The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-10
MIR. AND MRS. VAIL.

There began about this time remarkable
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 q
similar ticket The night was dark and
drzzly, but he called at his wife's home with
buggy and insisted that she go with him for
a 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, dashed and cut the
horse. She leaned quickly forward and fort
unately caught the lines. The horse plunged
when the whip fell on him, but the poor girl,
then in a 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
| If that horse had run and in the darkness
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, $4,000 of other in
| surance would have been due, and Vail had
the policies.
Her family begged him constantly to live
with his wife, and finally he consented to do
so, on condition that they move from the
| fat to a private house. They did so, and, al
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 a
strong dislike for the dog, and after one of
his visits it died of poison. Vail denied hav-
ing administered the dose.
On Feb. of this year he took his wife tc
his uncle's farm near Old Comfort, Mo. Not
needing the pleadings of his wife and hel
mother he took with him his pistol, which
had lain at Mrs Slattery's for weeks On the
and before going back on Feb. he took GU
two two-day accident tickets for 5000 each
one on his wife's life and one on his own
SHY he bought one for his wife, who wa
still at the farm and was not going to travel
is mystery This again swelled the insur
ance on his wife's life to $4,000.
He was to have returned to st. Louis Oh
the early train Monday morning, but whel
! "A 4 y
end would wait for the afternoon train. II
, spent the day around the place. At 2:5
p. m. they got ready to start for the station
Mr.. McAtee this uncle went to the heads 0
the horses, which were standing near by read
! for the drive, to unite them. Vail helpe
5 Miss Lizzie McAtee into the :qagon and too
up position behind Mrs. Walton the ground
He placed his hands under Ter arms as if t.
| lift her up Miss Lizzie was busy fixing tn
cushions, while Mr. McAtee was still unity
/, ing the horses.
i Suddenly a shot was heard and Mrs Va
: exclaimed
t ''Oh, Charlie, you've shot me!''
Q This was exactly three hours before tt
) accident ticket on her life expired.
At4oclock in the afternoon Mrs. Vail det
Wallis explanation of the shooting was til;
It his pistol was in his overcoat pocket and We
e accidentally exploded by striking against til
9 wagon wheel.
r Vail has been in trouble before. He we
Il arrested III 1888 on warrant sworn out
Il a disreputable woman who charged him wit
# stealing from her pair of diamond earring
a Her iewelry was returned to her and he WI
n discharged from custody. He claimed thu
l. it was a case of blacl1nail. 1t is alleged til;
e be has also been mixed upin one or two que
S fire insurance cases
IS If murder was committed it was a doub
't crime, for Mrs. Vail was about to become
IS -nlathap