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The Commoner
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 25
Delegates to the Denver Convention
The following table Bhows the result of the various democratic stato
conventions as reported to this office; also the dates of the conventions yet
to bo held:
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Congressman Pnrkor of South Da
kota died at Deadwood.
tho Rock Island
Paris.
railroad, died in
STATES.
ct
Ml
o
i t
rf
A second boh was born to tho king
und queen of Spain, Juno 23.
C. A. Johnson was nominated by
tho republicans to bo governor of
North Dakota.
It Ig reported that Mr. Taft will
rislt'lhe Nebraska state fair at Lin
coln in September.
By a vote of 20 to 11, tho-Louisi-ina,
sUito' donate defeated tho, refer
endum prohibition bill.
Charlos B. Jefferson, the eldest
son of tho late Joseph Jefferson, died
inla Now York hospital. e
Ahtl-Taft leagues are being or
ganized by colored men in various
sections of tho country.
By tho decisive vote of 57 to 15
the Philippine assembly, on the eve
of adjournment, declared that inde
pendence was the aspiration of the
Filipino people and that they were
ready for immediate independence.
Mr. Sherman, republican nominee
for vice president, was taken serious
ly ill while visiting in Cleveland,
Ohio. For a time his condition was
thought to be serious, but he recov
ered, and was removed to his home
in Utica, N. Y.
o
-1
William B. Leods, tho American
flnanclor, who was once president of
The democrats of Parke county,
Indiana, recently gave a very success
ful Jeffersonian banquet. One of the
unique features of tho occasion, was
that the paper napkins used con-
following pledge as to the future:
"Parko County Democratic Vote,
1894 1,763. Bryan's vote, 1896
2,877. Wo can do it again."
How Billik Escaped the Gallows
Tho following Js a special dispatch
to the New York World:
Chicago, III., Juno 13. Secrets of
tho confessional, never fully reveal
ed, disclosed only so far as to as
sert the innocence of a man con
domnod for six murders, have gained
a respite for Herman Billik through
tho ceaseless offorts of tho Rev.
Father Peter J. O'Callaghan and his
co-worker, Sister Rose, of tho Order
of Poor" Clares.
Never in criminal history in this
country, if indeed anywhere, has the
powerful influence of tho church
been used so strikingly in behalf of
a, man sentencod lo die on the gal
lows. Already tho scaffold had been
erected, tho hour for execution had
magic in all ventures and undertak
ing, greatly to his profit.
Martin Vrzal died March 27, 1905.
His life was insured for $2,000 in
his wife's favor. Four months later
Mary Vrzal died; her life was in
sured for $800 in her mother's favor.
Again, five months after Mary's de
mise, Time Vrzal, whoso life was in
sured for $620, was stricken with
the same fatal "stomach trouble"
and was buried Christmas day be
side her father and sister.
Eight months passed without any
further deaths in the ill-fated Vrzal
family, but in August, 1906, Rose,
the fourteen-year-old daughter, sud
denly contracted the fatal malady
ana passed, away. There was $300
arrived, when respite came, and all insurance on her life. Three months
through tho labor of a priest and mLor u" vrzai, twelve years, died
nun who believed tho man wrongly of, the same mysterious malady.
convicted, a bollef based on tho
priest's part on rovelatlons made in
thot:on f esslonal .
Must Bo Secret
These rovolations could not bo im
parted. Never in the life of tho
churoh has tho secrecy of tho con
fessional been violated. Father
O'Callaghan could not make known
the confession of the penitent, could,
not tell whether it was man or
woman.
Knowledge Cnmo in Confession
He could tell, howevnr. timf in
formation had come to him in the
confessional which . to. his satisfac
tion proved Billik innocont of the
a&c murders for which tho law had
sentenced him to death, and to save
this man ho labored, as no priest had.
labored before, and perhaps success-
iuuy, lor "witn tno noose almost
about his nock, sitting in his cell
wetting to bo led. forth to execution,
tho condemned was notified of a stay
which takes his case to tho supremo
court of the United Stfctes.
Herman Billik, astrologer and for
tune teller, was accused of poisoning
Martin Vrzal, a milkman, forty-five
years old, his wife Rose, their daughr
ters, Mary, twenty; Tlllio, eighteen;
Roso, fourteen, and Ella, twelve
years old. Ho had gained a compol
2ing Influence over tills family, from
Bohomla,. as .was he, and it was
m shown that they had consulted his
There was $105 insurance on her
life. All the insurance money was
paid to Mrs. Vrzal', tho widow and
mother. This money, it was claimed
Billik got from her.
Mrs. Vrzal acted on Billik's ad
vice and sold the family home for
about $3,000. Soon after she died
suddenly and mysteriously. Some of
ner neiguoors said she committed
Buiclde; others declared that she had
taken a white powder sent her by
Billik.
By Son and Daughter
FaCtS CamO tn flirt lrnrtnrlnJn
fln nnll i ., -"""- VM.
,,. iiunuv w Hirengtnen tneir susnl-
clon that Billik was the slayer of
tho six Vrzals. Not the least Impor
tant was the statement made by
iJry Vrza1' a S01. nineteen years
?! Vt tno poIicQ and corroborated
j mo Bisier, mrs. wieman, that the
r i iu teller had mad0 " attempt
lu "" me enure yrzal family by
asphyxiation.
The trial was a long .and bitter
legal contest. Billik wxts . charged
with poisoning six members of the
Vrzal family, but tho state elected
to try him only for the murder of
one, Mary. The bodies of. the six
victims were exhumed and the vital
organs analyzed by experts. Arsenic
was found in all, of them. The cir
cumstances cpnnected with the death
of Mary Vrzal were the clearest and
it was for that reason that the state's
.attorney decided to put him on trial
Wisconsin . . . .' '...'..
Kansas . . . . -'
Oklahoma
Nebraska .-..'.
North Dakota '.
Rhode Island '
Indiana '
Iowa ;..;....
Philippine Islands
South Dakota. . . . .". .'. . .'.
New York ;
Delaware
Illinois
Connecticut
New Jersey .-...
Ohio
Massachusetts
Minnesota '
Wyoming . . ,.
Washington
Hawaii ,,
California t v
Missouri '.'.'.'
Michigan t
Pennsylvania
South Carolina. . .";
District of Columbia . . . .
Alabama '. . .
Alaska
Texas v."
Now Hampshire .........
Arizona -. ..'..;. .
West Virginia...... ......
Porto Rico
Nevada ,v. ..
Idaho,, .,,,.
Louisiana
Maryland
Utah ,.,.;;..;..
Arkansas '.'. . ...
New Mexico ........ i .. .
Virginia
Kentucky
Colorado r. ........ ..
Oregon ' V .'...',.". i
Florida , . . .
Tennessee
North Carolina i
Vermont. . . ,
Georgia
Maine
Mississippi
Montana
Total
26
20
14
16
8
8
30
26
6
8
78
6
54
14
24
46
32
22
6
10
0
20
36
28
68
18
6,'
22
6
36
-8
6
. 14
6
6
6
18
16
. 6
18
6
24
26
10
8
10
24
24
8
26
12
20
6
1008
2C
20
14
16:
8
30
26.
6.
8:
54
46
22
6
10
6
20
36
28
40
18
6
22
6
36.
6
14
i
6'
6
6
'18
6
24
26
10
8
24
24.
20
10
'12
6
.. i
t
78
24
22'
16'
8
i j
.,, n
6
18
6
10
8
8
10
26
4
. j
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jr
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'it
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H M
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VK
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'July '1
Total instructed and uninstructed for Bryan g07
Total for Johnson ',' ....... . .
Total for Gray '..!.!! . " " g
Choice unexpressed and uninstructed .".'!". 17
Total delegates so far elected ; . . . . 1 002
Necessary to a choice under two-thirds rule A 72
on that indictment. The jury re
turned a verdict of guilty on purely,
but overwhelming circumstantial
evidence and fixed Billlk's punish
ment at death by hanging. He was
sentenced to be hanged October 11,
1907.
A short time before the first date
Of the hancrlnfr Rltr Pnco o omoat.
faced nun of the Order of the Prior
Clares, who was and is yet engaged
in mission work, in the Cook county
jail hero, met Billik, a prisoner wait
ing the day o doom.
She became interested in his case.
She investigated many of his state
mentSf Then she besought Rev. Peter J.
O'Callaghan, superior of the Chicago
house of the Paulist Fathers, to as
sist her in befriending the con
demned fortune toller.
Like Sister Rose among the unfor
tunate women prisoners the Paulist
Father was a missionary among tho
men there, whether of his faiti or
not.
Would Kc- Hearken '
Father O'Callaghan for a time
would not harken to the pleas of tho
nun in behalf of Billik, but' she was
insistent Then came inspiration for
him. It was" from t.hft rnnfAneilnnftl
and Its secret had been kept invio-
late.
Soon after this an appeal was
made for a stay of execution and a
respite obtained that the case might
(Continued on Page1 14)
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