The Incredible Trial of Laura D. Fair (AFRTS)

Good evening. This is crime classics. I am Thomas Highland with another true story of crime listen The good ship El Capitan used to sail the bay between Oakland and San Francisco in the 1870 Mostly in the fog Its gipper was Captain Bill Trancell and he was known among the ferryboat set as having a heavy hand on the whistle

He found any number of excuses for tooting that whistle But the one excuse, which he never forgot, was the time he was entertaining Mr. and Mrs. Crittenden on the bridge. And an uninvited lady named Mrs. Laura D. Fair suddenly threw open the door, walked over to Mr. Crittenden and shot him through his heart. Captain Bill

Trancell, it must be admitted, for once lost all control. unwittingly gave the nautical signal for icebergs in San Francisco Bay, which caused much hoisting of flags and battening of hatches, but could not change the fact that Mr. Crittenden was lying face downward on the deck.

So, tonight, my report to you on the incredible trial of Laura D. Fair. Crime classics, a series of true crime stories taken from the records and newspapers of every land from every time. Your host each week, Mr. Thomas Highland, Connoisseur of crime, student of violence and teller of murders. Now once again, Thomas Highland.

San Francisco in the 1870s was coming of age. It was getting civilized. By this I mean that gentlemen who carried guns, wore them beneath their coats, and the can can could be viewed by mixed company, and mixed company was the theme of the day.

It was a very romantic time and a time of elegance, of crystal chandeliers reflecting swirls of silken gowns, and from another angle so did polished brass cuspidors. Already the names, Barbary Coast, Knob Hill, Gold Coast, and Chinatown, were becoming legend, and if we are to believe all we hear, grandfather didn't have it so tough.