South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-12
POLICE LAUNCH
RIGID INQUIRY
IN POISON PLOT
Two Women Charged With
the Wholesale Murder of
SpOuses and Relatives.

CHICAGO. Nov. 11-Poice planned
20 exhume seven more bodies to-
day in the investigation OF the Mrs
Biuebeard" poison plot Involving
two women
Five bodies have already been dug
up Analysis revealed large guam
titles OF arsenic" in at least two in-
stances.
Formal charges OF murder were
placed against Mrs. Title Klimek ana
Mrs. Nellie Sturmer Koulik cousins.
who police allege are responsible for
the wholesale poisoning Of husbands
and relatives.
Insurance and fear Of discOvei
were the motives for the poisoning
which may number u. Police said.
Police have nickDamed the wo-
men the twin Mrs Bluebeards' be
cause OF their apparent uncOncern
over the charges against them.
Both Mrs Klimek nd Mrs KOulIk
refuse 20 discuss the cases, and show
no interest in the exhuming of their
husbands bodies. The former is
aged AZ and the latter aged As.
Mrs. KIimek was the first arrested
after her last husband was found
desperately III from arsenic poison
ing. lie IS lowering between life and
death.
Mrs. KHmek is alleged to have
confessed that she poisoned Klimek.
She named Mrs KouIk as the wo-
man who gave her the white pow
der poison
Three or the eight or more per
sons Mrs. Klimek is alleged to have
murdered were her husbands.
The name. John Guskowski, VINO
died under mysterious circumstance
several years ago. was added 10 the
police list OF possible victims today
Police learned Guskowski died sud
denly after he is alleged 20 have
jilted Mrs. Klimek
Mrs. Klimek is said TO have boast
ed 10 Guskowski that she killed two
Of her husbands Police believe that
s4uskowski threatened 10 expose Mrs.
Kumek and his death followed.
The coroner Is searching for rela-
tivcs Of Guskowski for permission to
exhume his body
Died In 1914.
John Mitkiowicz. first husband of
Mrs. Klimek died in 1914. 1t is
alleged that Mrs. Klimek collected
$1,000 in insurance.
a month later she married John
Ruszkakaski. who lived three
months His death was Eaid to have
yielded 1000.
IN March. 1919. Mrs. Klimek mar
ried Frank Kupczyk. He died sew
eral months later. Examination OF
the exhumed body. showed enough
arsenic TO "kiH several people,
About two years ago Mrs. Klimek
went TO live with an aunt here They
are said 20 have quarreled Three
Of the aunt's children died. Plans
10 exhume the bodies are beins
made.
Albert Sturmer husband of Mrs.
Koull<. died in 1918. Although the
doctors certificate showed pneu-
monia as the cause Of death. the
body when exhumed was found TO
obtain a large quantity of arsenic.
Police were also investigating the
death Of Mrs. Rose Chudzinski, "a
cousin of Mrs Koulik. Relatives al
legged she told them that after she
Quarrelled with Mrs Koulik she was
served with a poison dinner She
died.
John Sturmer son Of Mrs. Koulik.
became i'll shortly after his fathers
death
L did not suspect my mother for
some time" he said. Then I con-
nected my illness with my fathers
death"
In the Klimek poisoning. Mrs.
Klimek admitted that she served her
husband with rough on rats"
Both women deny any connection
with the cases which resulted in
deaths.