The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-12-14

was arrested and placed in prison.
At this time one Of the best known
criminal lawyers on the Pacific coast was
Alexander P. Crittenden. Mr.. Crittenden
was quite as notable in his way AS was
Mrs. Fair. He was born in Kentucky in
1919 and was q nephew OF the famous
John J. Crittenden, who represented Ken
lucky in the United States senate IN 1850.
A. p. Crittenden was not the least re-
markable member of a very remarkable
family. Two of his cousins, sons OF SEN
ator Crittenden, were generals during the
civil war, one fighting ON the side OF the
Union, and the other, equally distinguish
ed. fighting on the side Of the south.
Through his uncle's influence Alexander
p. Crittenden was appointed to West
Point, where he WAS graduated in the
same class with General W. 7. Sherman
and General Beauregard.
Crittenden served in the United States
army for some time, but in 1640 resigned,
studied law and went to California when
the gold fever was at its height.
A man Of fine presence, good education,
great force of character and undoubted
ability, Alexander p. Crittenden, who
made his home in San Francisco, at once
took a leading position at the bar of his
huOpVcU kUtUt. UOuN lCUO At UltAIIlCN q
woman of good family and great personal
attractiveness and refinement, by whom
be had two children. a boy and q girl. Mr..
Crittenden was interested in the great
Nevada silver mines. and being in Nir-
ginia City at the time Mrs. Fair shot her
partner he was asked to defend her, and
after a visit 70 the prisoner he, with char
acteristic gallantry, agreed to do SO.
n..a. -, = ,,dnv,sc Orno< oti1if1y
and devotion rather than to the merits of
declared not guilty.
This case kept him in Virginia City
much longer than his original business
required, and too long, as it proved, for
his subsequent welfare. He became
strongly attached to his fair client, and
through his persuasion, at least SC it is be-
!Ieved. Mrs. Fair came to San Francisco
with her mother and child. The attach
1nent formed i'll Nevada grew stronger and
stronger in California, until at last his
familiarity with the woman became a
matter of notUriety. and his best friends
warned him against continuing the con-
rection.
Mrs. Crittcnden seems to have been
early aware Ct her husbands fondness for
this woman. and with great patience and
admirable ommon sense she tried, but
unsuccessfuliy. to wean him from her.
For six years this liaison continued, and
the correspondence, subsequently brought
to light, showed that Mr.. Crittenden had
become Mrs. Fairs slave N had spent
thousands of dollars every yea to meet
her regular expenses and to crafty her
more extravagant whims.
In 1870 Mr.. Crittenden was a man IS
years of age. His oldest son., Parker, was
a youth of 90 and his daughter a beautiful
girl of l6. In the summer OF that yeal
he had sent his family on to the east tC
visit relatives, and with the additional
purpose in mind Of breaking off, during
their absence. al connection with Mrs
Fair.
About a year before this time Mrs. Fair
who had no position in society, and wh(
was well known to the San Francisco
fast set, = had, through the advice OF MIR
C~ritteGdcn, who was eager to be rio o
her, married Il man named Snyder. Thi
marriage lasted Just Il month. SnyGc
left his wife, and nine weeks from TIL
date of their marriage she Was again'0i
vorced.
This was Tie condition of affairs on tn
afternoon OF Nov. 8. 1870. At that tim
Mr.. CritteLGen went across the bay fron
San Franciscu to Oakland on the regula
ferry to meet his family. who he kneV
would come on the train due at that time
He met his family and took a seat be
tween his wife and daughter or the upre
deck Of the boat FL Caritan. The ferry
boat had gone about 100 yards from OAK
land in the direction of San Francisco
when a woman. heavily yelled and hole
ing a pistol in her right hand, suddenl
appeared before Crittenden IL called out
you have ruined me and my child an
must die!'
She fired one shot, which struck her vii
tim near the heart. He would have falle
> to the floor had he not been caught al
sustained by his wife.
Mrs. Fair turned II ran to the lowe
Deck. where she mingled among the pa
sengers- Parker Crittenden, the murdere
mans sen, dashed after the woman, AL
finding on the vessel the captain of II
harbor police be had her arrested.
Mr.. Crittcnden was taken to his hOm'
and on the morning of the third day aftt
the shooting he died.
Mrs. Fair was indicted and her trial b
gan on the 9th of March, 1871. Juds
? Dwinelle presided. Lawyers Cook an
Quint appeared for the defense and Di
: trict Attorney Harry Byrnes for the pro
ecutioN.
The defense sought to prove that Mr.
Fair was the victim of emotional ~insani:,
but without success. The defense w;
, mastery and it was thought that the pro
~
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