Eliška "Elsie" Paroubek (1906 – April 8, 1911) was an American girl who was a victim of kidnapping and murder in the spring of 1911. Her disappearance and the subsequent search for her preoccupied Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota law enforcement for six weeks. Her funeral was attended by between 2,000 and 3,000 people.
The story of the girl's death, and especially her photograph in the Chicago Daily News, were inspirations for Henry Darger's immense fantasy novel In the Realms of the Unreal.
Background Eliška (Elsie) was born in Chicago in 1906. Her mother, Karolína Vojáčková, was born on November 26, 1869, in Míčov, within the former Čáslav district, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary (now the Czech Republic). Elsie's father, František (Frank) Paroubek was a laborer, born on December 15, 1867, in Podhořany u Ronova, of the same district.
František married Karolína at her village's Catholic church on 16 February 1892. The couple had a son, Karel, and immigrated to America through the Port of Baltimore with the family of Karolína's sister on 12 April 1895, en route to her brother in Chicago. Several other close relatives apparently moved to Chicago as well. In the United States, Frank worked as a painter while Karolina maintained the home. Though the couple christened 2 of their children at St. Procopius Church, by the turn of the century, they left Catholicism to become freethinkers; therefore the remaining children were not baptized (nor were their births apparently registered with the city) and Eliška's exact birthdate is unknown. She was supposedly their eighth child according to the 1900 and 1910 census records, having at least 3 siblings who died prematurely.From the family tree at ancestry.com and the Cook County, Illinois death index. Pages found November 22, 2011. At the time of the 1910 census on April 21, 1910, Eliška was said to be 3 years old. At the time of her death, she was estimated to be 4 years old according to her gravestone, together suggesting a possible birthdate between April 22, 1906, and April 8, 1907.
In census and newspaper accounts, particularly in the Chicago Daily News, Paroubek is frequently spelled "Parobek". Frank is sometimes referred to as "Peter" or "John," and Karolina is sometimes called "Mary." Elsie is also called "Mary" or "Emily" in the Rockford, Illinois newspapers.
Disappearance On the morning of April 8, 1911, Elsie Paroubek left her home at 2320 S. Albany Avenue in Chicago, telling her mother she was going to visit "Auntie", Karolina's sister Julia Trampota, around the corner at 2325 S. Troy Street. Turning left on 23rd St. and left again on Troy, she encountered her nine-year-old cousin, Josie Trampota,Census record for Josephine Trampota, born in 1902 to Frank and Julia Trampota. She died in 1966. and a number of other children who were listening to an organ grinder a short distance from Mrs. Trampota's gate. When the organ grinder moved to the 23rd St. corner, the children followed him, but subsequently left while Elsie remained behind. Several hours later, Elsie's mother went to her sister's house to find Elsie had never arrived. As Elsie had many friends in the area, the women assumed she was visiting at another home, perhaps to spend the night and return the next morning. At 9 pm that evening, Frank Paroubek returned from work and went to police at the Hinman Street station to report her missing. Police initially agreed that she was likely spending the night with friends, but when she had not returned by the following morning, Captain John Mahoney took personal charge of the search.
Romani people, as identified by the Rockford, Illinois press,"Paroubek Girl Dead in Canal", Rockford Daily Register-Gazette, May 9. 1911, p. 4."Redouble Efforts to Find Little Elsie Paroubek", Rockford Republic, April 24, 1911, p. 3. were suspected after a neighborhood child, John Jirowski, told detectives from the Maxwell Street station led by inspector Stephen K. Healey that he had seen a wagon he associated with Romani people on Kedzie Avenue, a block west of Troy Street, with two women holding a little girl. The Chicago American repeated this story with the added detail that the girl seemed to be trying to get away and was being restrained; also, that police had reason to believe this was a "Black Hand" kidnapping."Kidnaped Girl is trace by Story of Boy." Chicago American, April 13, 1911, p. 1.
There were several Romani camps along the Des Plaines River near Kedzie and these were searched. Residents told investigators that one wagon had decamped and left on the morning of April 9. The theory that Elsie had been abducted by people identified in contemporary reports as Romani gained traction because her disappearance closely resembled that of Lillian Wulff, who had been found among Romani people four years earlier. Elsie's father, Frank Paroubek, offered his life savings, $50 (about $1,547 today), as a reward. Inspector Healey also ordered that drainage canals be dragged for the child's body on April 15, and Governor Charles S. Deneen asked the public to aid in the search. It was at about this time that Elsie's friend Emma Kubat, 14, told police she had last seen Elsie with the organ grinder."Surround Gypsies in Girl Hunt." Chicago American, April 14, 1911, p. 1. Detectives from the Maxwell Street station searched the Italian quarter at West 14th and S. Halsted Streets, where it had been reported a child matching Elsie's description had been seen with an organ grinder."Posse Seeks Girl with Gypsies." Chicago Daily News, Friday, April 14, 1911, p. 2."Hunt Organ Grinder for Stolen Girl." Chicago American, April 12, 1911, p. 1.
A full-length photo of Elsie appeared on the front page of the April 12 Chicago American. This photo, enhanced by artists, reappeared many times in the paper. On April 17, it was accompanied by photos of Frank, Karolina and Elsie's sister Julia.
Investigation
Detectives Joseph, Komorous, and Sheehan accompanied Frank 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. Farmers in the area were alerted to be on watch. When local residents started asking camp residents about Elsie and attempted to search the wagons, they broke camp again and moved on to Volo, Illinois, 43 miles from Chicago. Volo residents reported a child matching Elsie's description and said she appeared to be "stupefied" or "drugged" and partly covered with a blanket. They also attempted to search the wagons, but the camp residents immediately broke camp and departed for McHenry, Illinois, about 60 miles northwest of Chicago. When police caught up with them at McHenry, they discovered the little girl was a camp resident and did not match Elsie's description. Meanwhile, Police Capt. Mahoney assigned men to drag the drainage canals near Elsie's home on April 12 and again on the 15th."The "gypsies" had left Round Lake when we reached there and we traced them to Volo, Illinois, and then to McHenry, where we found the band," said Det. Sheehan. "They had a girl about 5-years old with them, but she was not the missing child. Instead of having blond hair as reported by a number of persons, she had deep black hair and the dark complexion of the gypsies. She was the daughter of one of the gypsies and there was no other girl in the band." "Return: Quest for Girl in Vain". Chicago Daily News, April 15, 1911, p. 2.
In several instances, a child was found in a camp who did resemble Elsie, such that even Frank was momentarily certain it was his daughter and it would take some time to convince him it was a mistake. As late as April 24, when a little girl somewhat resembling Elsie's description was found in a Romani camp near 18th and South Halsted Streets, Frank fell to his knees and prayed.
The reason for her capture was attributed by police to "the natural love of the wandering people for blue-eyed, yellow-haired children". Elsie was consistently described as small, with light golden hair and blue eyes, wearing a red one-piece dress, laced shoes, and black stockings.
On April 17, Police Capt. Mahoney received an anonymous phone tip that a child answering Elsie's description had been seen accompanying a man to a Western Springs, Illinois, hotel. Again, detectives dispatched to the hotel found nothing."Sent to Look for Missing Girl". Chicago Daily News, April 17, 1911, p. 2. Sycamore, Illinois, police Chief Ogden accompanied Frank Paroubek to investigate wagons associated with Romani camps at Cherry Valley, Illinois, but found no child even remotely resembling Elsie. Meanwhile, Hinman Street police fielded reporters' questions about a $500 (nearly $16,114 in 2022) ransom note received by Karolina. They "denied official knowledge of the communication, but admitted it might be true.""Search For Missing Girl Is Vain", Chicago Daily News, April 19, 1911. p. 2.
On April 20, neighbors saw Frank Jr., age 6, lugging a pick and shovel out into South Troy Street and start digging. Upon inquiry, Frank said there had been a lot of construction on the street the day Elsie disappeared, and he had heard his parents discussing the possibility that she had fallen into a hole. And if she struggled to climb out, she might have been buried under falling sand and gravel. Workers still fixing the street said that it was possible, but they would have noticed immediately. Meanwhile, people in the West End and a woman in Kings, Illinois, reported sightings of light-skinned girls traveling with Romani groups.
In the second week after Elsie's disappearance, Lillian Wulff, age 11, came forward to offer assistance. Wulff herself had been the subject of a similar manhunt four years earlier. She was reportedly abducted by Romani people and held for six days, working as a beggar, until discovered walking behind a Romani wagon by a farmer outside Momence, Illinois. She provided details of her experience of her abductors' typical behavior, and volunteered to lead a "rescue party". William Jones, Lillian's kidnapper, suggested asking Elijah George, whom he described as the "King of the Gypsies," about Elsie. Elijah George was found in Argyle, Wisconsin, and was brought to Joliet but "failed to give the desired information", and was released. At that point, Inspector Healey again ordered the drainage canal dragged, along with a search of all wells and other places where Elsie could have fallen.
On April 22, Gov. Deneen released a front-page statement to the Chicago American calling on "every person" to aid in the search. Also on April 22, John Muts, the town marshal for Trevor, Wisconsin, received a phone call regarding a blonde child in a nearby Romani camp. Muts, along with saloonkeeper Carl Czdenek of Lyons, Illinois, met with the girl and Czdenek said he was able to speak with her in Czech and verify that she was Elsie. A Mrs. Alice Gould of nearby McHenry also identified the child as Elsie and said Romani people had attempted to abduct other children in the area."Report Stolen Girl Is Found." Chicago American, April 22, 1911.