Evelyn Kane - "Vampire Queen" of Chicago

Many people dream of position in society, fame, wealth and family happiness. It seems that what else is needed if all this is already there? But it also happens that the dark side of a personality turns out to be stronger and a person is ready to put everything on the line to satisfy his criminal inclinations. The story of the American Evelyn Kane, who was nicknamed the “Vampire Queen,” clearly illustrates this situation.

Evelyn Kane was born in the late 19th century in Winnebago, Wisconsin. Her family was quite wealthy - Evelyn's father owned a rubber factory. The girl received a good education and worked as a teacher at school. One day, on the way to work, she met Charles Romadka, who was going hunting. The young man was from a family of millionaires and at the same time was distinguished by his beauty, intelligence and good manners. A friendship began between the young people, which soon developed into love feelings.

But Charles's parents were not happy with this relationship. Like most immigrants from Poland, they were Catholics, and the Kane family attended a Baptist church. But the young man persisted and his relatives agreed to the marriage. A year after the wedding, the couple had a daughter.

The birth was difficult and Evelyn became seriously ill. A dangerous illness required surgical intervention, and the husband paid for the services of the best surgeon. Mrs. Romadka quickly recovered, but after her illness it was as if the woman had been replaced. She experienced a strange personality change, and not for the better.

Evelyn began to be attracted to romantic stories about criminals, which were published in abundance by the “yellow” press. The passion for crime was so strong that the woman decided to get acquainted with the real villains at all costs. In 1907, she left her husband and 5-year-old daughter and fled to Chicago, the criminal capital of the United States. There she settled in the inexpensive Victoria Hotel and began to think about how to make her dream come true. Kane wandered through dangerous areas in the evenings, looking out for marginalized individuals.

Evelyn unexpectedly got lucky where she least expected it. At the hotel she met a black bellhop, Albert Jones. The man took out a pocket watch in front of the guest and Kane immediately realized that such an expensive thing could only be stolen. This was what the adventurer dreamed of. An affair broke out between her and the servant. And soon the millionaire’s ex-wife began going “on business” with her lover.

But Evelyn Kane's thieving romance did not last long. Also in 1907, she was arrested for theft. The novice thief was caught by accident. In a Chicago restaurant, she took her wallet out of her purse to pay the bill. Police Lieutenant Larkin, who was sitting at the next table, recognized it as an item from the list of stolen items in the Beck couple’s house.

On October 16, 1907, the woman was arrested. During the search, other valuable items from the Becks' house were found in her room. Evelyn resisted as best she could. She claimed that the wallet and jewelry were a gift from her husband. But the Chicago police were not split up yet, and soon Kane confessed to everything.

Her criminal scheme was simple but effective. A woman, based on advertisements in the newspaper, got a job as a maid in the houses of wealthy townspeople. Having found out where the employers kept the valuables, Evelyn stole them and ran away. Soon Albert Jones was also arrested, who did not play at being noble and immediately blamed his girlfriend for everything. The investigation found that Kane stole jewelry worth a huge amount at that time, the amount of 25 thousand dollars. Jones successfully sold almost all of the loot, using his extensive connections.

Upon learning that his wife was arrested in Chicago, Charles Romadka immediately came to her. It came as a shock to him that his wife became a criminal partner. He had no choice but to divorce the woman who had disgraced his family. Evelyn and Albert were tried and found guilty. Both went to jail, but Kane did not stay in prison for long.

Since the woman had a first conviction, she was released after only three years. It must be said right away that what happened did not teach Evelyn Kane anything. Once released, she remained quiet until her probation ended. Then the woman warmly said goodbye to the police inspectors, convincing them that she was going to live with her sister in Canada. Of course, Evelyn didn’t have any sister in the neighboring country and she had no intention of leaving.

The thief stayed in Chicago and formed a female gang. These ladies were called "vampire women" for their style of robbery. Women who looked very respectable met rich men. The victims were given drugs in their drinks, and then their pockets and sometimes their apartments were cleaned out. The gang managed to elude the cops for a long time, but exposure finally came.

One day, a young millionaire from Kansas City, Edmund Gaitlin, came to Chicago on business. In one of the restaurants he met a charming brunette. The girl offered a new acquaintance a tour of the hot spots of the city and he agreed. The girl's friend and Gaitlin's friend Mr. Sweeney joined the company. In the morning, the millionaire woke up with a sore head and empty pockets.

This time the police had a detailed description of two girls from the gang. The rest was a matter of technique - soon there were 13 suspicious girls at the station. They said that a certain Mrs. Graves was in charge. Based on the photograph from the file cabinet, it was immediately established that this was none other than Evelyn Kane, who “left for Canada.”

But this time it was not possible to detain the “vampire queen” of Chicago. Kane left her hideout in time, taking almost all of her gang's loot. Despite all efforts, the police were never able to trace the criminal. Evelyn Kane was never heard from again.