The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-27
our :eagoing vessels are to be kept moving
and not laid up during the long, dreary months
of the coming winter.

| AsD AruA Oh Mrs. Fa1r-cho trisOner
| Convicted of Murder In tho First De-
sroe.
The trial of Mrs. Laura Fair, at San Fran
cisco, for the murder of A. p. Crittenden,
which has excited so much attention for some
time past was concluded yesterday. The
case was given to the jury at twenty five
minutes to four in the afternoon, and after
celebrating for forty minutes a verdict Of
| murder in the first degree was rendered. We
most heartily concur in the decision. From
the nature Of the evidence 1t could not be
otherwise. There did not appear one ex-
tenuating circumstance-not one loophole
out Of which the counsel for the
defence could drag the miserable woman.
The plea of insanity, in our opinion, was not
well taken by the counsel of Mrs. Fair; but
he had no other chance wherewith to gain
verdict-no other ground to stand upon.
There was too much method in her madness.
Her plan to carry out her designs upon Mr..
Crittenden were too we'll laid to be the work of
disordered mind. Her sanity almost up to
the time of embarking on board the steamboat
was fully established. She was sane enough
to desire a profitable investment of forty
thousand dollars, and wise enough to refuse
ten per cent when there was prospect of
obtaining twelve for her capital. The principal
evidence favoring the insane plea was regard
ing her conduct in Jail but this was after the
crime was committed after she began to realize
what she had done. II she had bitten piece
out ola goblet before the murder was COM
mitted it would have had better effect than
doing so after being locked up in prison.
While we can fully understand the feeling CT
man upon learning that his wife or his sister
has been the victim of the serpent-tongued
seducer, and believe that under the terrible
excitement reason would for time become
dethr0ned, we can see nothing in Mrs.
Fairs case of like nature. No matter how
badly Crittenden had behaved to her-no mat
ter how many promises he had broken, he did
nothing in meeting his wife and family after
long separation that would drive the woman
into condition of lunacy. 1t was ange. that
caused the crime; it was the fear that Mrs.
Crttenden would triumph at last and release
her husband from the tolls by which he had
so long been surrounded that induced her to
fire the fatal shot,
1t is most singular the influence that Mrs.
Fair had over Mr.. Crittsnden. We are at a
loss to understand how man of his great at
tainments, possessing mind so comprehen-
sive, so grasping in everything appertaiDing to
the legal profession, should have been 80 en-
tirely led away by the Vaccinations of this
bold, bad woman. He appears to have been
completely fascinated by her, to have been
her very slave, ever ready to do her will
and obey her mandates even 10 the sacrifice
of all honor and dccency. He gave up
name, fame and everything only to fall by the
hand of her upon whom he had showered
every favor. For having apparently sen
the error of his ways, for wishing to undo
some of the great wrong he had done,
| for seeking the companionshp once more of
his deeply injured wife, the woman who had
remained faithful to him throu III evil and good
report, in preference to the criminal society of
o woman who had succeeded in dragging him
down from mans high estate and plunging him
into an abyss Of infamy. This was the crime
for which he paid the penalty with his life. A
crime only in her eyes, but one sufficient, in
her opinion, t. justify her act. 1t is not our
intention to defend Crittenden's conduct-that
is impossible. Nor can we censure the dead.
His follies and his wrongdoing were buried
with him, and there let them rest. We cannot
however, pass over Mrs. Fair so lightly. She
is one who should b, held up as an example,
in order to exhibit to the whole world how
utterly bad, how deceitful above all things
and desperately wicked an artful and design
ing woman can become.
1t is rarely a case like that of Crittenden
and Mrs. Fair is made public, and we are
charitable enough to think that but few occur.
We have better opinion of our morality in
general than to suppose that many such
fragrant instances exist; and for this reason
we have deemed it best to give it publicity in
order that it may serve as warning to others.
We place it as beacon light to prevent those
who may be drifting that way from running
on the great danger. They can see what folly
and madness will accomplish, and learn n
lesson from which much benefit may be
prised us. We have always had full faith in
the impartiality and fairness Of the court and
jury that were trying the case. The prisoner
had most able counsel, who worked faithfully
for her and did the best they could with
very bad case. While we thought it posi-
BILE that consideration for her sex might induce
the jury to bring in verdict of murder
in the second degree, still we are not disap-
pointed. We are satisfied now that law and
justice reign supreme in San Francisco; that a
person-woman though it be-cannot escape
punishment, when guilty, as Mrs. Fair has
been. The result of this remarkable case will
be q very severe blow to free-lovism. Those
who are devoted to the doctrine will find that