The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-05
MRS. WALLS CONDUCT
Sensational Charges Made by
Her Husband.
CONTEST OVER CHILD
ALLEGED THAT THE WIFE Is
DISSoLUTE.

BY the filing in the district court yes
terday Of an answer and cross-com-
plant by Elmer a Vail, the well known
civil engineer, to the petitioD of bfs
"iLe' Edith Vail, for a divorce if IS
evident that the husband viii resist to
the uttermost the claims of the vo-
man whom he married in Ogden an
1March u. 1892. The complain for di-
Vorce was founded upon allegations of
cruelty failure to support and deser-
ton of plaintiff by defendant. but to
ali Of these charges the husband en-
ters denial
me real bone of contention in the
contest between Mrs and Mrs. Vail is
the custody of their little girl CIadve
oFleah' aged years. Mrs Vail seeks
70 &c awarded the custody of the child
Dut Mr.. Vail will undertake to show
that she IS unfit to rear the child. and
| mat he should have its care 1t will
/ De remembered that Mr. Vail took
Tiadys away with him last February
unknown to its mother. who. with her
ihother, Mrs. Mcconnell, finally located
hef IN the care of the Sacred Heart
academy on Nov. p, and by making a
flourish of a gun at the Sisters secured
possession of the child
Replying to the charge that he ab-
Quoted the child. Mr. Vail declares in
ms cross-complaint that his reason. for
removing little Gladys Gvas to prevent
the knowledge on the part of the child
OF her mothers infamy and disgrace.
AS TO the allegation that he was in
the habit of following his wife around
! on the streets and otherwise was sIIs-
picious of her conduct. Mr.. Vail admits
that ne did dog her footsteps on one
1 occasion, when he discovered her in
/ company with diSsOlute man and fol-
lowed them to an designation house
Further complaining. Mr. Vail alleges
that While he has always been duti-
ful husband. his wife has so misbe-
/ haVed herself in the marriage relation
as to compel the separation on his part,
which occurred last February.
Charges Against Mrs. Vail.
Specific acts of Mrs. Wallis miscon-
duct are alleged as follows:
That she has for over three years
past persisted in associating with dis
reputable characters Of both sexes in
saloons, winerOOms and other improper
places.
That she has frequently severely pun
| .shed the child for its innocent remarks
about its mother drinking with men in
public places. and that she has often
remarked that she had no love for
Gladys and wished she were dead.
That she is a woman Of coarse and
F.. brutal nature, which manfests itself in
the utmost license of speech. resulting
in the corruption of the mind and Ian
Suage of the child. and tending to de
stroy its purity and innocence
That when reprOved for her conduct
in permitting the home TO be reSOTted
I to by diSsOlute characters in midnight
carOusalS, to the scandal of the neigh
bOTs, while defendant was absent from
the city. she would use such bad Ian
guage that to repeat il would not be
tolerated by the court, and that when
he again reprOved her for expressing
an intention of living a fast life, she
attacked him with a knife and threat
ened TO take his life.
That she has become a slave to the
habit Of becoming intoxicated, and that
she is no longer ft>tO be the wife and
companion of any respectable man, or
the inmate of any home.
Specifically it is charged that Mrs
Vail has repeatedly violated her mar
riage vows since 1897 and that on two
Occs sions, July % and NOv.23, 1895, at the
BOwIby house on West Temple street
and at 236 West Third North street,
Mrs. Vail committed adultery with a
saloon man who is designated as w
/ w" in the cross-cOmplaint-
Pierce. CritchloW & BarTette are 81
| tOrneys for the crOss-complainant and
Power, Straup & Lippman are counsel
for Mrs. Vail.