Imperial Valley press., 1930-08-25
DESERT CLAIMS
YUMA RESIDENT
AS HEAT VICTIM
Charles e. Vail Found
Dead Near PaIO Verde
Bv Local Officers.

FThe body Of Charles G. Vail, -
year old resident of Yuma, AriZ,,
missing since August Is, was found
last Saturday afternoon by Deputy
Sheriff Harold Gillett and Roy Gil
lett Of the city police department,
after Lee Conrad, rancher near Ogil-
by and the last man to have seen
him alive, notified the sheriff's of
flee at Yuma Friday night he be-
iieyed the man to be lost somewhere
in the vicinity of his ranch on the
Colorado river Vail s abandoned
automobile had been found several
days before by Constable Whittle of
Palo Verde.
According to reports received at
the she.iff's office at Yuma and
here, tn deceased, who was believed
to have been unbalanced mentally,
traded trunk for some gas at Palo
Verde on August -, and told the
service station man he was going
prospecting along the Colorado river
in the direction of Yuma. The sta
tion attendant argued with him for
sometime. explaining it would be i'm
possible for him to drive through
the country. He said Vail finally
promised he would give up the trip.
On leaving the station, however.
the old man evidently changed his
mind and started toward the Colo
RADIO river.
Some . miles down the river his
car got stuck in the heavy brush and
sand, 50 he abandoned it, after tax
with q canvass cover. He walked
several miles to Lee Conrad 's ranch,
where he spent the night. In the
morning, according to Conrad. des
pite the rancher's efforts to have
the man stay with him, or at least
turn back toward Palo Verde, Vail
set out for the Pot Holes country
in the vicinity of Laguna Dam. 1t
! was the last time he was seen alive.
Several days later man from the
B. S. ranch, which is located about
IL miles beyond the Conrad place
and supposedly in the path taken by
| Vail. visited Conrad and when Ques-
toned stated the old man had not
been seen in that vicinity. 1t was
then Conrad notified the sheriff at
Yuma, who Immediately got in touch
| with the sheriff here.
Body Located
Following directions given by the
! Yuma department, the two officer,
dispatched from here drove tc
! Ogilbv. north of the Tumco mines
| then followed a dry wash to the
| b. :. ranch.
\ short distance beyond the ranch
/ the officers left their ear and set
out on foot. following the river. A
distance of about II miles beyond,
| they walked right to the body Of
Vail, whom they estimated had been
dead about 10 days. In the almost
(impenetrable brush country border
ING the river, before finding the
/ body, the two officers came upon
various bits of food and clothing.
They stated they believed Vail lost
his hat in the. underbrush and was
soon overcome by the intense heat.
While they expected to find the
man s body within a radius of 20
miles of the b. s. Ranch, the Officers
| stated it was "pure luck' that they
walked right to the spot where Vail
had died.
The officers returned to Ogilby
via Midway Wells. and yesterday
morning, accompanied by Coroner
Charles Cockley and man from
johnson s funeral parlors at Yuma,
returned to the scene of the tragedy
and brought the body out. 1t was
removed to Yuma, where funeral ar
langements are being made.
Vail, who was widely known in the
vicinity of Yuma. owned quite 4
large amount of property in that
city. He is said to he survived by
= granddaughter.