Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-11-13
TWELVE DEATHS ARE
TRACED TO WOMEN
BY CHICAGO COPS
TWO ARE HELD IN JAIL cHARG'
ED WITH BEING RESPONSIBLE
FOR LONG LIST OF MvsTERl'
Gus DEATHS.

Chicago. Nov. ll8.--With all the
forces OF law grinding to uncover
an amazing poison plot which may
involve the deaths of twelve persons,
and before them the shadow of the
gallows, the two stolid women Mrs.
Title Klimek and Mrs. Nellie Stur-
mer Koulik--held on murder charg
es at the West Chicago avenue sta
ton yesterday heard without the
culver OF an eyelid that, deserted
by relatives and friends, they must
face their ordeal alone
Albert Koulik, second husband oil
one OF the accused. had been detain'
ed over night for questioning. HaV'
ing convinced Lieut., willard Il.
Malone and William f. Mclaughlin,
assistant states attorney, that he
was not involved in wholesale poison
ing that may have been responsible
for dozen deaths, he was released
late yesterday.
81 am going to get divorce Just
as soon as / CAM wouldn't live with
that woman another hour" he said
when leaving the police station.
Huh" accompanied by harsh,
mirthiess laugh, was his wife's only
comment when told OF koulik
decision.
! A little later two of the woman's
sons. Valentine Stermer. 20 years old,
and Walter Stermer, 3, and daugh-
ter, Mrs. Martha Bahnak, Il years
old all born of former marriage
called at the sttion. After the older
son had talked with Lieut. Malone
and Assistant States Attorney Nc
Laughlin. ali departed without seeing
their mother
Il don't know what to think said
Valentine 1t looks pretty bad. The
chemists know more than | do, and
they say they found arsenic when
they exhumed the body of my faith
err" (Woikcik Stermer, Mrs. Kou
lik's first husband, who died in 1918
and whose body was disinterred NOV
%
Other relatives and neighbors OF
the two women called during the day
all seemingly moved by curiosity on
ly. None sought to see the prisoners
none brought he little dainties that
were the solace of other prisoners
Both women maintained the rather
disdainful composure with which
they have met all proceedings since
their arrest
1T is rather early to state definite
conclusions said the assistant
states attorney, following a day OF
investigation in which he interview
ed several witnesses. However, this
case already has developed all the
er;n
spiracy, whose directors selected
their victims on the merest whim.
Ut. William ID. McNally has r.
ported presence of arsenic in the o.
gans of Joseph Mitkiewicz, Mrs. III
mek's first husband, who died j
January, 1914, and the body of Fran
Kupczyk, Mrs. Koulik's second hus
band. Mrs. Kilmek, according to ;
statement made to police soon after
her arrest on Oct. q, admitted
sprinkling white powder on the fooc
of her fourth husband, Anton kilmek
who is now in the West Side hospi
tai
Certainly this was enough to war
rant the murder charges against the
women. But we find the investigation
has lust started We may open
dozen graves of husbands, children
and other relatives of these prison
ers.
"We have, Of course, received no re
port on the three bodies eXhume
Saturday. Dr. Mentally said his re
port on these probably would not b
available this week. Much will dt
pend on what he finds. Meanwhile
| shall proceed to investigate tn
case from every other angle
The bodies exhumed Saturday weF
those OF Joseph Mitkiewicz fir:
husband of Mrs Klimek John Rus
Faksky, her second husband, VIII
aded in February, 1914, leaving Sl20
cash and $T22 insurance, and Mr.
Rose Chudzinski, cousin of Mr.
klimek, who died in 1913. The won
en-, living together, had quarrele
much. police say.
The bodies of twin children of Mr.
Koulik, who died in 1921, and
granddaughter probably will be e
humed this week, it was said. A
had caused family dissension. TIL
deaths of other relatives of the won
an also have been included in the il
yestigation.
Candid Information.