Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-05-15


Laporte, Ind, May S.-From
out Of the mass of tangled sensa-
tional evidence, which indicates
that Mrs. Belle Guinness was one
of the most monstrous murderers
of the century that her beautiful,
well kept farm a mile from La
porte, was a clearing house of as
sassination and crime, there de-
veloped today the startling theory
that the woman did not die in the
fire which destroyed her home on
the night of April %; that she
still lives and is in hiding, prob
ably in Chicago.
This theory is strengthened by
the fact that the head of the body
of the woman found in the ruins
of the Guinness home after the
fire is still missing, although
every effort was made by the au-
thorities to locate it. Unless the
head is found today, officers will
make a post norton examination
of the remains of Mrs. Guinness,
and subject them to more careful
analysis to learn whether or not
the woman was herself killed in
the fire or had substituted the re-
mains Of one of her female vic
Tins for herself and then set fire
to the house in order to cover up
the crime. In case it is proved
Mrs. Guinness did substitute the
body of another woman for her
own, it is very likely she also was
guilty of the murder Of her three
children.
More Bodies Found.
The skeleton of a sixth body was
unearthed on the Guinness farm at IL
o'clock this morning. The body is Of
an adult and was found in a box. face
downward. 1t had beer buried for
probably two years. 1t has not been
identified.
The seventh body was found on the
Guinness farm this afternoon. buried
four feet deep. 1t is evidently that Of
an adult, but the sex Is unknown. II
had been dismembered like a majority
of the others.
Continuing their digging at the same
place the men came upon the skeletons
of two more persons, but 1T was inn
possible to tell what sex.
Examinations made today of two
bodies, which yesterday were supposed
TO be those Of children, has revealed
they are those of adults. probably men.
They evidently had been buried for sew
eral years. All of them had been dis
mber
Passion for Money.
1t is pointed out as an opposing the
DRY to this one that Mrs. Guinness is
alive; hat the day before the GUM
ness home burned the woman depos-
tied $500 In the State bank here.
She Is worth about $40. 900. Her pas
sion for money Is given as the incen-
tive for the crimes committed. The
theory that she might be alive includes
the supposition hat she feared Lam
phere was about to expose her through
jealousy.
Mrs. Guinness maiden name was
Bella Raulson. She was Of Norwegian
descent. In 1893 she married Max Sor-
enson, a Swede, who died under sus-
picious circumstances. She married
| IHIillp 1ulIiItSS, WHO came 10 a Y1O-
lent death. The woman claimed IL was
an accident; hat a sausage grinder fell
on him in the kitchen of their home.
Both carried life insurance ag%gregating
$12, 900.
Seek Confession.
Sheriff Smother and Prosecuting At
torney Smith expect to make another
effort to secure a confession from
Lamphere this afternoon. In his cell
Lamphere stalks sulienly back and
forth.
That more bodies will be found is he
firm belief OF the officers. They have
the mystery Of the five trunks shipped
from Chicago to the Guinness farm to
solve. These trunks all arrived in Ia
porte during the last our months and
In view of the developments 1t is very
probable they contained human bodies
which now lie hidden in some secluded
spot on the farm.
Accomplices in Chicago.
IT is the opinion of the authorities
that Mrs. Guinness had accomplices i'm
Chicago, and that after the prospective
victims had been lured to tina city to
be robbed and murdered. their bodies
were shipped TO this city in order to
keep the Chicago police from gaining
knowledge of the crime.
Prosecuting Attorney Smith said to-
day a colo-ed woman named Lizzie
oHltn' VINO once kIileu u prominent at
torney of Laporte, in his opinion knows
something OF the murders at the GUM
ness house. He believed II might be
possible to show she had something to
do with them.
The sheriff today commenced an in
vestigation into the disappearance of
ole Budsberg. of lola, Wis. Bodsberg
came to Laporte in March. 1907. He
was acquainted with Mrs. Guinness.
and in with her visited the
Laporte Savings bank. where he re-
wryAvxy To NcANr