The morning call., 1891-11-11

Many visitors entered to offer the frail pa
tent words of sympathy and encourage
ment. When the lady visitors departed
Mrs. Vest granted an interview to a CALL
reporter, and for half an hour talked pleas
antly and without reserve of her past lie, of
the events lending IN to the separation from
her husband, and of the circumstances sur
rounding his wild pistol practice in the
Brooklyn Hotel.
As she tOyrd with a large bamboo fan in
one hand, blood-red rose in the other. she
suddenly asked the interviewer question
Do you know how 1t feels to be shot?
Mp Well, then, I'll tell you. Imagine a
sicEening hnrror-SImethiug almost indie
scribab!e. There Is no pain beyond that
feeling OF horror. yet to receive two bullets
in ones body, as | did, is most horrible
ordeal, and one that would XIII most women
from the shock alone. Oh, why dld nv hus-
band fire those four shots at NE? That is
some thing Pll never be able 20 satisfactorily
explain.
For over an hour before the shooting we
sat in our rooms talking calmly Of our past
lives and actions. Over and over again he
declared that he would never harm me, and
that my separation from him would wreck
his life and cause his suicide. I was gentle,
yet firm, as l repeated that | could never
again live happily as his wife.
CONTEMPLATING DIVORCE.
Let me explain right here that for at
least three years l had been considering the
ACCESSIBILITY OF beginning proceedings to
secure a divorce from him. Whiie lie was
never brutal or harsh. lie neglected me and
at times, through his attentions to other
women. subjected me to great humiliation.
While | was mnu:ely explaining my rPa-
sons for desiring to live apart from him 70
locked the door and began firing that dread
The first two bullets struck me in the
right SIDE causing the sickening sensation
l have spoken OF. | staggered and fell on
the bed, and As lay there the other two
bullets passed above me. How | ever man.
aged II make my way 10 the door, unlock it
and rush into the hall l can never explain.
II all seems now like some ugly dream from
which L have just awakened. Well, as
was CROPPING my way 10 the hall fifth shot
rang out in the room from which | had
! escaped. but this time he had turned the
| pistol against his own breast
why he tried to kill me ! can never
| imagine. L was always true, gentle, low
ing wife. as my husband now admits. He
| once told my sister that he feared TO have
| me leave him, because | might be tempted
take in saying that Mrs. Hart had anything
| to DO With our separation or alternating my
| affections. She was my true and best
| friend here, nursing me when | was sick
and providing me with the necessaries of
| life when my husband failed to provide for
NE. VIII | prosecute him? Well. future
| events will speak for themselves. Ii | live
| through this terrible ordeal perhaps
| should not be too severe On other unfortu.
Mates
TIE UNHAPPY MAN.
The unhappy man who made the senSa-
tional attempt to kill her and then to COM
| nit suicide PAGES up and down the City
| Prison Hospital like a wounded Tiger al
! bay. He is out of danger, for the bullet
wound in his left breast is rapidly healing
but with the return of strength comes the
! maddening thought of the consequence oi
past deeds. When urged to sit down and
rest Vest replied, "Oh. l can't rest, fol-
| there is no rest for me-"
why did | shoot my wife? ?" Vest re-
| peated the question asked by the reporter.
"She cant tell, neither can !, for to Kill her
was always far,hest from my thoughts l
wonder how she feels toward me? On, If |
could only talk to her for two minutes. For
some reason they keep us apart"
| Being assured that her delicate condition
admitted of no excitement or emotion, Vest
| continued: After talking with her in the
room at the hotel 1 remembered nothin 2
| until on my way to the hospital in the
| ol-wagon Now. III confess something
| TO you that no living soul ever knew before
| 1t is that L was planning for wepks how tn
end my life without having it appear that
| had committed suicide. l arranged the de.
tails most infinitely.
SUICIDE CONTEMPLATED.
First | would insure my life for $40. 900
and have the policy made out in favor of my
| widow. Then l would hire a team, 90 out
| driving, and while on lonely road swallow
| poison, the nature OF which Is best known
to me. Just as | would be becoming un
conscious / would throw the lines to one
side. whip the horses and make them rur
away. My l;feess body would be found by
the roadside and it would appear that haC
been killed by an accident. No one would
suspect that | had died by my own hand
| Comprehend?
Unfortunately brooded oyer the plar
too long before l put It into execution.
must have aimed every one Of the shots
fired last Saturday at my own body. l hav,
proof. Here is my coat and vest; look a
| them
Then he seized the powder burned gar
ments and exhibited them. Through tn,
| left side OF the coat there were three bullet
holes and another in the vest, which tn,
bullet penetrated before entering his breast
If Vest did not tell the truth he has beeI
doing some rather lively thinking for ma,
who was insane not longer ago than Satur
| day