The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-02-12
VANCE COMMITS SUICIDE.
He Ends His Troubles with a
Bullet.
A MOST SHOCKING TRAGEDY
The Unfortunate Man Not Yet Dead,
But Surely Dying.
An Account of the Troubles That Led to
His Disgrace and Despair-Unfor-
tunate End of Once Popular
Oficer-Biographica

With his career as soldier ended, his
honor as gentleman impugned and his
hopes in life blasted, Lieutenant Capers
D. Vance yesterday took arms against the
sea of trouble that overwhelmed him, and
ended all by sending a bullet through his
brain.
Before retiring on Friday night the
lieutenant told his servant or s'striker''
that he need not call him in the morning,
but as the officer had not made his ap
pearance at 10 O'Clock, the servant went
to the door of his room at quarters No. 2
and knocked. Receiving no response,
but hearing someone grooming family in
the apartment, the ''striker" retired and
notified several soldiers that something
was wrong in the officers room. They
returned with him and on forcing the
door open found Lieutenant Vance dressed
in full uniform lying stretched upon the
floor. A pool OF blood at his head and a
revolver lying near his right hand
told the whole story. He was I'M
conscious, but his feeble groan
ing indicated that life was not
extinct, and while some gently lifted the
wounded man upon his bed, others ran
for Drs. Heigman and Kendall the post
surgeons, who were soon at the scene.
They found that Vance had stood in the
middle of the room, placed the muzZle OF
a 45-calibre bull dog revolver against his
head and fired. The bullet entered the
right side of the head. about an inch
above The ear, and passing through the
brain, came out on a line with the point
of entrance, but about an inch nearer the
forehead.
THE WOUND FATAL.
The shot had evidently been fired
shortly after o'clock, and the physicians
at once pronounced the wound fatal.
Everything possible was done for the I'M
fortunate man, but he never regained
consciousness. and hour after hour lay on
the bed, an occasional moan or a move
ment of the head being the only evil
dences that he was alive. The attendants
expect him to die in very short
time, but the mans wonderful vitality
was surprising and last evening when
HERALD reporter visited the quarters, his
condition was apparently unchanged.
Although the physicians shook their
heads and said that death must ensue in a
few hours at the most.
CREATED A SENSATION.
The news of the awful affair created a
in the city. Vance's fellow officers did
not seem greatly shocked but it was
plainly evident even to a casual observer,
that the enlisted men felt the deepest
sympathy for the lieutenant. The news
created almost as much stir in town, and
during the afternoon several of the
officers civilian friends went out to the
fort to see him.
The father of the unfortunate lieutenant
resides in Arkansas, some distance from
Fayetteville and the adjutant at once sent
telegram to him, stating that his son
had been found in dying condition and
asking for instructions. Attorney Walker
Gunter, who is an old friend of the
family, afterwards sent telegram of the
same purport to his father, ex-Congress-
man Gunter, asking him to convey the
Intelligence to Mr.. Vance. AS the latter
resides some distance from the Geographic
line, it will not be possible to get a reply
until some time today, but Mr.. Gunter is
certain that Instructions to ship the re-
remains to Fayetteville will be received.
THE LIEUTENANT's TROUBLES.
Yesterdays tragedy is undoubtedly the
result OF the trouble in which Lieutenant
Vance became involved several months
ago, and with which the public is familiar
through accounts that have appeared in
THE HERALD. Last summer some one
son at an early hour in the morning, and
while Mr.. Johnson. was absent, and pro-
ceeded to Mrs. Johnson's room. That
lady was awakened and screamed, where
upon the intruder fed. An alarm was
given, and although the prowler could not
be found, watch was picked up near the
door of Johnson's house. The timepiece
proved to be the property of Lieutenant
Vance, and this, with other circum-
stances, led to the conclusion that he was
the guilty party, and he was charged with
the offense. Immediately afterwards,
however, he left the fort and resigned his
commission, presumably upon the advice
of friends. 1t is said that had his resig-
nation been accepted he would certainly
have been given a school in Indian terri
tory, but he took the counsel OF certain of
his friends and finally decided to return
to Fort Douglas, Withdraw his resigna-
ton, face the issue and fight it out. He
arrived at the post in December and was
placed under arrest by Colonel Penrose,
the acting commandant, but was not re-
strained of his liberty.
Shortly afterwards Colonel Blunt re-
turned from Europe, and he further cur
tailed Vance's freedom by allowing him
to visit the city only upon application or
on his parole of honor.
THE COURT MARTIAL.
Early in January court martial was
ordered to try the case on the following
charges and specifications:
''Charge = Conduct unbecoming an
officer and gentleman. in violation OF
ssspecifcation-In that Second Lieu
tenant @. D. Vance, Sixteenth infantry,
did unlawfully enter the quarters of First
Lieutenant w. H. Johnston, jr., Six
tenth infantry, while the said Lieuten-
ant Johnston was on detached service at
Bellvue rife range, near Omaha, Neb.,
and did enter the bedroom OF Mrs.
Lucille Wilkinson Johnston, while the
said Mrs Johnston was asleepin bed, and
did then and there attempt to assault the
said Mrs. Lucille w. Johnston, and did
not desist from such attempt until fright
ened away by the alarm raised by the said
Mrs. Johnston.
This at Fort Douglas, Utah, between
$3.50 and 4:30 O'Clock a. M, Sept. 2, 1892. -
The trial was conducted with all the pomp
and circumstance of military procedure,
G. S. Varian representing the defendant.
The oOuPi martial oo0unInd sQVPr9l DAVIS