The daily sentinel., 1908-03-14

12-year-old Ella Vzral was snuffed
out with arsenic because her mother
had her insured for an amount that
netted S105 She was the last of
the family besides the mother to
| die, and according to the evidence
| at the trial Bilek was hard pressed
| for funds at the time.
This self-admitted faker and mixer
Z, of mysterious poisons was born in
Bohemia forty years ago. The fam
! lily name in the native country was
Zajicek. For this difficult name that
of Bilek which, translated into Eng
lish means White" was substituted
after Bilek, as he is now generally
known, came to manhood. His
mother was wandering fortune
teller in Bohemia years before Bilek
was born. When she came to this
country she located in Cleveland,
which is still her home.
Bilek came to Chicago from Cleve-
land about three and one-half years
ago. His business, according to the
sign he hung out when he went to
live in building few doors from
the home of the Vzrals, was that of
card reader and seer. He had learned
the fortune-telling business from his
mother. She had found it an easy
means of livelihood and quick road
to affluence. 1t was not rapid
enough for Bilek, however. and even
that work he found to be too hard
to suit him. But he piled his voca-
tion steadily for some time after
coming to Chicago. In the summer
months, when business would nat
urally be dull in stuffy flat, he took !
a tent and went on the road, telling |
fortunes.
1t was shortly after his arrival in |
Chicago that he became acquainted |
with the Vzrals. Martin Vzral was
a hard working man. He owned a |
milk depot and had accumulated a
few thousand dollars by strict econ
omy and close attention to his little
business. At the time of his death
the business was said to be paying
about SIS per week net. He had
seven children, all girls but one. Mrs
vzral helped him in the milk bust
ness, and the family was cons dercd
to be one of the most prosperous in
the neighborhood.
Bilsk, with his family, consisting
of his wife, two sons and small |
daughter, moved into a house a few
doois FROM tho Vzrals and beclrle q
customer az ihe milk depot. hrcm
that day the Vzral home was :,.r,.sd
INTO house If mystery and death
First the Gather died, under ,ays-
terious circumstances. Four olni--
t.ren followed him to the grave, and |
on Decempsr i. 1906, the mo.h,r,
WHO remaiaed infatuated with Sick |
tc the end, succumbed. The l,.,sl
uf all were insured. and most of nc
money went to Bilek.
One o. the last acts before the |
death of Mrs. Vzral was the per-
suasion o. her by Bilek to sell her
home, valued at $4,000, for $4,000. |
She did this and gave the money to |
Bilek. The dav for giving possess
ion came and lie hal not yet carried |
out his promise 9t >utting his witch |
mother out Ct the way that he
might inherit her wealth. He per-
suaded the family to postpone the |
vacation of the premises, declaring
it would be only two or three days
until the Job would be done" and !
they could then buy the property
back.
sion of young Vzral, who asserts
cause the police had threatened him
with charge of murder If he re-
fused.
And superstitious folk are asking
! il the Bohemian's "evil eye" and
BLACK art" are still powerful-if
his necromancy will serve to prevent
the buckling of the black straps and
the adjusting of the fatal shroud
about his head-if his Compact with
Satan" will deter the executioner
from springing the trap of the gal
lows.