IL IL - Elfrieda 'Fritzie' Knaak, 29, Lake Bluff, 30 Oct 1928

DNA Solves
DNA Solves
DNA Solves

New Posts

While I'm on the topic, I'd like to review the comments of the doctor who said she was electrocuted.

(Gawrsh I'm like a broken record, here - but so many things about her injuries support this theory. Of course, I am always happy to be wrong. I'd really like to get a professional opinion on this. Perhaps after the holiday season, though - it's such a busy time of year, I feel bad asking for people's time.)

As part of the autopsy, Elfrieda's brain was sent to a Chicago toxicologist, Dr. William McNally, for examination. I'm not sure yet if it was him who made the report that her brain showed ruptures indicating she'd been electrocuted - I'm still looking for more details on this, as well as how, exactly, the police 'disproved' it.

I believe, however, the doctor was referring to this (from this article on electrocution)::

Focal petechial haemorrhages are found in the brain and spinal cord, especially in the medulla and the grey of the pyramidal nuclei and of the anterior horns and the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum; wide dilatations of the perivascular spaces especially in the brain stem and cervical cord; fragmentation of the axons, and changes in the myelin sheaths of peripheral nerves are noted. In some cases, irregular tears and fissures in the brain tissue and rupture of walls of arteries are seen.

This article also describes how victims of severe electric shock can look like they were assaulted (blunt force wounds, broken bones). The injuries vary greatly from person to person - some die instantly, some pull through but are horribly burned, some get away with barely a scratch.

From the comments of survivors of severe shocks, it seems total or partial amnesia of the event and later general confusion isn't unusual. Elfrieda may have had no idea at all as to how she was originally hurt, and just accepted whatever she was told once brought to the police station.

If I -am- wrong about this, it really needs to be firmly ruled out by an expert opinion, at least - whether she was or wasn't electrocuted makes all the difference to figuring out what actually happened.

Now I'll let it go again, lol, and focus on the "burned in the furnace" theory, and see how that holds up.
 
Ausgirl, you are brilliant, just when I start to think there's nothing else you find a nugget or a bar of gold.

The pink slip found under the lumber might have been Marie's. Maybe she was in a rush to get out of there.

Back to electricution, grab something with your hand and the electricity throws you back violently, breaking your arm with the jolt and striking the back of your head against a surface. Could account for the injuries sustained
We need some source that is low on ampage yet high enough on voltage.

I wonder about those electric train tracks.....
 
Cheers, Robin. Hey - where do you reckon Elfrieda's hat and coat went? This really bothers me. Because there's only two options, here:

Either they were taken from the police station -- or they weren't.

It was cold that night (hence the furnace going). Cold enough to wear a coat trimmed at sleeves and collar in fur (all the fashion that year, according to the newspaper ads). Elfrieda stated that being cold is why she went to the police station in the first place (true or not, it actually was cold - but she had friends in the area, why didn't she call somebody? knock on a door and ask to stay? I think that was more Elfrieda hiding things than it was truth).

I can't really see her shedding coat and hat outdoors, is what I'm saying, and then walking off without them.

And yes. Train tracks... or that transformer reported to be close to the police station. That, as well as contact with the third rail, could easily cause burns of that severity. So could being hit by lightning, matter of fact.

Lightning can't lock a police station door, tho. :B

Oh - I was re-reading the reports of the coroner's statements. The part about how Barney didn't call the doctor for four hours, or the Sheriff.

"Coroner Taylor seemed surprised by Dr. Rissinger's testimony that he had not been called to the police station until nearly 11am on the day Miss Knaak was found.."

Wait a sec.. to the police station? Not the hospital? Did he seriously leave her down there for FOUR hours? I truly hope that's mistaken reportage, and not a fact.

What makes me think it might be fact is that calling the local doctor wouldn't have even been an issue, if Barney had already called the ambulance and she was already in the hospital. Where there's doctors, and all.
 
I read Barney called the funeral home and the Doc at the same time, the Sherrif was called 4 hours later. Poor reporting methinks.
 
Now I wanna now exactly when that ambulance was called. And what time Spaid got to work that day.

I'm compiling a list of questions to send the Lake Bluff PD in the New Year - and that'll be one of 'em. The PD may or may not choose to answer any/all of those. But we're working blind without actual records. I hope they can help us out.
 
Just a few random thoughts as I try to put this all together.

The coat - When you enter a place you intend to stay, most people tyically remove their hat and coat. When being polite, a host will typically ask a guest, "Can I take your coat?" The coat is often taken to another room. I think *wherever* Elfrieda went after leaving the train station, I think she was treated as a guest. Her coat and hat were removed and she settled in for a visit.

Bloody footprints - I believe the bloody footprints are not Elfrieda's footprints, but footprints from another female in the furnace room. This other female was either bleeding herself or tracked through the blood. IMO a man would have no reason to remove his shoes, but a woman wearing high heels would have a reason to remove her shoes if they got in way of the task at hand (i.e. "finishing Elfrieda off" or staging the crime scene). Plus, there was a report of other female hair, ripped out by the roots in the furnace room.

I really think Elfrienda's injuries were not premeditated. If you planned to kill somebody, electrocution would be one of the most difficult ways to do it. It would be hard to do without electrocuting yourself. Personally, I wouldn't know how to start and I doubt somebody living in the 1920s would have a better idea. Plus, all of the people with motive and opportunity had access to "real" weapons, which would have been much easier and more effective.
 
A brief study of electrical burns says that an eletrical current can enter one part of the body and exit out another. If she was electrocuted, the most damage would be at these two points. However, her burns were so severe, that had they been caused by electrical shock, her heart would've stopped and she would've died almost instantly. Which leads me back to thinking that someone burned her with a blow-torch. They could aim wherever they pleased, hold it in position for as long as they wanted and not kill her. If this is the case, it had to be premeditated by someone who hated her with a vengeance. I just can't imagine someone that fiendish but I can't come up with any other way it could've happened.
 
Talking of hardware -- why on earth would anyone loot a hardware store, as Hitch did in 1927? Chief Spaid found tins of paint and other goods from the store at his house.

But why? He didn't sell it. He kept it in his garage or basement.

Just an odd thing to do, imo.

Did Hitch lack money? He had his night job as a cop, a lucrative day job with his culty 'classes' as well as whatever he made acting now and then. His wife and son weren't invalids and could have been working.

But he steals paint? And keeps it around the house? :waitasec:

I don't get it.

However, her burns were so severe, that had they been caused by electrical shock, her heart would've stopped and she would've died almost instantly.
Click to expand...

In many cases that's true. But not always, and people do survive with injuries of that severity. Some have survived holes blown through the top of their skulls, where the electric current shattered through to expose the brain. Quadrilateral burns happen, too, often requiring amputation of the affected limbs due to necrosis/infection.

Not saying the blowtorch isn't possible. Just that high voltage, or sustained, electrical shock doesn't always and inevitably cause death.
 
Maybe the Hitch men thought there was more than the paint, take that rather than have a wasted journey. Then again what's the betting it was Raymond rather than Hitch, maybe his involvement was just knowing the paint was stolen. Not standing up for him just thinking he would have more sense.

Re electricity, it's the amps that kill, voltage will do the 'jolting' or so I'm led to believe.
 
I didn't really know what a blow torch was so I googled and this is what I found. It is interesting they show a picture of what an early blow torch looked like. So, blow torches were around back in the 1920s.

Blow torch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The best scenario I can come up with a blowtorch as the weapon is a rage killing. Somebody (Mrs Hitch or Luella) found Elfrieda in an intimate situation with Mr Hitch. This person flew into a rage and came at her with the blowtorch. IMO Mrs Hitch fits the scenario better than Luella. Mrs H would want to disfigure Elfrieda, whereas I think Luella genuinely cared for Elfrieda and wanted Elfrieda back in her life.

I can't see any of the other players having that level of hatred for E, where they want to torture, disfigure, and maim her.

Where would one of the players obtain a blowtorch and know how to use it? I could see a farmer or construction worker possibly having this kind of equipment. But none of the players worked in occupations where they might have blowtorch. Of course, to be fair, none of them worked in occupations where they might have an electrocuting device either.
 
Robin Hood said:
Maybe the Hitch men thought there was more than the paint, take that rather than have a wasted journey. Then again what's the betting it was Raymond rather than Hitch, maybe his involvement was just knowing the paint was stolen. Not standing up for him just thinking he would have more sense.

Re electricity, it's the amps that kill, voltage will do the 'jolting' or so I'm led to believe.
Click to expand...

Any maybe he was just a troubled kid...Some kids steal just to see if they can get away with it.
 
Firstly, Merry Christmas, all. I'm off for a few days, so taking this opportunity to wish you all a happy holiday.

Robin, re the ticket -- she bought a round trip ticket and never used the return portion of it. Not sure how that ticket system ran back then, but could her not coming back explain why it wasn't torn or punched, or whatever?

Here's another thought I had: seems a lot was going on in the hour between between 9.30 and 10.30 that night.

-- Barney says he left work about 9.30. and did not receive any calls from Elfrieda.

-- Elfrieda made her calls from Highland Park to Lake Bluff Police station at 9.45. -- and somebody answered. She was overheard speaking to someone in whispers. And the Sheriff must have checked the exchange or something, because he's very definite that the calls "went through". I.e., they were not hang up calls, they did not ring out and she wasn't deludedly talking to herself. Somebody answered that phone.

-- Elfrieda arrived in Lake Bluff some time shortly after 10pm. She said she went to the police station to see Hitchcock. Somebody there told her about Hitch's broken leg, (though nobody was there, she also says) so she went for a walk in a nearby park. There's two parks closeby, a little one across the way from the police station, and a much larger one a few minutes' walk from there.

-- Oscar Kloer says he left Hitchcock's house at 10.30pm. It apparently was not the most memorable of social occasions, as the time he left is the only thing Kloer could recall about it just a few days later.

Here's where my head is going for a moment -- what if she found out about Hitch's leg on the phone (to Barney?) at Highland Park? And decided on spec to stow her briefcase and grab a return ticket for a hasty visit -- since Mrs. H was out, and all, maybe Elfrieda figured she could drop by the house and offer Hitch some 'spiritual' comfort, or something..

It could play out in any number of ways from there. I'll think about it when I'm back. :)
 
I just have to add this, I would be interested to know what employment Raymond was doing around 1928-1930. The theft of paint maybe more important than just theft. One uses a blowtorch to remove the old paint before the new coat is applied.
 
Ausgirl said:
Here's where my head is going for a moment -- what if she found out about Hitch's leg on the phone (to Barney?) at Highland Park? And decided on spec to stow her briefcase and grab a return ticket for a hasty visit -- since Mrs. H was out, and all, maybe Elfrieda figured she could drop by the house and offer Hitch some 'spiritual' comfort, or something..
Click to expand...

According to the link below, I am going to deduce that E made her calls from a rotary dialed pay phone. It does not appear that she would need to go through an operator to make a phone call. I don't know how they know the calls went through, but I'm going to assume they did. The police station is the most logical place for her to have called looking for Hitch.

History of the telephone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aus - my mind is going the same place as yours and I want to expand on it a little bit. What if somehow Barney arranged the hook up between E and Hitch. This might be why he distanced himself by saying he left 15 minutes before the call came in. Barney probably knew *something* was going on between them. I wouldn't put it past Hitch to brag about his "astral romance" a little bit. Maybe Barney told E to come by the station and he would arrange to have Hitch there. He would leave a key so she could let herelf in. (Maybe he sorted the ashes looking for his key). Barney contacted Hitch to let him know he had a guest waiting for him at the station. When E arrived at the police station, she let herself in and nobody was there. She was bored or uncomfortable being there by herself so she went for a walk while she waited. What if E was then taken to Hitch (by Barney or Khloer)?

Then something happened....

I will be gone for a few days too. Hope everyone has a great holiday.
 
So. I am just back from my family gathering (we're a little ahead of you guys, time-wise, over here, I do hope you're all enjoying yourselves) and guess what?

I have an email here from David Belmonte, the Deputy Chief of Lake Bluff PD! He tells me:

One of the mysteries of the case is what ever happened to the original case files. There have been theories that the Chief kept them or that Hitchcock took them when he left. But currently, the whereabouts of the files are unknown.

Mr. Belmonte has very kindly passed my email on to a retired Lake Bluff police Sergeant who spent a lot of time researching the case. Cross fingers and toes that he'll have some info for us. :)

And what about those missing files?! Somehow, I am not very surprised.

I'm still intent on hunting down George Hargrave's files on the case. Maybe those are still around somewhere..
 
Robin, from the 'Carlson' article (the name did not escape me!) -

(prior to 1966) -- the IC had an ingenious system of fare collection that was, in today’s language, a “closed loop system.” Ticket agents and gate personnel in the stations sold color-coded tickets that the onboard trainmen could instantly recognize. Short haul riders had their “transportation lifted” in the stations while longer haul riders were subjected to onboard audits. There was even a system of punch images that described where one had boarded a train and who had audited the ticket.

So I'm assuming (if I've got it right) that if Highland Park to Lake Bluff was a "short haul" trip, Elfrieda should have had to hand a ticket over on her arrival at Lake Bluff. If a return trip was counted as "long haul" an inspector would have punched her ticket at some point.

Since she still had her ticket and never made the return trip, maybe that second punchmark is what's missing?
 
I'll bet the Police files were given to George Hargraves, it's possible they were 'taken' but as the Smith bloke requested the detective agency help I'm assuming they were passed over to them. Spaid IMO knew something was being covered up so the safest place for them would have been the Hargrave Det. Agency.

Have visitors at the moment so will add some more thoughts tomorrow.
 
What a fascinating story and great sleuthing by all!
Went to Google Maps Streetview and was surprised that the old police building is still there. I have no idea what it's used for today.

Lake Bluff, IL - Google Maps
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Members online

... and 61 more.
Total: 2,463 (members: 62, guests: 2,401)

Online statistics

Members online
62
Guests online
2,401
Total visitors
2,463
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
600,823
Messages
18,114,116
Members
230,990
Latest member
DeeKay
Back
Top