Sarah J Vail
Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 15 March 1905, page 5
ANALYSIS FOR POISON
Sensational developments are likely to follow the exhuming of the
body of Mrs. Sara J Vail from a lonely grave in the southwestern part of
Campbell County, at a point opposite Visalia, in Kenton County. The body was
exhumed under the direction of Coroner Higgins of Newport; Coroner Tarvin of
Covington and Coroner Gatch of Clermont County, O. at the request of the dead
woman's relatives, who have declared that her death was due to other than
natural causes.
The stomach and other portions of the digestive organs were removed and taken to a Cincinnati chemist to ascertain whether or not they show traces of poison.
Mrs. Vail was 71 years old when she died, her death occurring Feb 9, 1904, at her home, near Bantam, Clermont Co O. She and her husband G W Vail, lived alone on their farm. They had only been married a few months when Mrs. Vail was taken suddenly ill and died without receiving medical attention. Coroner Gatch was notified of Mrs. Vail's sudden death and after an investigation, returned a verdict of death from sudden attack of heart trouble. The remains were taken to Campbell County, her old home, for interment. Yesterday, after the body had been lifted from the grave, it was taken to a barn in the neighborhood and dissected. An examination was also made for marks of violence.
Attorney Jerry Hutchins, of Covington, representing Mrs. Vail's relatives, was present and made notes of all that took place. Further investigation as to the woman's death will be transferred to Clermont County, where the feeling is general that Mrs. Vail's death occurred under suspicious circumstance.
The decedent left property consisting of a farm in Clermont County, another in Kentucky and property in Newport, where she lived previous to her marriage to Vail, two years ago. She was also known to have money she received from the sale of ground on which part of the Wiedemann Brewery Company's plant is built. Relatives state that she received $800 a few days before she died. The administrator, Judge Nichols, did not find this money, when he took charge of the estate. Vail received one third of the estate and the remainder went to Mrs. Vail's other heirs. She inherited the bulk of her property from her first husband, H Hodges, a Newport saloon keeper, who died a few years ago.
Vail is living on the farm where his former wife died. Five months after her death he married Vira Burham, of Cincinnati, but she sued him for divorce in this county six weeks ago, alleging cruelty. She asked for divorce, alimony and other relief.