The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-10-19
Charles Marzyek is Supposed to Have
Been Guilty Of the Murder
Of Fourteen
People.
ossE IN PURSUIT
II VIII Put Them All In Hell," He
Said When Sent to Prison
For Stealing
Grain.

ELLSWORTH, Kan, Oct. 1s.-That
Charles Marzyek, the exconvict sought
by the county authorities in connec-
tion with the murders of the Ave mem
bers Of the William Snowman family
here Sunday night, had been in Colo
RADIO Springs. where the six members
of the Wayne and Burnham families
we're slain, and was acquainted in
Monmouth, Ill.,. where three persons
were murdered recently, was the
startling statement made to the au-
thorities by Mrs. Minnie Vopat, Mar
zyek's di'- reed wife. All these four
teen victims were killed with an axe
Sam Snowman, brother of William
Snowman, head of the murdered Els
worth family, started with posse on
a search of the country. Marzyek Is
believed to be hiding in the neighbor-
hood If he is found battle is ex-
pected
Marzyek not long ago served a pris-
on term fer stealing grain from James
vonat Last night vopat. who is the
husband of Marzyek's former wife,
saw the ex-convict In field near his
home. vopat and his family, terror
stricken, locked their house and fed
to the home of Slav fellow-coun-
tryman five miles distant
All the members Of the Slav COM
& nlunity who had any remote connec-
tion with the conviction Of Merzyek
went armed today. for he is reported
to have sworn a terrible vengance on
those responsible for his imprison-
ment
Ira LLOYD, the attorney who defend
ed Marzyek in the wheat stealing case,
said:
Il believe Marzyek will remain in
the neighborhood until he completes
his vengeance. After his sentence he
told me that when he was released
he would come back and kill the
people who were responsible for his
conviction and also their children
:" I will put them all in HE'LL" he
said
Evidence furnished by Mr. and Mrs
William Snowman is said to have
been largely responsible for Marzyek's s
conviction
Nine persons remain here who fear
his vengeance. These persons, all Of
the Slav's own race, are: James
Vopat. Mrs. Minnie Vopat, who obtain
ed divorce from Marzyek immedi
ately after his sentence and married
Vopat nine months later; their two
children. one 10 months old, the 9th
er 3 years; John Katke, father of the
murdered Mrs. Snowman, who testi
fed against Matzyek Mrs. Johr
Katke and the three Katke children
Emile, aged II; Annie, aged IS, ant
Mary aged. aged 90.
AS to a possible connection be
tween the Ellsworth and other TRACE
dies. Mrs. Vopat said her former hus
band was convicted Of forgery in Colo
rado Springs few months ago. Sht
said it was not improbable that he hat
been In Monmouth lately. The same
insane cruelty on the part of the slay
er Is evident in the Burnham ant
Wayne tragedies at Colorado Springs
in the murders of William e. Dawson
his wife and daughter, In Monmouth
and in the killing of the Showmans
In each case the murderer used al
axe on the head of the victim.
Slain by an axe in the hands of
man who registered at the Baker he
tel here under the name of Dal
Smith of vinson City and who fle'
from the hotel leaving bundle o
clothing and blood-stained shirt
was the verdict of the coroner's jur
In the Snowman case today. 1t |
claimed that the handwriting in tn
hotel register is identified with tina
in letters from Marzyek, the suspec
ed Bohemian brother-in-law Of Mrs
Snowman. Samuel Snowman, brothe
of the murdered man is still out wit
the posse.
The chief of police in Denver, Colt
has clue that the same man who mu
dered the Snowman family may be r.
sponsible for the similar murders |
Colorado Springs and is attemptin
to discover where the man was at tn
time of the Colorado murder. M--zye
claims that his brother was In Cal
ada at that time and says he ca
prove complete alibi for him.