Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-05-15


cellent condition as if the man had died
Yesterday. Furthermore, the dlsmember
ment was not done by any carpenter. 1t
was tie work of an expert anatom1st.
The arms and legs are severed with
clean straight cuts. The shoulder joints
were disarticulated by somebody familiar
with such work, as there is not, in my
opinion, any probability that the body is
that of Helgelein, as it is in such shape
that positive Identification would be the
easiest thing in the world"
Negress Is Suspected.
Prosecuting Attorney Smith said today
in an effort to obtain a confession from
him. He further said that negress
named Lizzie Smith, who killed prom
inent attorney at Laporte, knows. in his
opinion, something of the murders at
the Guinness house.
Wants Bodies Removed.
John Larson of 992 Francisco avenue,
Chicago, % years of age, a nephew of
Mrs. Guinness, is here trying to arrange
to take the four bodies found in the ruins
of the fire to Chicago, which he believes
are the bodies of his aunt, Mrs. Belle
Guinness, and her children. Myrtle,
headless. The nephew made a desposi-
ton before the coroner, DR.. Charles S.
Mack, and a statement to the newspa
pers today which throws light upon the
life and past history of Mrs. Guinness.
He said: "My aunt was born in
Trondhjem, Norway, where she still has
sister and brother living Her maiden
name was Belle Paulsen. She was 4S
years old and came to this country
twenty-six years ago. My mother is her
sister.
'My aunt had a weakness for adopt
ing children. She was a queer woman
and there was estrangement in the fam
lily for about, fifteen years. My aunt
wanted to adopt my oldest sister, Is
years of age, but my father objected.
This caused the estrangement. She
adopted Jennie Olson when Jennie was
s months old. When first she met peo-
pie she was cordial. Later she would
appear Indifferent to them. She was
married at the age of "A to Max Soren-
supper. His wife had found him dead
in a room upstairs. This was in Austin,
ILL., There were rumors that Sorenson
was poisoned. I understand the body
was exhumed, but nothing was done
otherwise.
Got Insurance Money.
Her second husband was A. Guinness,
whose death was also unusual. A meat
cleaver fell on him in his home and
fatally injured him. In addition he was
scalded He died without making any
tin the house in which she lived was
burned. Later she lived at North Eliza-
beth street and Grand avenue. Chicago,
where she conducted a confectionery and
stationery store, but did not own the
building. That place, too, was burned
out and she got insurance money. There
was a report that that fire was started
by her."
Death of First Husband.
Relatives of Mrs. Guinness declare
that her first husband, a man named
Larson. died under mysterious circum-
stances when the couple lived in Chi
cago. 1t was said at the time that
death was due to heart failure, but
there was some talk of eXhuming the
body. This was not done, however.
La Porte first knew Mrs. Guinness in
1900 when she purchased the home of
Matte Attic. one of the most notorious
latter's death. She had two children,
and about a year later it was announced
that she was married to Guinness, the
ceremony having taken place at the
Guinness home in Wisconsin. Mrs.
Guinness declared that she met her sec
ond husband through matrimonial
agency. A great deal of money was
spent in improving the place in this part
of the state.
Men Become Jealous.
The life of Mrs. Guinness was ap-
parently uneventful last August when
Lamphere began working for her. He
was a handy man around the farm and
did much rough carpenter work. Then
Andrew Helgelein, the North Dakota
bachelor. came to the farm and jealousy
sprang up between Lamphere and Hell
IN I M nh
from the place.
Lamphere renewed his attentions to
Mrs. Guinness, and she had him arrested
for alleged trespass and he was fined.
More trouble followed. Helgelein mys-
teriously disappeared in February, and
it was on account of this that Lam
phere, it is said, thought that he had
some chance of gaining place in the
household. The fatal fire occurred on
April 81, after Mrs. Guinness had de-
posted her will in a safety deposit vault
in the city bank. She deposited some
thing like $1,000 in currency.
Four Bodies Found.
An examination Of the debris disclosed
the finding of a woman's body, supposed
to have been that of Mrs. Guinness, and
those of her daughters, Myrtle Sorenson,
IL years old; Lucy Sorenson, years
old. and their half brother, Philip GUM
y
arrested on the charge of setting fire to
the home and causing the death Of the
family.
Lamphere made the first statement since
his arrest to newspapermen last night.
The discovery had not been disclosed to
him when he was brought into the pres
ence of the reporters,
give bodies," he gasped, five bodies?
That woman / knew that she was
bad, but that's awful"
Lamphere Is Suspicious.
Chewing tobacco nervously, he listened
to detailed account of the description
of the bodies.
81 don't know anything about it, he
insisted for a time. Il always suspect
ed that she killed Helgelein, and now |
am sure of it. AS for the others, l
don't know anything beyond what | sus-
pect. Things that know look different
to me now, and it may be. that things |
noticed were more serious than
thoucht thew were.