Western America
“Prettiest Woman in California” Is Convicted For Murder ! Mrs. Laura D. Fair - The First Woman Convicted of First-Degree Murder in California
c. 1872, Collector Archive Lot with Three Items; 1. Carte De Visite, plus 2. Letter of Eyewitness Trial Account and 3. Period Newsclipping of Laura D. Fair, being Convicted of Murdering Her Lover Because He would Not Divorce His Wife, Lot of Three Items, Choice Very Fine
This interesting Collection features materials describing the First Woman Convicted of First-Degree Murder in California. Mrs. Laura D. Fair. Fair (who already had four husbands) was tried for the murder of noted lawyer Alex P. Crittenden in April 1871. He was allegedly shot while on the San Francisco Ferry by Mrs. Fair because he would not divorce his wife. She was sentenced to Death by Hanging, although a second trial later resulted in acquittal in October 1872.

Mrs. Fair later told a story that refuted the earlier scandalous rumors: she said Crittenden had pestered her to marry him, but when she discovered he was already married she attempted to end the affair; according to Fair, he pursued her and she shot him in self defense. Fair died in 1913, and her daughter, Lorraine, became a noted actress.

This lot features:

1. Carte De Visite, Sepia-toned, printed by Shew’s Photography, San Francisco, CA, c. 1871, 4” x 2.5” and is pasted onto a larger page, with newspaper account of Laura Fair, measuring to 8” x 6.5” being doublesided. This CDV has a tiny copyright notice by Laura Fair, and has a captioned inscription: “Presented by F.J. Castelthan, of San Francisco, California” below the image.

2. An Handwritten Eyewitness Account of the Trial. This original document is incorporated into the text of a handwritten letter, clipped and incomplete (no author or date,) 2.5 pages, approximately 8” x 5” written in vivid purple ink on the proper, period lined paper. The account has several noteworthy quotes, including:

“I confess to you that I failed to discover any clue to a lascivious woman in her appearance…. She had and has them still her sympathizers. I am sorry to say, they were woman’s rights folks, male and female…”

3. The Newspaper Account of the Trial. It has been laid down onto both sides of a 8” x 6.5” larger sheet and is greatly detailed in its story account (no date or maker), and is quite revealing and intriguing in its reporting of this remarkable story.

This is a highly significant, period archive that is directly related to the story and personalities involved with The First Woman Convicted of First-Degree Murder in California. (3 items)