34 Facts About Elsie Paroubek

Eliska "Elsie" Paroubek was an American girl who was a victim of kidnapping and murder in the spring of 1911.

Elsie Paroubek's funeral was attended by between 2,000 and 3,000 people.

Elsie Paroubek's mother, Karolina Vojackova, was born on November 26,1869, in Micov in eastern Bohemia, Austria-Hungary.

Elsie's father, Frantisek Paroubek was a laborer, born on December 15,1867, in Podhorany u Ronova, Austria-Hungary.

Elsie Paroubek returned to the Podhorany area and married Karolina in her village in 1892, immigrating again to the US around 1895.

Elsie Paroubek was their eighth or ninth child according to the 1900 and 1910 census records, having at least 3 older siblings who died prematurely.

In census and newspaper accounts, particularly in the Chicago Daily News, Paroubek is frequently spelled "Parobek".

Several hours later, Elsie Paroubek's mother went to her sister's house to find Elsie Paroubek had never arrived.

The "stolen by gypsies" theory gained credence because Elsie Paroubek's disappearance was almost identical to that of Lillian Wulff, who had been found among Romani people four years earlier.

Detectives Joseph, Komorous, and Sheehan accompanied Frank Elsie Paroubek in his search for the departed wagon which was initially believed to be headed for Round Lake, Illinois, a village about 50 miles northwest of Chicago, where seven wagons were camped.

When local residents started asking "gypsies" about Elsie Paroubek and attempting to search the wagons, they broke camp again and moved on to Volo, Illinois, 43 miles from Chicago.

In several instances, a child was found in a camp who did resemble Elsie Paroubek, such that even Frank was momentarily certain it was his daughter and it would take some time to convince him it was a mistake.

Elsie Paroubek was consistently described as small, with light golden hair and blue eyes, wearing a red one-piece dress, lace shoes, and black stockings.

Elsie Paroubek was a very pretty child and passing strangers often stopped to pass admiring comment upon her.

Mahoney received an anonymous phone tip that a child answering Elsie Paroubek's description had been seen accompanying a man to a Western Springs, Illinois, hotel.

Sycamore, Illinois, police Chief Ogden accompanied Frank Paroubek to investigate "gypsy" wagons at Cherry Valley, Illinois, but found no child even remotely resembling Elsie.

Elsie Paroubek had reportedly been stolen by "gypsies" and held for six days, working as a beggar, until discovered walking behind a "gypsy" wagon by a farmer outside Momence, Illinois.

Elsie Paroubek provided details of her experience of her abductors' typical behavior, and volunteered to lead a "rescue party".

At that point, Inspector Healey again ordered the drainage canal dragged, along with a search of all wells and other places where Elsie Paroubek could have fallen.

Elsie Paroubek was sure Elsie had been "attacked and mistreated", was now dead, and her body hidden in the cellar of an empty house or deserted barn.

Elsie Paroubek brought detectives to begin investigating empty buildings, barns, sheds, elevators, catchbasins, and basements on or near South Albany Avenue.

However, he too was now certain Elsie Paroubek was either being held for ransom, had been in an accident and was either dead or in some hospital, unable to speak, or had been "slain by some degenerate" from one of the shanties in the alley near her home.

Again, a child resembling Elsie Paroubek was seen in a "gypsy" camp, and again the child was found to be a "gypsy".

Meanwhile, Frank Paroubek, in desperation, consulted a psychic who said that Elsie was in "Argo, Wisconsin".

The letters claimed that Elsie was hidden away by someone who "hated" the Paroubeks, accusing them of mistreating her.

Judge Sabath objected saying that the police hunt was becoming "listless" because Elsie Paroubek's parents were poor.

Elsie Paroubek was being "swamped" with mail, most of it containing contributions to the reward fund, from all over the country, and increased his personal contribution to $100.00 as well.

Mahoney announced his belief that Elsie Paroubek was dead and that police would continue to search for her body.

Elsie Paroubek insisted she had known for three weeks that the "gypsies" had killed Elsie.

Someone brought two chairs out of the Elsie Paroubek home, set them near the casket, and laid a board across them to hold the hundreds of floral offerings.

Elsie Paroubek spoke of the need to cooperate with police to find Elsie's killers.

The previous reported sighting of Elsie Paroubek had her walking toward the canal on South Troy St, a half block south of her aunt's house.

Costello had become convinced that Elsie Paroubek's death was an accident and that she had simply fallen into the canal, although Inspector Healey had had the canals and drainage ditches dragged repeatedly during the search.

However, the following day, the same physician's autopsy findings concluded Elsie Paroubek had not drowned and that she appeared to have been suffocated.