River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-05-14
MORBID CROWDS
At DEATH FARM
Fifteen THOUSAND FLOCK TO
GUINNESS PLACE SUNDAY.
THRCNG ON EVERY TRAIN
Scene of Grewsome Tragedies Be-
comes Picnic Ground for Sight
Seers-Laporte's Accommo-
dations OVertaxed.

Laporte, Ind, May 11.-All roads in
Laporte county led to the Guinness
farm Sunday, upwards of $4,000 sight
seers visiting the place of death.
Practically every able-bodied resi-
dent of this city made the trip and
the railroads and trolley lines brought
about 1000 more to the city.
Mayor Darrow found it necessary to
issue stringent orders that the Sun
day closing laws should be enforced,
and the hotels and restaurants were
overrun with patrons. Practically
every conveyance in the town was
pressed into service in an attempt to
provide transportation for the crowds.
In the afternoon these proved INSULT
cient and late-comers were forced to
make their way to the place on foot.
Tips from the Visitors.
Investigation of the case by the
authorities halted, the sheriffs and
other officials who went to the farm
being compelled to become mere spec
tators also. Several of the out-of-town
visitors, however, were seeking infor-
nation concerning missing friends
or relatives and some further infor-
nation regarding the identity of
the unknown victims of the farm re-
suited from their inquiries.
The most definite information came
from Olaf Lindboe, 610 La Sale av-
enue Chicago He said that his broth
er Thomas worked for Mrs. Guinness
nd fhof 1oc 1o%
ter which he had from him contained
the information that Thomas intended
to marry his employer. Olaf wrote
to the woman little later and she
replied that Thomas Lindboe had
gone to st. Louis and that she had
had no word from him. Olaf Lindboe
viewed the unidentified corpses, but
was unable to find any likeness to his
brother in the decayed bundles of
bones and flesh.
Crowds on All Trains.
The crowds began arriving in La
porte when the first trains from the
east arrived shortly after five o'clock
In the morning. Nearly 100 passen-
gers from Elkhart, Mishawka, South
Bend, New Carlisle, Rolling Prairie
and other towns debarked from the
coaches and formed the advance guard
of the army which invaded the Gun
ness property during the day. An
other train from the same points
brought in nearly 200 more spectators
three hours later and at ten o'clock,
at IL and 1870, over 1000 more
reached here from the same towns.
1t was reported that more than 500
tickets to Laporte had been sold in
EIkhart alone.
Another large crowd came from In
dianapolis and the intervening cities,
villages and hamlets on an excursion
train over the Lake Erie e Western
railroad
Fewer passengers were brought
from the towns west of here, because
the trains from that direction made
only one. or two stops between here
and Chicago. Nevertheless, the traffic
was far beyond the ordinary and at
least ESQ persons debarked here from
these trains
Picnics on Grewsome Spot.
At the farm, only the speakers
stand with it's customary pitcher of
ice-water was necessary to complete
the impression that a big political
rally had drawn the inhabitants of
the countryside to the spot. There
was nothing in the attitude of the
crowd to indicate that they were Wis
iting a place where the most grew
some tragedies of a decade had taken
place. Joke and laughing comment
on the antecedents of the farm were
heard on every side and EXPLANATIONS
of joy from successful relic-hunters
were numerous. Finally picnic parties
grouped themselves on the sloping
lawn under the fine pines and cedars
which dot the dooryard, or found rest
ing places beneath the Towering apple
and plum trees of the orchard. Chill
dren were numerous and many of
! these groups had a baby-cab as a
nucleus.
Along the roadside in front of the
| farm were several lemonade stands
and lunch wagons. At the gates were
vendors of souvenir postal cards,
those bearing a group picture of Mrs.
Guinness and the three little ones who
met death with her finding the read
lest sale.
Theory of Lamphere Defense.
Mayor barrow, law partner Of H.
! W. Worden, who is defending Ray
Lamphere, said that the defense will
start an investigation of the Pine
Lake cemetery, an old burial ground
about mile from the Guinness farm.
1t is the theory of the defense that
Mrs. Guinness killed her children
| placed the body of a large woman
near them, set fire to the house to
cover up her crime and then fed. If
| it is discovered that any of the graves
in Pine Lake cemetery have been dis
turbed recently Mayor barrow thinks
| that this theory will be more or less
| substantiated.
Sunday Ball Players Arrested.
NEnI,;Io Nov ha mann