385: The 1870 Murder of A.P. Crittenden w/ Gary Krist

Shortly before dusk on November 3, 1870, just as the ferryboat El Capitan was pulling away from its slip into San Francisco Bay, a woman clad in black emerged from the shadows and strode across the crowded deck. Reaching under her veil, she drew a small pistol and aimed it directly at a well-dressed man sitting quietly with his wife and children. The woman fired a single bullet into his chest. “I did it and I don’t deny it,” she said when arrested shortly thereafter. “He ruined both myself and my daughter.”

This week’s guest is acclaimed author Gary Krist. In his latest book, "Trespassers at the Golden Gate: A True Account of Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco", Krist delves into the gripping true story of attorney A.P. Crittenden and his long-time mistress, Laura Fair. Their seven-year affair came to a tragic and scandalous end with a very public murder and a pair of sensational trials.

More about the author here: http://garykrist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices