Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-11
LAPORTE TRAGEDY
BATTLES OFFICERS
Further Excavations for
Bodies Postponed by Sheriff.
DELAYED By THE CURIOUS
Estimated $4,000 Persons Visited
Grounds Yesterday.
THE ATTITUDE OF THE DEFENSE
Impression That Mrs. Guinness Is
Still Alive Widepspead-Stran
Find With Helgelein's Body.

Find With Helgelein's Body.
LAPORTE, Ind. May 11.-Pickne up
the shreds OF the evidence tending Ia
connect Ray Lamphere with the deaths
OF Mrs. Guinness and her three children.
and perhaps also of Andrew HeIgelein. II
the main purpose OF the authorities her"
today. Whether search for more bodies
will be prosecuted has not been finally
determined. Sheriff Shutter indicating
yesterday that further eXcayating may
be postponed until tomorrow
The sheriff has found difficulty IN car
rying this work because OF the NOR
bidly curious persons who have Hooked
to the place where ten corpses were dis
covered last Week. Friday the eXcayat-
ing In the barnyard was hindered. and
Saturday IL halted by the crowds. IL
is expected. however that the number ~
visitors will be lessened today, some 10,
600 persons having inspected the grounds
yesterday and presumably satisfied their
curiosity.
The grand jury WAS to have met today
to consider LaInphere's ease, but this
procedure has been postponed for "A week.
Experts who were called into the affair
by Sheriff Shutter advised this course.
although Prosecuting Attorney Smith had
announced that he was ready To 60 into
court with the evidence at hand. Since
then the case has been strengthened by
tine discovery OF Lampheres trunk. con-
tanning several letters which are said 10
establish his participation in the murder
Of Helgelein. and by Information extract
ed from number of persons VINO were
intimate enough with the prisoner TO
learn from him much concerning his re-
lationS with Mrs. Guinness
Public Prosecutor Anxious.
II tho sitting and sluicing OF the ashes
in the cellar OF the home result in the
discovery of yet more evidence IL is like
ly that the case will he pushed toward
a conclusion rapidly. Prosecutor Smith
is anxious to bring Lamplere before a
jury during the term of court which
opens today, and viii endeavor 10 clear
the docket OF several minor cases which
are scheduled to be heard.
The attitude of the defense has not
been revealed TO any great extent The
prisoner has received stringent orders
from his attorneys not to discuss the
charges against him with any one, and
the attorneys themselves have not COM
mitted themselves to any particular line
of action They have been free in an
nouncing theories to account for Lam
phere's actions before and following his
arrest, and lave also given out alleged
evidence which they say establishes the
fact that Mrs. Guinness and not Lamphere
Set fire to the house.
The adult headless corpse found with
the blackened bodies Of the children was,
they assert. that OF another victim of the
Guinness woman, the theory being that
the head was severed by Mrs. Guinness IN
order that il might be thought that the
body was hers. Thus far. however. et-
forts to substantiate the announcements
by the defense have failed. several per
Ff4l-
tied to them by Lamphere's attorneys
while the facts found by The i"uT phNSI-
clans who performed post-morteih eNalh-
nations on the corpses do not pear "ul
the contentious of the defenSe- III II
thought however. that Lamphores AT
torneys have concealed carefully the chict
poi,,:s upon which they Will rely. cn-
deavoring meanwhile 10 s~lnG PupHc
opinion in favor OF the prisoner
Tuft of Hair May Be Lamphere's.
Political and business friends of Lam
phere's attorneys have been busy dis
c,1ssine the case wherever opportunity
offered. the argument being mainly that
Mrs Guinness was too shroUd a woman
10 be caught i'm a fire, and that she musS
therefore have escaped. Prosecutor Shntn
derounces these methods. but there Is no
gaInsay yng the fact that the impression
that Mrs. Guinness is still alive Is wide
spread, despite the almost total absence
OF definite evidence 10 support il.
This circumstance viii make the task
OF picking a trial jury difficult, a. there
IL scarcely Il man or woman in the com
munity who has not formed or Expressed
an opinion on the subject. TaleSmtn from
the rural districts, however. may ligiien
the labOrs of the attorneys in this regard
That Andrew Helgelcin did not give MP
his life without struggle is evidenced
by the fact THAI In one Of his cienched
hands was brown tuft OF short hair.
which Is said closely To resemble the han
covering the head OF Ray Lamphere, who
is being held In Jail. This phase OF
the mystery was disclosed in The deposi-
ton Of DR. J. H. William Myrr. one "f
the examining physiriaHS. who went int"
an exhaustive examination OF llclselein
body. After a very full report upon the
conditions OF the heart, lungs. int"stinHs
and other parts Of the dismcIu ber.d
corpse. all OF which were found To be- in
a state OF almost perfect preservation. hn
states that one OF the hands OF Belgelea
held the lock OF curly brown hair.
DR. Myer also made his report the
body OF Jennie Olsen. In. scventeen-year-
old adopted daughter. and believed To H.:
"A victim OF Mrs. Guinness. This body also
was found 10 be in coed condition, with
a few exceptions. Ia the case OF both
Helgelein and the Olsen girl the cause Of
death is given as unknown.
Mrs. Guinness Victim of Epilepsy.
DIR. Bowel. a prominent physician ~
Laporte, was for time the physician to
the Guinness family. Dr. Bowel stated
that while attending MAIDS Sorensou.
former husband of Mrs Guinness he
studied Mrs. Guinness very closely and
came To the conclusion that she was a
victim of epilepsy Since then he has
treated her for that disease.
William Schultz. the miner employed
by Sheriff Shutter to conduct the sluic-
ing of the ashes and debris in the cellar
OF the burned house. began work today
IN the hope OF 1inding the gold filings
said to have been in the teeth Of Mrs
Guinness.
Ashes will be carried TO the hopper, "a
peck or more at Il time. and washed and
the residue carefully examined
William Brogaski. who lived with a
Mr. Shoemaker, IL farmer neighbor of
Mrs. Guinness, was called upon during
the years OF 1so6-l9o7 Ia dig three holes
I'm the barn lot OF the Guinness place.
He was told by Mrs. Guinness that the
holes Were to bc utilized for rubbish and
farm refuse. Mrs. Guinness designated
ba ,iilDpnSipnc of ba