Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-14
THE lAP0RTE TRAGEDY
Officials Working Up Facts for
the Prosecution.
IMPORTANCE OF DETAILS
Tests of the Bits of Gold Found in
the Ruins.
TRYING TO CLEAR LAMPHERE
Pitiful Stories of Anxious Ones, Who
Think Their Missing Loved Ones
Are Among Guinness Victims.
TRYING TO CLEAR LAMPHERE

LAPORTE. Ind, May 14.-The possible
determination that the globules of metal
found by the mining operations on the
Guinness farm yesterday were bits Of gold
used by dentist for filings in or crowns
on the woman's teeth Is likely TO be
development of Importance in the case.
The specimens were turned over to a local
jeweler last night. and it is expected that
he will report on them soon. The tests
which are necessary, one by applying,
acids to the metal and another involving
the calculations of the weight. are COM
general conformation of the relics will
also be taken into consideration. The
fact that these products Of the sluice box
failing are globular are taken as prima
facie evidence that the metal is gold.
DR.. l. j. Norton, who pronounced the
bit of gilded picture framing. said yes
terday that gold of the fineness used
by dentists always bubbles into globules
under a fusing heat. and the specimens
in questions are supposed to have been
in the hottest part of the ruined Guinness
home for twelve or more hours.
The mystery has reached a stage where
the determination of such facts is of
major Importance. The discovery of adj
ditional bodies is a remote possibility and
cadavers remaining unmarked is even
more distantly to be expected.
Deluged With Inquiries.
The authorities are being deluged with
inquiries concerning missing persons, but
with a few exceptions these communica-
tons are valueless. because OF the absence
of information as to malformations. den
tai work or other marks which might give
clue to the identity Of the crumbling
skeletons which are listed as totally un-
known.
Most of these remnants of humanity
have been under ground for years. a cir
cumStance which has not been taken into
consideration by a majority Of the volun-
teer correspondents of Sheriff Shutter.
Coroner Mack and the other oficials in
terested
Many of the letters reveal pitiful stories
of anxious parents, brothers. sisters, hus-
bands or wives who have waited long
months or years for word from their loved
ones. but they also show that in an as
tonishing number of cases the habits.
characteristics or physical peculiarities of
the missing persons have been either I'M
known or forgotten. In the presence OF
these circumstances the authorities at
Laporte are pOWerless to give the aid
sought or to satisfy the demands of their
official consciences.
Unsolved Problems.
Yesterdays developments did little to
elucidate the unsolved problems arising
from the corpse-sown farm. The letter
from Cleveland concerning the attempts
Of an accomplice of Mrs. Guinness to
draw another victim into her net served
to strengthen the idea that the woman
was the center of a system for numbering
and fleeing those persons who followed
the trails of bait which led to the barn
yard cemetery on the place. Outside
of this there was nothing Of great i'm
portance.
The attorneys for the defense are said
to be looking for David Ravens. who. It 10
reported, aided in uncovering the bodies
of the persons whom Lamphere Is &C.
cused of numbering According to the
information current here they claim that
Havens was declared an undesirable citi
zen by Sheriff Shutter and ordered away
from Laporte shortly after the fire.
The attorneys also claim that Ravens
has declared that when the bodies were
found in the cellar OF the Guinness home
April % that they were lying on the
floor and that there was no debris under
them
Lamphere's Attorneys Busy.
They assert that testimony to this effect
at the trial will do much to clear their
client of the charges against him. arguing
that the circumstances show that the
bodies had been placed In the cellar
previous to the beginning of the fire
which destroyed the farmhouse.
The testimony of other men who helped
Sheriff Shutter uncover the corpses and
of the sheriff himself Is against this sup
position in addition the findings Of the
physicians who examined the corpses es-
tablished the fact that the persons burned
were clothed in night robes. and that
remains of bedding and mattresses were
also present II Ravens when found
substantiates the claims of the defense
an interesting conflict OF testimony Is
likely to follow.