The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-07
7HK CRETTKNDKN HOMICIDE.

San FRANCIsoo, March 2s The most ex- /
citing criminal case ever tried before our /
Courts Is that Of Laura ID. Fair, for the assas-
sination Of A. p. Cnttenden, which has now |
been commenced in the Fifteenth District |
Court in this city, Hon. Judge Dwinelle pre- |
siding. The case was called yesterday, and /
after much trouble q Jury was finally empa- /
nelled, which consists Of the following per- |
sons-Henry M. Beach, wine merchant; w.
ID. LitchReld, butchers Hiram Rosehrans,
hardware merchant; ID. o. Littlefeld, market
superintendent B. +. Steret, printer; J. w.
Shaeffer, wine merchant Herman Wenzel,
ieweller: John K. Freeman, bookkeepeT; Asa
II. Wells, contractor; Ernest Mayrisch, wine
and liquor merchant; George Morrow, hay
and grain dealer; Thomas Horobin, wood and
coal dealer.
HISTORY or LAURA u. YAGR.
Mrs T air is about thirty-fve years Of age.
She was the wife Of w. ID. Fair, lawyer of
Sisldyou, and married him at Yreka about
fifteen years ago. In 1860 be came 10 this
city, and committed suicide by blowing his
brains out while at DIR. Murphy's office. Mrs.
Fair few years afterwards made her debut
on the stage at Sacramento, and subsequently
appeared in this city and several other places
on tho coast. During the Washoe mining
excitement she went to Virginia City, where
she kept a boarding house or hotel.
There her partner undertook to run the
tiona1 flag up over the hotel. She threatened
to shoot him, and did wound him. She was
tried for the ofense and Mr.. Crttenden was
her counsel for defense. The jury, without
leaving their seats, acquitted her. She after
wards came to this city, where she married
man named Snyder, from whom she was soon
divorced. Here, we'll AZ in the State of
Nevada, she was on very intimate terms with
MIR. Crittenden. The relations between them
were not private. They we're frequently seen to-
gether in public, and sometimes her child, the
Il .l.x.n sAu h. yttI
them. Fer several years the intimacy con-
tinued: but he at last seemed determined to
break it of. The marriage with Snyder was
temporary interruption, but the intimacy
was renewed after the divorce. He was ad-
vised to repel her at once and forever, but
did not do so, alleging that he feared unplea-
SAINT disclosures, and that she would kill
herself in the event Of his doing
so. She threatened to commit
suicide if be left her. The approach of his
family from the East brought matters to
crisis and even on the night before their
arrival and the last fatal meeting, they we're
in each others company. He is said to have
talked seriously with her, and she threatening
to kill herself if he forsook her and he implor-
ing her not to make such an attempt
ANrEcEDKNTs or MIR. cRITTENDEN.
Mr.. CritendeD, at the time of his death, was
about fifty eight years of age. He was
nephew Of the late John j. CrittendeD, United
States Senator from Kentucky. While An
drew Jackson was President no received an
appointment in the West Point military
school, and graduated in the same class with
BeauregaId and Sherman in 83J. Soon after
the discovery Of gold in California he came
here, and made this city his place OF resi-
dence. He was q very able lawyer, and
ranked high in the profession in the State.
THE TInAI.--THE OPENING STATEMENT.
District Attorney Byrne made the opening
a 1T.
dant at the bar, Laura ID. Fair, IL charged
with the commission Of the wilful crime Of
the murder Of Alexander r. Crittenden, al
legged to have been committed on board the
steamboat FL Captain, on the Sd day of No
vember last; that she shot Alr. Crittenden,
from the effects Of which wound he died
some tbirty-five or forty hours after wards.
they would be enabled to show that three or
four days prior TO the shooting the prisoner
went to a gun shop to procure pistol that
she could use with ease, and that she did use IL
successfully ON the Sd Of November. On the
day previous TO the shooting she procured
the services Of hackman to take her from
her residence to the boat. The deceased
went TO Oakland to meet his wife on her re-
turn from the East A few minutes after the
departure Of the boat from the Oakland
wharf the defendant approached Mr.. Critten-
den and fired pistol at him; he was pas
senger On the boat, and she took passage for
the purpose of accomplishing what she did
so successfully.
TESTIMONY FOR THE PEosEoUrIoN.
The examination of witnesses was then
commenced. The first called was
WILLIAM II. KEETzEL.
who was examined by Mr.. Campbell, and on
being sworn testifed-I am Captain Of the
HaIbor Police; knew A. T.. Crittenden, the
deceased; did not know the defendant before
the evening Of the shooting; on the Both Of
November went on board the III Captain at
quarter past o'clock, and went over to
Oakland wharf; just as she was leaving the
slip heard pistol fired; L went around on
the starboard side and met Mrs. Fair; / don't
suppose there were over half dozen persons
on deck; Mrs. Fair was standing on the saloon
deck, by the after-cabin door; / next met
Mrs Crittenden's daughter; saw Mr.. Critten-
deDs wife trying TO hold him mp; after the doc
tors came kept the crowd back; / don't kno "
where Mrs. Fair was at that time; when
FIRST saw her should think she was fifteen
feet from Mr.. Crittenden; she was standing
perfectly siill / asked her who fired that
shot; she made no answer; after the captain
of the boat handed me the pistol, Parker
Crttenden said something TO me, upon which
j went with him in search Of Mrs Fair; We
walked around the deck; after We got half
way round We went in the cabin, when
Parker CIittenden pointed Mrs. Fair out to
Iae and said, ''This is tho woman who MUIR
dered my father" / asked her if she was
the one, and she said, eyes, / don't deny it;
/ took hold of her and took her out Of
the cabin; took her on the Gfterpar of the
boat and kept her out of the way; when got
her over on this side took her in a hack to