes shocked at the thought Of con-
demnlng n woman to exPiate her crimes ON
the scattUld, before the gaping eyes Of the
vulgar herd that would assemble TO witness the
melancholy spectacle; aud however anxiously
we might desire TO secure n Communication Ut
the stern sentence of the law there can be
no doubt that Laura Fair was guilty of MUIR
der in the first degree, aud is Justly obnoxious
20 the sentence that Is now suspended over
her. For ways that are dark aud wicked
that have Terminated at last in n foul crime.
adJudged, from the days Of the first murderer
until now, to lie the greatest that mortal
eau commit,-Laura Fair has scarcely n par
aIIeI In this age and Country. The circum>
stances OF her life, that have been bluzuued
win, In some cases, an Indecent freedom, by
the press OF the country, are but too familiar
to many OF our readers. All that n Drurieut
fancy could suggest, or a sensual nature crave.
have been but too freely pandered to in the
publications that exposed the Tuner life aud
disgusting GmOurS of this lasciyious aud
Wretched woman. We reFrained, purpOsely,
from PrOmulgating these hideOus revelations
Though our columns, aud only refer to them
now with the view Of pointing n moral.
Mrs. Fair was known in this community.
where she %sojOurDed for some months. during
the Summer OF 1869. She bore the name Of
one Of the most brilliant young men that was
ever reared in this vicinity ; n man who, with
out lame, fortune, or even distinguished con,
n%ectlOns, went forth from his Virginia home
to seek fortune in that golden land TO which
SO many young adventures were attracted
vi what he did there we snow but little, ex.
cept that, III an evil hour, he met with and mar.
RED the woman who has made his name in.
famous. II reports be true, she made his life
miserable aud drove him TO excuses thar
shortened his days. The other VICTIM
the noble suffering woman vino bore SO pa.
tIentIy, for her chilGrcn's sake the wicked in.
tatuatIOn aud uufaithfuIness of a wayward
husband, aud is now condemned to endure
the shame and modification CONSEQUENT uDon
the lYnOmiOus manner of his life and its
tragic end, was also u native Of Virginia.
The daughter of an Episcopal clergyman. the
Rev. Alex. Jones, who for many years was
Rector OF n Church in Jefferson county, and
afterwards of St. Paul'S. in Richmond ; she
had very different training, and developed
ln'o n widely different woman from the wretch.
cd Jrzehel who had the hardihnod to charge
the lawful wife Of Crittenden with an adult
erous connection, while she claimed to sustain
TO tue unfortunate mau the true relation Of a
spouse.
And here VIC see tho importance Of train.
ing children in the right way ; of restraining
their wild, tumuliuous passions in early yourh;
and OF giving them u bias that may prevent
the excuses aud avert the bitter experience
OF later years. This poor woman may soon
pass from our view to find u refuge in the
grave, or a living tomb in that receptacle pre-.
pared by the State for the abandoned and the
vile to whom society is denied but, If the
lesson which her blighted life shall teach be
properly needed. even Laura Fair. the wan,on
aud the murdress, may not have lived in vain !
LyHChJUrJ Eirgimidm,