Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-11-21

Point, where he was graduated In the
same class with General w. T. Sherman
and General Beauregard.
Crittenden served in the United States
army for some time, but in 1S49 resigned,
studied law and went to California when
the gold few ,r was at its height
A man oi fine presence, good education,
great forcc of character and undoubtcd
ability, Alexander P. Crittenden, who
made his home in San Francisco, at once
took leading position at the bar of his
adopted state. About 1860 he married a
woman OF good family and great personal
attractiveness and refinement, by whom
he had two children, a boy and a girl. Mr..
Crittenden was interested in the great
Nevada silver mines, and being in Vir-
ginia City at the time Mrs. Fair shot her
partner he was asked to defend her, and
after visit to the prisoner he, with char
acteristic gallantry, agreed to do SO.
Owing To Mr.. Crittenden's great ability
and devotion rather than to the merits of
the case. he succeeded in having Mrs. Fair
det'rcd not guilty.
1hts 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, ut least so it is be-
lieved, Mrs. Fair came to San Francisco
with her mother and child. The attach
ment formed in Nevada grew stronger and
stronger in California, until at last his
familiarity with the woman became a
matter of notoriety, and his best friends
warned him against continuing the con-
nectiOn.
Mrs. Crittenden seems to have been
early aware of her husband fondness for
blis woman, and with great patience and
admirable common sense she tried, but
unsuccessfully, to wean him from her.
For six ytsss this liaison continued, and
the correspondence, subsequently brought
to light, showed that Mr.. Crittenden had
become Mrs. Fairs slave and had spent
thousands of dollars every year to meet
her regular expenses and to crafty her
more extravaganza whims.
In 1870 Mr.. Crittcnden was a man SO
years of age. His Oldest son, Parker, was
youth of go and his daughter beautiful
girl of 16. In the summer of that year
he had sent his family on to the east to
visit relatives, and with the additional
purpose in mind Of breaking off, during
their absence, all connection with Mrs
Fair.
About a year before this time Mrs Fair,
who had no position in society, and who
was Well known to the San Francisco
fast set" had, through the advice of Mr..
Crittenden, who was eager to be rid of
her, married a man named Snyder. This
marriage lasted just q month. Snyder
left his wife, and nine weeks from tho
date OF their marriage she was again di.
vorced
This was the condition of affairs on the
afternoon of Nov. 3, 1870. At that time
Mr.. Crittenden went across the bay from
San Francisco to Oakland on the regular
ferry to meet his family, who he knew
would come ON the train due at that time.
He met his family and took q seat be-
tween his wife and daughter on the upper
deck of the boat FL Captain. The ferry
boat had gone about 100 yards from Oak
land in the direction of San Francisco,
when a woman, heavily yelled and hold
ing pistol in her right hand, suddenly
appeared before Crittenden and called out
"You have ruined me and my child and
must diev'
She fired one shot, which struck her VIC
tim near the heart. He would have fallen
to the floor had he not been caught and
sustained by his wife.
Mrs. Fair turned and ran to the lower
deck, where she mingled among the pas
sengers. Parker Crittenden, the murdered
mans son, dashed after the woman, and
finding on the vessel the captain of the
harbor police he had her arrested
Mr.. Crittenden was taken to his home,
and on the morning of the third day after
the shooting he died.
Mrs. Fair was indicted and her trial be-
gan on the 9th of March, 1871. Judge
Quint appeared for the defense and Dis
trict Attorney Harry Byrnes for the pros
ecution.
The defense sought to prove that Mrs.
Fair was the victim of emotional insanity,
but without success. The defense was
| mastery and it was thought that the pros