The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-10-23

The End Of Laura Fair.


the life of any man who may have pre-.
tended at any time to be in love will,
her. We say in any circumstances.
For If there ever was malignant,
wanton, and utterly unrelievcd crime,
it was the murder of Crittenden By
Laura Fair, whose recent Trial for it
ended yesterday at San Francisco in an
acqnittal. The first jury which tried
her had The rare sense and firmness to
find as jurors, what they and all men
else who heard or read the evidence
from outside the jury-box must have
felt rs men, that the woman was
murder ess. That the present jury is
ofdiferent stuff may be- inferred not
only from the verdict, which is found
on the same evidence and no other as
that put 10 at the first trial, but from
tue despatch announcing the acqnittal.
in which it is said that it consisted of
men entirely Ignorant of this noto-
rious case" The first jury was and
felt itself to be on trial. 1t partook
enlightened public opinion and it res
pected that opinion. The moral cow
ardice which makes men loath to SEN
tence a man to death, and much more
a womaD, was here nentralized by
another moral cowardice, not more res.
pectasle perhaps but certainly more
beDefcent-the fear of sharing with
the woman they had sworn "well and
truly to try" the contempt of their fel.
low-men. 1t was difficult for them to
find Laura Fair guilty. 1t is difficult
for any man to pronounce a woman
guilty when lie knows or expects that
his verdict will send her out to death,
thought it is less difficult in the case
of Laura Fair, We should Say, than in
the case. Of any other contemporary
murderess. But it sis als't difficult to
go ont among men who regard you,
and WHO yon are aware have the right
to regard you, as q moral poltroon.--
Aud so the first jury ,righteously found
Mrs. Fair guilty. .,..
The second jury bias brought in a
false and shameful verdict Of acqnittal
because, with the same shrinking from
shedding blood that the first Jury had,
they had not the fear Of publicopihion.
And this fear they had not because
they did not know what public opinion
was, and SO had formed no private
opinion, either with the, general sense
or against it, about the guilt Of Mrs.
Fair. They 60 back into the world,
even as the woman goes back into it,
secure from scorn by the armor of ig-
norance, as she is behind her shield Of
shamelessness. 1''"5 5t. Y ';'stt' =
1t is some consolation for this mock !.
cry Of justice to know that this wo-
mans career is ended and her occu-
patton is gone. Men who might other
wise have shared the fate of Critten
den are effectually warned to shun
it. How many men this wretcbed wo.
man has begulled into breaking their
vows and degrading their affections
and wrecking their manhood witt, hel
gross seductions we cannot know
But she will begnile DO more. Tia,
one Of the victims Of what she called
her love has become publicly and
finally thSsvictim of what all men SCI
to have been her hate will Fighter
other men from fate which, thongl
it might not he completed rs Critten.
den's was by physical murder, would
be as completely as his was, the wreck
OF all that can truly be called q, mans
life. She goes out with q brand upon
her brow which all the naudlin lotions
Of sympathetic jurors cannot wasl
away, to be a byworl in the eartl, til
she finally ribs it of curse to 1t and &
disgrace to her own Kind New York
World. ~ DIS a9f4a afa}t i'f1S a.