Billik, Herman
Herman Billik Soundex Code B420
Herman Billik was a fortune teller that was condemned to death for the murder of five members of the Martin Vzral family.
The "Great Billik," as he billed himself, was a card-reader, seer, and general all-around wizard who sold charms and potions. Billik targeted his neighbor, Martin Vzral, who ran a successful milk-delivery business. He used his Svengali-like talents to persuade Vzral that he had an enemy who out to destroy him.
Billik offered to counteract this malign influence, who turned out to be a rival businessman, by using one of his potions against him.
Slowly Billik took control of the Vzral family. He slept with Vzral's wife, turned his daughters into slaves, made his sons work for him and skimmed off all the business profits into his own account.
As the Vzral family slid into poverty, Billik instructed Mrs. Vzral to insure the lives of her husband and daughters, which she did without question.
When Martin Vzral figured out what was happening, it was too late and on March 27, 1905, he died and his life insurance found its way into Billik's account.
This continued with the deaths of the four daughters over the next year and a half. What was left of the milk-delivery business was sold and Billik used some of the proceeds to pay for a holiday at Niagra Falls. He returned to Chicago to attend Mrs. Vzral's funeral.
He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to die by hanging. This led to wrangling by the attorneys to stop the execution.
Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis denied to grant a writ of habeas corpus but decided the prisoner had the right to appeal to the United States Supreme Court, so he issued a stay of exececution until that body had passed upon the constitutional question involved.
Counsel for Billik asked that the writ of habeas corpus be issued on the ground that the prisoner was not asked by the Presiding Judge before being sentenced to death whether or not he had anything to say. On this ground, Judge Landis refused to issue either the writ or an order of appeal interfering with the execution, but set the arguments bearing on the right of the prisoner to appeal from this ruling.
After listening to the counsel for both sides, Judge Landis declared that in his opinion he had not the discretion to deny the application for an appeal to the United States Supreme Court. He therefore issued the order granting a delay.
The prisoner was being escorted to the scaffold when news of the stay was received.
