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

THE ASSAULT AT VIRGINIA CITY.
the purest and best women since the days
of Herod, or else they were consciously
aware of the fact that they were uttering
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 We're evident
ly 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-hcr father had
been long dead-she was, in 1870, 30 years
of age. Mrs. Fair was born, so she be-
lieved, in California. In her youth she
had 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 protruting under lip
and u constant expression of self conscious
ness, if not of vanity. She matured very
carly, and at the age of IS married man
named Stone. She lived with her first
husband about four months, when he died
in way that was considered mysterious
mt that time, but life and death in Cali
fOrnia 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 a
man named Gray and married him within
week. Her second marriage was even
bricfcr 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 10
of CHI II Of
handsome young lawyer of San Francisco
Mr.. Fair WAS well connected, had decided
ability, and all who knew him believed
that he had a future before him. He had
been married just u 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 was
thrown on her own resources, having her
infant daughter and her mother, then an
invalid woman of 49, to care for. For a
time she tried to make living by teach
ing music, but lacking the technical train
ing, though she sang and played fairly well
for an amateur, she did not succeed
Like too many women under the same
circumstances Mrs. Fair believed she
would succeed on the stage, for then as
now fine figure and a 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 the
great silver discoveries in Nevada reached
san Francisco. She had saved up little
money, and, with her manager, to whom
1t Is said she was engaged to be married,
she made up her mind to go to Virginia
City, the center of the silver field, and
start a boarding house.
Mrs. Fair, with her mother and child
and her manager, now a partner, went
to Nevada and started a boarding house,
or "hotel." This was near the close
of the civil war, when the feeling was
even stronger in the far western states
than in the east. Mrs. Fairs mariner
was Union man, and on the Fourth of
July. 1864, when the downfall of the
Confederacy seemed inevitable, he sought
to show his patriotism by hosting the
American flag over the boarding house.
When Mrs. Fair discovered what he had
done, she became furious. She denounced
her partner in language at once vigorous
and profane, and rushing up to the roof
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 was 1, strong Union element in Vir.
ginia City at that time, and though ordi-
narily the woman's sex would have protect
ell her in that masculine community she
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
1912 and was nephew Of the famous
John j. Crittenden, who represented Ken
lucky In the Enitcd States senate in 1850.
A. p. Crittenden was not the least re-
mnrkable 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.
"a. fighting on the side Of the south.
Through his uncle's influence Alexandez