Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-29
A BEAUTIFUL FEEND.
The Terrible Crime Of a Young Mis-
souri, Widow-COnvicted by an
Unexpected Witness.

st is a very, very strange case, Judge,
said Mr.. Anthony Dunbar, prosecuting at
torney of st. Charles, Missouri, to Judge
Ballard, of that judicial district, on the
seventeenth of May, 1843. Everything
seems to indicate that Julia Fairbanks set
fire to the house which her deceased husband
left her. But why she should have commit
ted so grave a crime, by which she not only
destroyed her property, but also brought
about the death of her own two step-sons?
She was greatly attached to them"
''It is very strange case" remarked the
Judge ''and | dread the necessity or trying
it. Still will do my duty to the best OF my
ability. Maybe during the trial unexpected
disclosures, unwilling the mystery will be
made.
"What complexities the case, judge, is the
upouestionable fact that the prisoner is per-
fectly sane"
The case of Mrs. Julia Fairbanks was a
most mysterious one. She was the young
widow of Arson Fairbanks, who had two
sons by prior marriage. He had suddenly
died, leaving his wife very little money and
small farmhouse on condition that she should
educate her two step-sons, who were respect
lively six and eight years old. The young
widow, who was very handsome woman,
had led a very secluded life since her hus-
bands decease, and had eked out very scam
ty livelihood by giving music lessons and do
ing needlework. She was believed to be very
pious, and was generally popular among the
church members. -,
So much the greater, therefore, was the
amazement OF the people OF 81. Cnarles
when, at an early hour on the sixth OF April,
1913, the house of the widow burned down:
Her step sons persisted In the flames, and
strong proof was discovered that she herself
had fred the house. She was arrested, but
doggedIy refused to say what motive had
caused her to commit the terrible crime. The
grand jury indicted her for arson, and her
trial took place, on the eighteenth OF May
The above. mentioned facts were clearly es-
tabIished by the evidence for the prosecution,
when suddenly stranger entered the court
room and asked to be sworn as witness.
When Mrs. Fairbanks caught sight of him
she turned very pale, and then, uttering a
loud scream, she tainted away.
The witness swore to the following startl-
ling facts:
He said he was the brother of the late
Arson Fairbanks. He had known the pris-
oner prior to her marriage with his brother
at Louisville, Kentucky, where her reputa.
ton had been VIGOROUSLY bad. She had had
a lover there, one Pennybacker, lawyer dis
barred for forgery. Pennybacker had been
rearrested for forgery one week before
Among his papers was found Will purport'
| ing to have been made by Arson Fairbanks
in favor of his widow, bequeathing to her the
sum of thirty thousand dollars, which he had
on deposit in the State bank of Kentucky
A number of letters written by the widow tc
Pennybacke furnished evidence that the vii
had been forged by him, and that she was
engaged to be married to him as soon as sht
| got rid of her step-sons.
The prisoner violently protested her limo
cence, but the court ordered an adjournment
until the necessary corroborative evidences
| from Kentucky had been obtained.
.At her second trial she was convicted ant
sentenced to the State prison for life.