The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-06
A SENSATION
 IS UNEARTHED Guesome Discoveries in Back Yard. FIVE BODIES ARE DUG UP Victims of Beautiful Widow Who
 Was Recently Killed. Search Will Continue for Other AL Iedged Victims of One of Most
 FIendish Murderers of
 the Century.


 their search tomorrow for other al- legged victims of Mrs. Belle Gunness, who. to all indications. was one of the most dendish murderers of the cen tury, and who was recently killed. with her three children. through the burn ing of her country home, one mile northeast of La Porte.
 Of the bodies so far unearthed, two nave been identified. They are those of Andrew Heldgren, a wealthy bach elor of Aberdeen, s. D., and Miss Jen- nie Olsen, II years of age. stepdaugh- ter of Mrs. Guinness. The other three bodies are so badly decomposed as to make Identification impossible.
 The discovery of the bodies was brought about by the appearance of A. K. Heldegren of Aberdeen, s. D.. broth CT of Andrew Heldgren, in La Porte. in search for the missing man. With information that his brother Andrew had come, to La Porte to wed Mrs. Gunness and that he had turned over Vinced that his brother had been made the victim of foul play.
 While questioning Joseph Maxson. a hired hand on the Gunness farm, he learned of the mysterious digging of holes by him, all of them being filled up atsa later date by Mrs. Gunness. He led Heldgren and the officers to the spot where the holes had been dug about 15O feet from the house and there. after digging a few minutes, was uncovered the body of Heldegren. The remains were only four feet under ground and were enclosed in a gunny sack. The legs and arms had been dis membered but were with the trunk.
 Skeletons on Mattress.
 About thirty-hve feet further on from the house the remains of four other persons were found. Lying on top of mattress were the skeletons of two men, and woman. Underneath the mattress was the body of an H. year-old girl, said to De Jennie Olsen. by the coroner and are now locked In a barn on the Gunness farm. being carefully guarded.
 The discovery of the bodies led ex- pressmen to tell of the delivery of five trunks to the Gunness farm during the last six months and this fact, has caused the authorities to work on the theory that the place was a clearing house for murders. They suspect that wealthy persons. after being lured to Chicago and killed were packed in these trunks and sent to La Porte to be disposed of.
 The developments of today also caused the authorities to recall that the two husbands of Mrs. Gunness died under suspicious circumstances both meeting violent deaths. The first, Ed ward Sorrenson. was insured for $S,500 and the second. Gunness. for $S.50o. This insurance was paid over to Mrs. Gunness by the companies.
 The central figure in the case is Ray Lamphere, the former hired man of Mrs. Gunness, who was arrested charged with murdering her and her three children after the woman's house had been destroyed by fire and the bodies of Mrs. Guinness and her chill dren had been found In the ruins. He now will be accused of being an ac- complice of Mrs. Gunness In the mur- derinG of the alleged victims of the La Porte woman. It is believed that Lamphere angered because Mrs Gun ness refused to keep him supplied with money killed her and the children out of revenge and then fired the house to cover the crime. It developed tonight that Lamphers had been seen wearing a fur overcoat answering to descrip- ton of one belonging to Andrew Hell degren, several times during the month of February. Mrs. Gunness also wore the coat on several occasions and when asked concerning 1t stated that 1t had been given to her by an admirer.
 Iamphere Is also said to have en- tered a barber shop in La Porte du- ring the South Dakota mans visit in La Porte with a revolver In his pos session with which he said he could not part as Che might have use for 1t before long" The revolver, It is de- clared was afterward identified as be- longing to Heldegren.
 Knew of Crime.
 That Lamphere knew that Helde- gren had been slain Is now believed a certainty. During the time he was prosecuted for her by trespass. he told the police he knew something that Mrs Gunness wanted him to forget. He would not divulge, however, what he knew stating that justice would be done at last.
 The theory regarding the murder ot Jennie Olsen is that she was nearing an age when she could know too much of the life of Mrs, Guinness and her commission of crimes and was mur- dered that her lips might be sealed for ever
 The first husband of Mrs. Gunness. Max Sorrenson. died several years ago while the family lived at Austin. Ills. His death was said to have been due to heart failure, but relatives claimed that he had been poisoned. An in quest was ordered some time after the remains had been buried but for some reason, the body was never disinterred by the authorities.
 While a resident of Austin. the home of Mrs Gunness was burned and all though some question as to the origin of the fire arose. the insurance was collected.
 With money secured for insurance on the death of her husband Mrs. Gun ness bought a confectionery store in Chicago which was located at the cor ner of Grand Avenue and Elizabeth street. A short time later the store was gutted by fire. the origin of which was suspicious, but after making an investigation the insurance companies could not attach any blame to Mrs. Guinness and paid the claim.
 After the fire at Chicago, Mrs. Gun ness moved to La Porte and 1t was here that she united in marriage to Peter Guinness. While in the kitchen one day Gunness was struck on the head by a meat chopper and the wife explained to the coroner that 1t had fallen from a shelf and had killed him. AlAN.Aaaa.h aIlaAAALaaEIAa