The Press., 1895-10-31
w. C. T. U. DEPARTMENT.
Suicide Follows Murder.

Margaret Fairs life to conceal the fact that her husband got drunk and abused her. In his sober senses Robert Fair was kind and affectionate husband. When he was drunk-and that was periodically he was brute. Time and again Mrs. Fair ran from her own home in fear of her life, only to return again to the man whom she loved in spite of what he made her suffer. Once, when she had sought refuge with friend, she said, in a fit of despair, that some time Rob would kill her. He killed her yesterday; shot her through the head in drunken fury. After he realized what he had done, he fired d bullet into his heart and fell dead by her side.
 The Fairs were childless. He was an insurance agent, who had been a gunner in the English Royal Artillery. They were married about fifteen years ago, when he was 25 years old and she 19, and for six years had lived in the fiat house at 2O1 East Thirty-fourth street. Their pret- tily furnished rooms on the second floor faced on Third avenue. None of the neighbOrs knew them very well. This much they knew, that the couple were together constantly, showing that fond ness for each others society more char acte1istic of young married people than of a couple of their age. That was when Fair was sober. Once every three or four | weeks-it used to be six or eight weeks, but lately it had become more frequent he went off on 8 spree, lasting for days at time. At night he would come home reeling and swearing, and kick and pound at the door until his wife let him in. Af- ter that there would be the sound of heavy articles being thrown around, and voice pleading and crying to her husband not to kill her. Once one of the neigh bors found her at o'clock in the morn- ing sobbing in dark corner of the hall. received bad news from a relative, but there was a gash in her forehead, and when she tried to walk she fell down and tainted.
 her to have Fair arrested, but she would not listen. It was nothing, she said; they exaggerated what had happened. Rob wouldn't harm hair of her head. New ertheless she ran into the rooms of Dr. A. M. Stewart, the dentist next door, one night during the summer, begging him to save her from her husband, who had tried to cut her throat with a carving knife. That night she went to the home of her sister, Mrs. Bennett, who lives on East Eighty ninth street. Next morning she orept Into her home stealthily, fearing to waken Fair, who was sleeping of the fumes of his liquor, covered him up where he lay on, the floor, cleared away the wreckage of the furniture which he had smashed, and when he finally woke uI had his breakfast ready for him. To a friend who called that day and noted the condition of the place, she said:
 "Rob was taken i'll suddenly last night, and had dreadful time with him, SC you will excuse things being all at sixes and sevens."
 So it went on, the wife Loyalty shield. ing her husband from disgrace as far as was possible. Naturally his business fell of, and the collection of pawn tickets found in their rooms yesterday told oi hard times gradually growing harder fol 8 period of years. Fairs sprees became more frequent, too, and it was beyond hope that the wife should keep them se cret from the other people in the house ol even the abuse that they brought upor her. Still she clung to him, refusing tc take any action against him. Only wher he became very violent she would go hel sisters. Between his sprees he himself would beg her to appeal to the law if he got drunk again; to have him locked uI and committed in police court rather thar take any risk of harm from him; but sht only shook her head.
 -"YoI are all have," she said. "lf give you np, what hope is there for you P
 Then he would call God to witness tha he would never touch liquor again, anc for a time would be the tender, loving husband-but only for time. The fata craving for whiskey would come back up on him with irresistible force. Thougt his wife would watch him with unceasine vigilance, in some way he would get liq uor. Once drunk he had for her only curses and blows, and accusations more terrible to her than all else. Sometimes when he had come home furious witt drink and after beating her had throw1 himself down to sleep, she would plan tC keep in, and use all her woman's tact anc wit to that end. Then it was that hil anger against her became maniacal, anC she would be obliged to run for her life This was the case on Saturday night when she tried to keep Fair from going out to add more drink to what he alread! had, He flung a chair at her, and catch ing up water pitcher staggered toward her. Again she ran to Dr. Stewart, wht insisted that she should have her husbanC arrested, urging that it was,the best thing for his sake-as well as her own. Reluc tantly she consented, but the next morn
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