Today we conclude our conversation about Tillie Klimek with an exploration of her trial and how 1920s newspapers colored the public (and history’s) view of her. We also take a quick sidebar into the background of Judge Marcus Kavanagh's thoughts about women and how this contributed to the verdict and sentencing.
Sources
Martin, Alison. "This week in history: Chicago serial killer Tillie Klimek dies in prison." Chicago Sun-Times (IL), November 19, 2020. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=news/17EDE16BD1F83C28.
"From our archives – March 14, 1923." Mexia News, The (TX), March 14, 2017: 4. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=news/163244C312AE49A0.
Daily Times (Chicago, Illinois), November 23, 1931: 10. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A176820A8B9EC1C11%40EANX-NB-16C22ACF9EC2C604%402426669-16C172605C3A5DE6%409-16C172605C3A5DE6%40.
Daily Times (Chicago, Illinois), June 1, 1931: 3. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A176820A8B9EC1C11%40EANX-NB-16C3529F71BE60F1%402426494-16C2115FA42D89A6%402-16C2115FA42D89A6%40.
Daily Times (Chicago, Illinois), November 20, 1936: 82. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A176820A8B9EC1C11%40EANX-NB-16C3D040C58001FC%402428493-16C3CB8353C95CCE%4081.
Marcus Kavanagh One of Many Judges in Iroquois Theater Fire Trials. https://www.iroquoistheater.com/marcus-kavanagh-circuit-court-judge-iroquois-theater-fire.php. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Kavanagh, Marcus. The Criminal and His Allies. Indianapolis, The Bobbs-Merrill company, 1928. Internet Archive, http://archive.org/details/criminalhisallie0000kava.
Forbes, Genevieve. 1923. "GUILTY" IS KLIMEK VERDICT: LIFE IN PRISON FOR WOMAN AS ARCH POISONER HEARS VERDICT WITH: "ISN'T IT WARM?" LIFE TERM FOR TILLIE KLIMEK; SHE'S UNMOVED PENALTY SETS RECORD HERE FOR WOMAN SLAYERS. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963), Mar 14, 1923. https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/guilty-is-klimek-verdict/docview/180477844/se-2 (accessed September 1, 2025).
TILLIE KLIMEK IS STRONG WITNESS IN OWN DEFENSE. 1923. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963), Mar 13, 1923. https://chipublib.idm.oclc
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