Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-07-07

dition of affairs, and sympathized with her
as strongly as they denounced her hus-
band; but, being finally exasperated into
the bravado of pretended Irritation by some
particular insulting act of her husbands,
the latter's behavior to her became so out
rageous that she at once left him and made
application for divorce The suit never
came to trial. because Strong died Of ma
MIA potu while twas yet pending; but
from the momedvof having resort to that
remedy Laura seemed to cast aside all that
there was of her better nature and become
careless alike Of the judgments of God and
man. Because her sister had married a
relative of her late husband. she persuad-
ed her mother and other relatives to dis
own the offender relentlessly for life. All
who had in the most triding degree ''made
allowance" for the deceased grocer she
abused and defed without stint, while her
spirit of appreciation for those who had
Internationally championed her cause was
extravagantly evinced by her marriage
with one of them, gentleman named
Grayson, in the first month of her widow
hood by this act she forfeited the regard
of all her worthy friends, and scarcely was
the scandal over, when she left her second
husband, for some wild reason never. ex-
plsined, to mourn that he had ever known
he's and is said committed suicide. She
now became a thorough female outlaw and
|adventurer, and possessed, apparently, of
a reckless determination to prey upon all
whom she could ensnare into her net, she
Induced -or, rather, commanded ra-
ther weak-minded mother and brother to
60 with her to California, where she
thought the field of her proposed depre-
dations might be less circumscribed by the
restraints of social civilization.
It does not appear clearly whether her
third husband, Colonel Fair, was met and
married by her. in the South before the
California departure, or was amongst those
first greeting her at .'the mines," but it
was certainly as Mrs. Fair that the inno-
cent and vivacions Laura Hunt Of former
times opened hotel-the ''Fair House" -
in 1855 or 1856. in Virginia City, Nevada.
The story of this marriage is enveloped in
some mystery. The Colorado Chieftain
says that it's brief period had its scene in
Downisville, California, where, after many
infelicities, the husband blew his brains
out, and the wife departed with his effects
s5ast L @Sss have Ben Eas T. fs5z tss q
early in 1855 that the woman undertook
the career Of an actress on the stage of the
Metropolitan Theatre, in the city of the
Golden Gate. Whatever the exact date
of it, this new venture did not attain to
sufficient success to last long In the
character of Lady Teazzle. however. Mrs
Fair was effective enough to please at least
one of her auditors, brilliant lawyer and
ex Judge, named Crittenden, who, forget
ting his wife and family. secured an intro
duction to the fair man-killer, and from
thenceforth, for some months. allowed her
to prey upon him to the extent of many
thousand of dollars. The Colorado paper
mentioned says. that she was thus enabled
to ''settle" a fine house and proportionate
fortune upon her mother before going her.
self to Virginia City to open a hotel. In
the last named town. according to another
authority. when, after long career in
the society and shared villainies of a.band
of gamblers and sharpers. she was keep
ing the "Fair House" or ''Hotel," her
Southern sympathies' in the war>induc-
ed her to shoot her fourth husband dead
for evincing his ''Union sympathies'' by
mailing the national flag to the staff of the
house! Mr.. Crittenden who was in Vir-
ginia City at the time attending to some
mining claims of. his own. defended her in
her ensuing trial for murder and that with
such eloquence and legal effect that she
was acquitted.
Unhappy was the day for. the able ad-
vocate when he allowed the influence of
former imprudent acquaintance and pres
ent sectional sympathy to lead him into
the new relation with this dangerous wo-
man of one who had saved her life. She
left the courtroom only to reclaim her
prey, and. rob him anew of honor and for
tune. It was during the SECOND enslave-
ment of Crittenden, says correspondent
of the New Bedford Mercury, that Mrs.
Fair, as she was still called. paid flying
visit to this city (1866) and sending for a
lawyer whom she had known in New Or
leans. placed in his hands property to the
amount Of $4,000, to be invested for her
Gas it is supposed still to be) in Govern
ment bonds. Upon her return after this
to San Francisco she soon married veal
thy man named Snyder, from. whom after
but six weeks In his company she released
herself by divorce. In 1868 she was in
this city. at an uptown hotel, evidently
scheming to gain spoils by another rich
marriage; but, failing in this, she return
ed once more to California. and sought a
new league with Mr.. Crittenden AT
last, however, even this most chivalrous.
weak hearted, generous Of her victims had
awakened to realizing sense of her evil
power and his own. past folly, and having
sent word to his family to come to him
from the Eastern States, refused to hold
any further acquaintance with her. Re-
monstrating, threatening, forcing herself
into his presence, she declared that he was
her husband, and dared him to cast hel
off. Readers of the newspapers know
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