Wichita eagle., 1890-03-09
MR.. AND MRS. VAIL.


series of condolences. For instance, one day
Vail took out an accident insurance ticket on
his wife's life for $1,000, expiring within
twenty four hours. There was at that time
$4,000 in other policies on her life. That
night the building in which she lived was set
on fire by an unknown incendiary.
Only a few weeks afterward he procured
similar ticket. The night was dark and
drizzly, but he called at his wife's home with
a buggy and insisted that she go with him for
q drive. When she returned she told her
mother strange story. She said that they
drove in the rain to Forest park and when
they were on one of the deserted roads of the
park Vail stopped the buggy, threw the reins
On the horses back, jumped to the ground,
and, taking the whip, lashed and cut the
horse. She leaned quickly forward aud fort
unately caught the lines. The horse plunged
when the whip fell on him, but the poor girl,
then in delicate condition, held fast to the
reins and exerted all her strength to con-
troll the frantic animal. And there they
stood, he on the ground in safety, cutting and
lashing the horse; she in the buggy straining
every muscle to hold the horse and save her
life. She won and Vail took his seat in the
buggy again, turned around and drove home
thrown the buggy against tree, and if the
poor girls brains had been dashed out, that
one day policy, good for that day only,
would have been payable, S15, 600 Of other In
surance would have been due, and Vail had
the policies.
Her family begged him constantly to live
with his vile, and finally he consented to do
so, on condition that they move from the
Sol n Il
though they could i'll afford it, furnished the
rooms handsomely which Vail and his wife
were to occupy, SO that his home would
be an attractive one. A strange thing hap
pened in this house. One night Mrs. Vail
heard her little dog barking in the yard and
went down. She found pile of shavings
saturated with coal oil against the house.
Who placed them there no one knows, but
many suspect After that Vail expressed
strong dislike for the dog, and after one OF
his visits it died of poison. Vail denied hav
ing administered the dose.
On Feb. l Of this year be took his wife to
his uncles farm near Old Comfort, Mo. Not
needing the pleadings of his wife and her
mother he took with him his pistol, which
had lain at Mrs. Sastery's for weeks. On the
following Monday he returned TO ST. Louis,
and before going back on FEB. S he took out
two two-day accident tickets for So 900 each,
one on his wife's lie and one on his own
Why he bought one for bis WIFE, who was
still at the farm and was not going to travel,
is mystery. This again swelled the insur-
ance on his wife's life 10 $50, 900
He was to have returned TO st. Louis on
;he early tram Monday morning, but when
he was awakened be said be did not feel well
: Il. r.
spent the day around the place At 2:55
p. N. they got ready to start for the station.
Mr. McAtee (his uncle) went TO the heads Of
the horses. which were standing near by ready
for the drive. to unite them. Vail helped
Miss Lizzie McAtee into the wagon and took
up a position behind Mrs Vail on the ground
He placed his hands under her arms as il to
hit her up Miss Lizzie was busy fixing the
cushions, while Mr. McAtee was still caty-
ing the horses
Suddenly a shot vas heard and Mrs Vail
exclaimed
''Oh, Charlie, you've snot me-"
This was exactly three hours before the
sccident ticket on her lie expired.
At4o'clock il the afternoon Mrs Vail died. /
Walls explanation OF the shooting was TIA;
his pistol was in his overcoat pocket and was
accidentally exploited By striking against the
wagon wheel
Vail has been il trouble before. re was 1
arrested In 1883 OF a usrran. sworn oGt by I
a diSreputable woman VINO charged him with 4
stealing from Der par Of diamond earrings. 4
Her jsweiry was returned 20 her and he was
from custody. He claimed that
il was a case Of elsckmaiL Il Is alleged Tia:
be bas also been rnired up il one CT two queer
Ere insursnc~ cases
II murder was oonnasttei II Was double 4
ri me for Mrs Vail wss abostt 70 becors a 4
mother