The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-18
STORY OF FIRE
Which Destroyed the Guinness
Home and Family
Told on the Witness Stand by
the Hired Hand.
HOUNDED BY ACCUSED.
One Witness Tells of a Meeting
Between the Two.
Afterwards Saw Woman With
Tears in Her Eyes.

Laporte, Ind, Nov. 18.-In an effort
to establish the fact that Lamphere
was bounding Mrs. Guinness and
making life miserable for her and to
show definitely the date of the
Helgelein murder in the profits of
which Lamphere is supposed by the
prosecution to have shared and over
the division of which it is contended
Mrs. Guinness and Lamphere first fell
out, the state today offered consider
able evidence to the jury.
Maxsons story of the fire, his own
escape from the burning building and
his efforts to get into the brick part,
were told this morning. Attempts on
the part of the attorneys of the de-
fense to cause him to change his story
were unavailing. 1t brought out
strongly that the oil can brought
home on the afternoon of April 27,
by Mrs. Guinness, filled with kerosene
and placed in the hallway of the
frame part was found after the fire
on the floor in the middle of the cell
lar.
George Wrase, clerk in Minich's s
grocery, where Mrs Guinness bought
her groceries the day before the fire,
testified that Mrs. Guinness pur-
chased two gallons of kerosene in a
five gallon can which was something
unusual. While in the store Lamp
bacco. He stared hard at Mrs. Gun
ness. but neither spoke, the woman
apparently trying to keep away from
him. Witness's opinion that they
cluded from the testimony. Wrase
said that Lamphere went out doors
and stood on the sidewalk and kept
looking in the store until the woman
left. The witness said there were
tears in Mrs. Gunness's eyes when she
returned after having been absent
from the store a short time.
A memorandum book found on
Lamphere when arrested was offered
in evidence. Receipts given by
Lamphere to Mrs. Guinness were also
offered in evidence, the signatures be-
ing identified by. John Wheatbrook.
The purpose of Offering this to the
jury was to show the business rela-
Lamphere and to establish the date
of Lamphere's trip to Michigan City
and the date of Helgelein's murder
January IA. 1t became known this
afternoon that Judge Ritcher was in
Vest1gat1ng a report that an attempt
had been made to tamper with some
of the states witnesses.
Associate Counsel Sutherland of the
states attorneys office announced to-
day that the state would not use a
number Of the witnesses originally sub
poenaed in the Lamphere murder trial,
because it was felt that certain pro-
positions had already been fully estab-
lished and that further evidence along
these lines would be superf1uous
We have proved beyond any doubt
that Mrs. Guinness is dead and that it
was her body that was found in the
ruins of the fire with the bodies of the
three Children said Mr.. Sutherland.
I'VE have also introduced a lot of evil
dence to prove the threats made
against Mrs. Guinness by Lamphere
and Lamphere's actions on the morning
of the fire have been told so fully and
corroboratively that although we have
still more evidence along that line we
are not going to use it. We feel that
so far we have made out a good case
and have proven every contention that
we have set out to show, and we will
try to shorten up the trial as much as
will next be shown. We expect to
finish our evidence Friday or Satur-
day"
Counsel for the defense say they will
not be worried if it is proven that Lam
phere set the fire to the house, for they
the children and then committed sui
eide and that they were all dead be-
fore the house was burned.
The Connecticut Fire Insurance COM
pany refuses to pay the executor of
Mrs. Guinness estate the face of the
policies, 81, 300 on the house and con-
tents. on the ground that it must be
shown that Mrs. Guinness did not set
fire to the house herself, and also be-
cause the place was used by the owner
for criminal purposes
Joseph Maxson, the hired man, the
only person to escape from the burn
inc house on the morning of the fire,
resumed his story today of the fire
NaRAAMN mi ENFRRAAH