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

THE SSAULT All VIRGINIA CITY.
the purest and best women since the days
Of Herod, or else they were consciously
aware of the fact that they were U~ttering
the greatest falsehoods ever heard by hui
man ears since the days of Ananias.
Mrs. Fairs family were people Of some
intelligence, but her parents were evident
" not Christians, for they had no family
Bible and they kept no record Of their
own marriage or of the births of their
children, but so far as Mrs. Fair could
learn from her mother-her father had
been long dead-she was, in 1870, 35 years
of age. Mrs. Fair was born, so she be-
lieved, in California. In her youth she
had a bright mind, and even in middle age
had a prepossessing personality. She was
Of medium height, with yellow hair, blue
eyes, an oval face, a protruding under lip
and a constant expression Of self conscious
ness, if not Of vanity. She matured very
early. and at the age Of l6 married a man
named Stone. She lived with her first
husband about four months, when he died
in a way that was considered mysterious
at that time, but life and death in Cali
focnia in those days were not given the
Importance they have at this time.
The beautiful young widow had not
worn mourning garb more than five
months when she became engaged to q
man named Gray and married him within
a week. Her second marriage was even
briefer than her first, for Gray, for some
reason that was never explained, ran away
and was never heard of again.
Before this remarkable woman was Is
49,. ,L> .,.nn;.l Wy II E,s,, ,
handsome young lawyer Of San Francisco.
Mr.. Fair was we'll connected, had decided
ability, and all who knew him believed
that he had a future before him. He had
been married just a year, and his daughter
was less than a month old, when, to the
surprise of all his friends, he committed
suicide in San Francisco.
Twenty years of Age, Young, handsome
and remarkably intelligent considering
her want Of education, Mrs. Fair wa
thrown on her own resources, having bel
infant daughter and her mother, then M
invalid woman of as, to care for. For &
time she tried to make a living by teach
ing music, l..i lacking the technical train
ing, though She sang and played fairly wei
for an amateur, she did not succeed.
Like too many women under the SAM
circumstances Mrs. Fair believed she
would succeed on the stage, for then as
now q fine figure and q romantic history
were considered the first requisites for his
triOnic success.
While Mrs. Fair was playing in variety
houses along the Pacific slope news Of tht
great silver discoveries in Nevada reached
San Francisco. She had saved up a fttl'
money, and, with her manager, to whom
it is said she was engaged to be married
she made up her mind to go to Virginia
City, the center of the silver field, ant
start a boarding house.
Mrs. Fair, with her mother q child
ana her manager, now a partner, wen
to Nevada and started a boarding house
or "hotel.' This was near the clos'
OF the civi! war, when the feeling wa
even stronger in the far western states
than in the east. Mrs. Fairs partne,
was a Union man, and on the Fourth o
July. 1864, when the downfall Of tn
Confederacy seemed inevitable. he sough
to show his patriotism by hosting tn,
American flag over the boarding house
When Mrs. Fair discovered what he ha,
done, she became furious. She denounced
her partner in language at once vigorous
and profanc, and rushing up to the roo
pulled down the flag and tore it into frag
ments. When her partner expostulated
she drew a pistol and shot him.
The wound fortunately was not fatal
There Yas . stroGg Union element In Viz