East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-06-11

and wholesale assassin, is again face
to face with the gallows.
Convicted of Staying Mary Vrzal
here in 1905, and accused of causing
the death by poison of five other
members of the Vrzal family Bllek is
under sentence to expiate his crimes
on the gallows tomorrow, when the
rcprlve granted by Governor Deenen
will expire. Confident that he will
finally be released, the Bohemian,
who is declared by his countrymen to
be possessed of "the evil eye" and to
have made compact with Satan, is
not alarmed at his impending fate.
Among the Bohemians of Chicago
there is a widespread fear that Bilek
will be given his freedom and afford
ed another opportunity to work his
alleged devilish black arts among
them. 1t was probably due to this
fear that Father O'Callaghan. head
of the Paulist Order in this city,
who has attempted to secure a par
don for the fortune teller, was recent
ly warned to desist from his efforts
on penalty of death. The warning to
the priest was written in blood and
signed with skull and cross bones, and
threatened not only the death of the
clergyman, but also that his church
would be blown up by dynamite.
Great Hypnotic Powers.
That Bilek, convicted Of the most
horrible crimes and admittedly a faklr
and a charlatan. should have been
able to arouse the interest and COM
passion of clergymen, sisters of char
ity and influential lawyers, is a Lrib-
ute to his hypnotic powers which
his jailers cannot understand.
Bilek Is 40 and stout. His moth
er is also a fortune teller and is known
among Bohemlans as a witch" His
complexion is dark. After a fashion
he is good looking. He speaks Bo-
hemian, German and English the last
brokenly. His eyes are small and
dark and bespeak cunning. There Is
a strong vein of vanity in the man
as indicated by his manner Of dress
and speech. The police say he is a
foxy" prisoner. Inspector Chippy
has caught him lying a time or two
but that he has not been caught Of
tener Is a tribute to his skill in eva
sion and mendacity.
More than any other type Bilek
resembles one of the French Mac
quereaux as they aue found in San
Francisro-men who demand all of
wonan's sin-earned money and her
life when she quits producing money
for him. His habtual attitude to-
ward women is that of the superior
being to the inferior. Perhaps this
has had something to do with the
wonderful control he has exercised
ever women.
Happy Family Destroyed.
Martin Vrzal owned n milk depot
and was- making money. He was
hard working man and had accumula-
ted several thousand dollars by strict
attention to his little business and
by economy He had seven children
all girls but one. Mrs Vrzal helped
him in the milk business. and the
family was prosperous. Bilek moved
into a house a feE doors from the
Vrzals and became a customer at the
milk depot. From that day the Vrzal
home was turned into a house of
tragedy. Now there is no Vrzal
home, only three of the family are
alive and Vilek is facing the gallows.
Nowhere in crime history is there
any record of a spell more complete
than that cast by Bilek over the Vrzal
family. Part of it may have been due
to their belief in the fortune teller's
occult powers, strengthened at inter-
walls by displays Of silly mummery by
Bilek. And yet this family was no
more superstitious than thousands of
others. II Is doubtful If they would |
haYe believed the same things from |
the lips Of any other man. Mrs. |
Vrzal may have been insane in her in |
fatuatlon for 'Bilek; but she was APP |
parently normally-minded in every |
thing else. =. And her husbands volun-
tary subsection to the man was almost |
as great as Mrs. Vrzals
With this record of crime behind |
him there will be small regret on the |
part OF anyone when this monster
plays his last act in the drama Of life. |
His "black art" and all his necro-
nancy will not avail him when he |
stands on the trap door In the east
end of the death corridor of the coun-
ty Jail. No "spell' will prevent the |
buckling Of the black straps that pin
ion his arms to his sides and fasten
together his feet and legs. No sus-
picion will deter the placing Of the
shroud about his head and body and
no preylng upon ignorance will de-
ter the executioner from pulling taut
the ready rope with it's hangman's
knot. And when the trap is sprung
will there be one to regret his pass
ing? Yes. For the 9-year-old daugh-
ter Of the prisoner believes in her
fathers innocence; the wife he abus-
ed and neglected still loves him. AS
for the witch mother" who can
a