The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-11
THOUSANDS VISIT THE GUINNESS FARM Relic Hunters Predcminate the
 Curious Crowd ALL WORK IS SUSPENDED The Officers, However, Get Fresh Ev- dence As to Identity of a Pos sible Victim of Mrs. Belle
 Guinness.
ALL WORK IS SUSPENDED

La Porte, Ind, May 10.--All roads in La Porte county today led to the farm of Mrs. Guinness, allged murderess of at least 10 persons whose bodies have been unearthed in the barnyard and now thought to have burned to death with her three children in fire that destroyed her farm house on April 2s. Upwards of 15O00 sightseers visited the place of the death before sunset of the first Sabbath to pass since news of the mystery transpired.
 Nearly every ablebodied resident of La Porte went to the Gunness farm and railroads and trolley lines brought about 40OO non-residents to the city
 Mayor Darrow found it necessary to issue stringent orders that the Sunday closing laws should be strictly en- forced. Restaurants were overrun witt patrons. Every conveyance in La Porte was pressed into servoce in an attempt to transport the people in the farm, which is mile north of La Porte. Hundreds, however, were forced to walk.
 There was nothing in the attitude Of the crowd to indicate that they were visiting a place where gruesome trage- dies had taken place. Jokes and laugh ing comments were heard on every side and exclama tions of joy from suc- cessful relic hunters were numerous.
 Along the roadside were several lemonade stands and lunch wagons. At the gates were vendors of souvenir postal cards, and those bearing group picture of Mrs. Guinness and the three little ones who met death with her, found readiest sale.
 Investigation of the farm for more
 bodies halted today. The sheriffs and other officers were forced to become spectators also. Several visitors, how ever were seeking information con corning missing friends or relatives; and some further information regard ing the possible identity of the vic tims of the farm resulted from their inquiries.
 The most definite information came from Olaf Lindboe of Chicago He said that his brother, Thomas, worked for Mrs Guinness three years ago and that the last letter from Thomas said that
 he intended to marry Mrs. Guinness. Olaf wrote to Mrs. Guinness later and she re- piled that Thomas had gone to St. Louis
 and that she had had no word from
 him. Olaf Lindboe has not heard of | Thomas since.
 | Sheriff Smutzer will continue his in- | vestigation at the Gunness farm tomor- | row, when the floor of the cellar may l also be dug and additional excavations may be made in the yard. where ten ca davers have been unearthed.
 ha fn fha of fba ,l1y. sicians who made the autopsies on the bodies found in. the cellar is not ex- pected for a day or two. All four ex- amining physicians, Dr. H. H. Long, Dr.
 J. H. William Meyer pr. J. T. Gray and Dr. F. T. Wilcox, said today that they are ready to return their findings to the coroner. Dr. c. S. Mack That off
 cial however has not yet indicated to them whether he desires joint report on all four of the bodies or individual reports l on each. He stated today that he de- | sires to close up the inquest concern | ing the bodies because he feels that addi- | tional evidence regarding them may yet l be discovered.
 Mayor Lemuel Darrow, law partner of | H. M Worden, who is defending Ray Lamphere, today said that the defense
 would investigate the Pine Lake ceme- tery, an old burial ground about mile
 from the Guinness farm. It is the theory of the defense that Mrs. Guinness killed her children placed the body of a large woman near them, set fire to the house to cover up her crime, and then fled. 
 Chicago, May 10-A conference will be held tomorrow between Assistant Chief of Police Schuetler and Coroner Huffman to decide whether to dig up the yard and cellar of the residence in Austin, formerly occupied by Mrs. Guinness, in search of remains of possible victims. As to the possibility of the woman being still alive the police official said tonight that in the past three days he had received 26 letters from persons who declare that they are positive they have seen Mrs. Guinness since her reported death