Tillie Klimek

Background

Ottilie “Tillie” Klimek, also known as Ottilie “Tillie” Klimek (or Tillie Gburek), was born in 1876 and was described in accounts as a Polish American serial killer active in Chicago. She lived in Chicago’s Little Poland neighborhood.

In the murder for which she was eventually tried, she was the accused third husband’s wife, Frank Kupzsyk. Her poisoning cases were described as involving arsenic and life insurance policies.

The offence

Murder of Frank Kupzsyk

Frank Kupzsyk was Tillie Klimek’s third husband. He took ill in their apartment at 924 N. Winchester, where Tillie had previously lived with a boyfriend under the name of Meyers. Neighbors said Tillie began telling them that Frank “would not live long.” She mocked Frank, greeting him in the morning by saying “It won't be long now,” and “You'll be dying soon,” and joking with neighbors that he had “two inches to live.”

Tillie knitted her own mourning hat as she sat at his bedside, and she later wore it to the trial. She asked for the landlady’s permission to store a bargain coffin she had found for sale in the basement. After Frank Kupzsyk’s death, doctors and later tests were described as confirming arsenic poisoning. In March of 1923, she was found guilty of Frank Kupzsyk’s murder.

Life insurance

It was found that Tillie had taken out life insurance policies on her husbands from which she profited greatly. For Frank Kupzsyk, the materials said his life insurance policy entitled her to sole beneficiary benefits.

Investigation

After Joseph Klimek became ill, doctors suspected arsenic poisoning, and tests confirmed it. Tillie was arrested.

At the time of arrest, it was later said that Tillie told the arresting officer: “The next one I want to cook a dinner for is you.”

After Tillie’s arrest, the materials said that bodies of her other husbands were exhumed and found to contain lethal doses of arsenic, though the soil around them was clean.

Police also arrested her cousin, Nellie.

A neighbor and relative pattern was described: several relatives and neighbors of Tillie and Nellie had died, and other people became gravely ill after eating candy that Tillie was said to have given.

The materials said that Tillie told police she had told Nellie that she was tired of her husband Frank; Nellie suggested divorce. Tillie said that “I will get rid of him some other way,” and that Nellie had given her a “goodly portion” of a poison called “Rough on Rats.”

The materials said that after the arrest, the list of suspected victims stretched to twenty suspected victims, fourteen of whom had died.

Arrest

Tillie Klimek was arrested after Joseph Klimek’s illness was confirmed as arsenic poisoning. Joseph Klimek survived, and the materials said he was still in the hospital more than three months later.

Police arrested her cousin Nellie.

Trial

In March 1923, Tillie was found guilty of the murder of Frank Kupzsyk, her third known husband.

The materials described her conviction as being distinct from other husband-killer acquittals in Chicago courts, and that she was not considered “beautiful or charming,” but a “squat” woman who spoke only broken English despite having lived in the country since infancy.

The trial materials also described prosecutor statements tied to the case, including Assistant State’s Attorney “W. F. MacLaughlin” in other passages:

• “W. F. MacLaughlin says the trial jury wilt be asked to impose death penalties, which, if granted, will break an established precedent—for no woman ever has been executed in Illinois.”
• “They are going to the rope,” the prosecution says.
• “I’ll help send them there.”
• The “spared” fourth husband of Mrs. Kllmek said: “We’re going to be freed,” the women say.

Sentencing

Tillie was sentenced to life in prison in 1923. The materials described the sentence as the harshest sentence that had even been leveled against a woman in Cook County.

The materials included Tillie’s description during her sentencing-phase stance in court, as part of her behavior described in narrative form:

She would not be executed for her crimes, she oathed. But, it was the law's turn now to be prophetic. It promised to keep her in prison for the remainder of her life.

Appeals

The provided materials did not describe an appeal or appellate outcome.

Outcome

Tillie died in prison on November 20, 1936.

The materials also discussed another defendant’s outcome:

• Nellie was later acquitted after spending a year in prison during her drawn-out trial.

Alleged victims and other poisoned or sickened individuals (as described)

The materials provided a list of alleged victims of the poisoning plot involving Tillie Klimek and her cousin, Nellie Stunner Koulik.

Alleged poisoned and dead

1. Jospeh Mitkiewicz, first husband of Mrs. Klimek. The materials said arsenic was found in his body, that he had a $1000 insurance policy, and that he died in 1914. The materials also said he lived on Lubeck St (now Dickens Ave).
2. Joseph Ruskowski, second husband. The materials said arsenic was found; it also said he left about 2k in cash/insurance and died in 1914.
3. Frank Kupzsyk, third husband. The materials said arsenic was found as the murder for which she was convicted; it also said he died in 1921 and had 1k in insurance.
4. John Guszkowaki (spelled “John Guszkowaki” in one list), former sweetheart of Mrs. Klimek, who jilted her.
5. Mrs. Rose Chudzinski, cousin of Mrs. Klimek, who died in 1919 after attending Tillie and Frank’s wedding party.
6. Helen Zakrsewski, cousin of Mrs. Klimek, who died at age 15.
7. Stanley Zakrewski, cousin of Mrs. Klimek, who died at age of 16.
8. Stella Zakrewski, cousin of Mrs. Klimek, who died in 1913 at 23; the materials stated Tillie tended to the above three when they were ill.
9. “Meyers,” a husband or sweetheart of Mrs. Klimek; the materials said he was missing as of March 1923.
10. Wojcik Sturmer, first husband of Mrs. Koulik.
11. Dorothy Spera, granddaughter of Mrs. Koulik, who died at age 2.
12. Sophie Sturmer, daughter of Mrs. Koulik, who died in 1917.
13. Benjamin Stunner, son of Mrs. Koulik and twin brother of Sophie, who died one month after his sister.
14. Joseph Klimek, husband of Tillie, poisoned but recovered (included here in the “did not die” list in one passage, but also described earlier as surviving).
15. John Sturmer, son of Mrs. Koulic (spelled “Koulic” in one passage) and grandson/related figure; the materials said he recovered when sick after father died in 1918 and that he thought his mother poisoned him.

Alleged poisoned but did not die (as described in the materials)

• John Sturmer, son of Mrs. Koulik: the materials said he was taken ill but recovered and that he was aiding the state to prosecute his mother.
• Mrs. Rose Splitt: the materials said she said Tillie gave her poison candy after Joseph Klimek talked to her, and that she said she was poisoned by candy given to her by Mrs. Klimek because of jealousy.
• Miss Stella Guszkowski, sister of John Guszkowski: the materials said she was given candy by Mrs. Klimek and became ill.
• Nick Micke: the materials said he got sick of arsenic but recovered.
• Mrs. Bessie Kupczyk: the materials said she was sister-in-law of Frank Kupczyk and told state’s attorneys she was taken ill after eating at Mrs. Klimek’s home; the materials also said she recovered.
• Miss Lillian Sturmer: the materials said she was a 15-year-old daughter of Mrs. Koulik by first marriage; lived at Mrs. Koulik’s home for one year when 13 years old; became deathly sick from the food and was still suffering from heart trouble.

Other details

Names and relationships

• Tillie was described as having been born Otillie Gburek in Poland and coming to the United States as an infant with her parents.
• She married John Mitkiewicz around 1890, and he died in 1914 after a short illness; the death certificate listed the cause of death as heart trouble.
• After John Mitkiewicz’s death, she remarried Joseph Ruskowski, who lived nearby.
• A boyfriend who had “jilted” her was named John Guszkowaki in one passage and described as having died in connection with her later pattern of deaths.
• The materials described a later marriage in 1921 to Joseph Klimek and living at 1453 Thomas Street (spelled from a previously given address as “1453 Tell PLace (now 1453 Thomas Street)”).
• The materials described an additional narrative of a “Bluebeard clique” and alleged “poison parties” as part of the wider context.

Statements attributed in the materials

The materials included:

• Tillie’s arrest-time statement to the arresting officer: “The next one I want to cook a dinner for is you.”
• Tillie’s statement about getting rid of Frank: “I will get rid of him some other way.”
• Tillie’s statement about the poison source: that Nellie had given her a “goodly portion” of a poison called “Rough on Rats.”
• Tillie’s greetings to Frank Kupzsyk’s bedside, as quoted by the materials: “It won't be long now,” and “You'll be dying soon,” and joking with neighbors that he had “two inches to live.”

Insurance and coffin details

The materials described a “bargain coffin” and said Tillie asked for the landlady’s permission to store one she had found for sale in the basement. In other passages, it also said that a coffin for “a bargain” for $30 was secured shortly before a husband’s death.

Tillie in prison

The materials described that Tillie often teased Nellie in prison. It included the detail that Tillie convinced Nellie she was about to be taken out and hanged.

Timeline

• c. 1890 — Tillie married her original husband John Mitkiewicz.
• 1914 — John Mitkiewicz died after a short illness.
• 1914 — Joseph Ruskowski died; the materials said arsenic was found.
• 1914 — John Guszkowaki (a boyfriend who had “jilted” her) died in the materials’ list of alleged victims.
• 1921 — Frank Kupzsyk died; Tillie married Joseph Klimek and lived at 1453 Thomas Street.
• February 27, 1923 — A trial date was mentioned in the materials for the two women charged as “Bluebeard” poisoners.
• March 14, 1923 — The materials cited “Chicago Tribune , March 14, 1923” in relation to the list of alleged victims.
• March 1923 — Tillie was found guilty of the murder of Frank Kupzsyk.
• 1923 — Tillie was sentenced to life in prison.
• November 20, 1936 — Tillie died in prison.