Decatur Daily Review 10 Mar 1926 Flora, Ill., March 10 - (A.P.)
Mrs. Elsie Bible Malinsky, 45, late Tuesday pleaded guilty in Clay
county circuit court ot the poison murder of Mrs. Laura Malinsky, 53,
former wife of her husband, Ernest L. Malinsky, 50, and was sentenced
to life imprisonment in Joliet prison.
Mrs. Malinsky said she gave the poison to the woman in a glass of
water. She absolved her husband whom she married six weeks after the
death of the first Mrs. Malinsky, of all blame.
In passing sentence on Mrs. Malinsky, Circuit Judge Thomas M. Jett
unleashed a scathing denunciation of the woman and her crime. "If you
were a man I would hang you," the judge told her. "The fact that you
are a woman is all that saves you." He described the crime as
"cowardly."
Mrs. Malinsky was calm as she received the life sentence, and remained
as unmoved during the period of several minutes the judge lectured
her. She made no comment. She will be taken to the pentitentiary
Wednesday.
Malinsky, who accompanied his wife into the courtroom, cried when
sentence was pronounced. He declared he had no knowledge of Mrs.
Malinsky having poisoned his first wife.
Malinsky was arraigned late Tuesday on the murder charge and held to
circuit court in default of $15,000 bond. The state's attorney said
Tuesday night the charges against Malinsky "probably will be dropped,"
but added he has not definitely decided what action he will pursue.
The present Mrs. Malinsky has been married three times. She was
divorced by her first husband, Wilbur Cope, on the grounds of
desertion after they had lived together two years. Her second
husband, Bible [see info below] died December 11, 1923. The attending
physician said death was from pleuro-pneumonia and contributory
tuberculae meningitis.
The then Mrs. Bible became housekeeper for Malinsky during the illness
of his first wife, and continued as his housekeeper until they married
about a month after the death of his first wife. She has one child, a
boy, fourteen, by her second husband. Malinsky has a grown son by his
first wife. He is a native of Germany and formerly resided at Iola,
Illinois.
End of Article
1930 census indicates Essie is still in prison in 1930
[Ancestry.Com family tree]second marriage to Havil Bible on 28th Nov.
1914 Clay County, Illinois, name listed on marriage record Marguerite
Esther Cope
1920 census Clay County, Louisville Illinois indicates that Havill
Bible was living with wife Nellie E , daughter Beulah Bible age 13,
daughter Ruby Cope age 11 and son Floyd H. Bible age 6.
third marriage to Malinsky after 1923
Joliet prison records available by writing to State of Illinois - info
below
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/collections.
Try using variations of her name, i.e. Marguerite, Esther, Essie,
Elsie and Nellie.
Hope some of this is new information and will be helpful in your
search. |
