The San Francisco call., 1896-08-14
Fair Then Tod Him to Go
and Celebrate the
Event.
INTERESTING REcoLLECT1oNs.
Craig TestiieS That Fair Told Him He
Was Going to Make Certain
Deeds

Lee D. Craig, notary, delivered his depo-
sition concerning the Fair will contest at
Delmas & Shortridge's offices yesterday,
He narrated his recollections concerning
the acknowledgement by Senator Fair and
Mrs. Craven of the marriage contract. He
also testified that Senator Fair told him
that he was going to deed property to Mrs.
Craven, the property being that to which
Mrs. Craven now holds deeds.
Senator Fair at this second interview
said that he (Fair) would draw the deeds.
The conversation occurred while Senator
Fair and Mr.. Craig we're walking up Mont
gomery street toward Sutter and they
talked from the time they met in front of
Senator Fairs Office on Montgomery street
until they reached Sutter street, There
another man came along who was not
known to Mr.. Craig and the conversation
ab lut the deeds came to an end. Incl
dentally during this walk Senator Fair S
health was discussed.
Mr.. Craig was examined by Mr.. Delmas
and was cross-examined by Mr.. Pierson.
He answered to Mr.. Delmas that his age
is SIS years, that e had been a notary nine-
teen years and that he had known Senator
Fair since about 1879 or 1880, when he was
introduced TO him by A. Cohen in this
City. He had known Senator Fair very
well in that period and he had also known
Mrs. Craven fifteen years. The aequaint-
ance with Mrs. Craven has continued
down to, the present time. He was ac-
quainted With her when she was living at
the Lapgham Hotel at the time John SWEET
was candidate for the position of Super
int nf Schools Mr. GroI0 frxr
ing to have Mr.. SWEET elected and Mrs.
Craven also desired his election. Senator
Fair was visiting Mrs. Craven at the Lang
ham Hotel, and on one occasion Mr.. Craig
met him at the Langham in Mrs. Craven's s
company.
The candidacy of Mr.. SWEET came up.
Mr. Craig had been talking with w. w.
Stow about this matter. During the con-
versation with Senator Fair Mr.. Craig
said that he was in doubt about the cleo
tion of Mr.. SWEET, ana also remarked that
1t would cost from $500 TO $1,000. Senator
Fair said, If you want $500 or $1,000 or
$1,000 you can have it, Mr.. Craig went
away and talked again with Mr. Stow
about the election.
do you remember meeting Senator
FAIR and Mrs. Craven on May "A, 1922"
inquired Mrs. Delmas.
Yes"
What fixes the date in your mind2"
"a document which l saw fixed the
date
please state the circumstances of what
conversation then took placer"
81 was going up Sutter street early in
the afternoon at from to 80 o'clock.
While passing up the street l saw Senator
Fair and Mrs. Craven standing by the
doorway of 120 Sutter street. bowed and
they beekoned me to come up to them. |
would have gone to them anyway, for L
was friendly with them both. When they
beekoned l went along to them and we
shook hands. Senator Fair said, Il was
just going to your Office to see you' /
said, Very well, l will go back with you;
what can do?I
Senator Fair said that he wanted me
TO acknowledge little paper. / said, 'All
right; have you got IL with you? Mrs.
Craven took it out of her satcheI. l
opened the paper, which was half letter.
sheet torn off. There was a date on the
paper and two lines written on it with
signatures of Senator Fair and Mrs.
Craven. The first line read, or as near as
l can remember:
81, James 6. Fair, take Nettie R.
Craven to be my lawful wife, or welded
WIFE
Under this was the signature, James
G. Fair Mrs. Craven had written her
name under a similar line in which she
had declared that she took James G. Fair
TO be her husband. Senator Fair said to
me, don't want soul but you to know
it. 1 smiled when ] read the paper. |
could not help il. l said, AN right, l
won't tell any body told him that if l
put certificate on the paper l must put
it on my book and that would make the
record complete.
He said that he did not want any rec
ord. He spoke of the contract as a tenn
porary matter, and said that he would
get married when he had his business
all fixed up as he wanted it. They both
said that their act in signing the contract
was voluntary, and took their acknowl-
edgments. l said that would congratu-
late them, and Senator Fair shook hands
with me, handed me $40 gold piece. and
said, Now, go and celebrate it. Mrs.
Craven then took the paper. Senator Fair
acknowledged the paper and Mrs. Craven
did the same thing"
Have you seen that paper since?" in
quired Mr. Delmas.
81 saw it again few days ago. called
upon Mrs. Craven at her house some day
last week. l think it was the day before
her deposition was taken. asked if she
had the paper there, and said that if she
had | would like to see it. She said that
she had it, and showed it to me-"
"Was that the identical paper that you
saw on May "a, 1922"
ut looked exactly like the same"
"Do you remember Mr.. Craig, talking
with Senator Fair some time before his
death relative to Mrs. Crayen9"
"Yes, sir, do"
'Please relate all the circumstances as
nearly as you cam"
"It was in the latter part of August,
Just after he had returned from the
springs, in 1892 l was going home, and
Senator Fair came out OF the Fair build
ing, on Montgomery street. ! overlook
him and we spoke, and | asked him why
be did not go to my brother st Highland