The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-05-14
MORBID CROWDS
At DEATH FARM
FIFTEEN THOUSAND FLOCK TO
GUINNESS PLACE SUNDAY.
1HRoNes ON EVERY TRAIN.
Scene Of Grewsome Tragedies Be
Gomez Picnic Ground for Sight
seers = Laporte's Accom-
modations overtaxed.

Laporte county led to the Guinness
farm Sunday, upwards of $4,000 sight.
seers visiting the place of death.
Practically every able-bodled resi-,
dent of this city made the trip and
the railroads and trolley lines brought
about 1000 more to the city.
Mayor barrow found 1t necessary to
issue stringent orders that the Sun.
day closing laws should be enforced,
and the hotels and restaurants were
oyerrun 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 insuffi.
Gent 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-oftown
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. p
The most definite information came
from Olaf Lindboe, SO La Sale av.
enue, Chicago. He said that his broth.
er Thomas worked for Mrs. Guinness
three years ago and that the last let.
ter which he had from him contained
the information that Thomas intended
to marry his employer. Olaf wrote
to the woman a 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. . r...
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
eNh0 ObhOl bOWuS ucDdIhtu lTOu 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 1880, over 1000 more
reached here from the same towns.
Il xua no
tickets to Laporte had been sold in
Elkhart alone. f.....
Another large crowd came from In.
dianapolis and the intervening cities
villages and hamlets on an excursion
train over the Lake Erie G 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 $50 persons debarked here from
these trains.
H Picnlcs on Grewsome Spot.
At the farm, only the speakers
stand with its customary pitcher of
ice-water was necessary to complete
the impression that 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 group picture of Mrs.
Guinness and the three little ones who
met death with her finding the read.
lest sale.
Mayor barrow. law partner or n.
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 a mile from the Guinness farm.
1t is the theory of the defense that
Mrs. Gunness killed her children,
placed the body of a large woman
near them, set fire to the house to
cover up her crime and then Ned. II
It is discovered that any Of the graves
In Pine Lake cemetery have been dis.
tnrbsd recently Mayor Darrow thinks
that this theory will be more or less
snb5tantiated
Work was started at the Bolton
mines Monday morning and number
OF other places about the county wal