Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-11
Of Sightseers Flock to
Indiana Death Farm.
Search For Bodies Of Victims
10 Be Resumed Today.
Expert Miner Will sift Ashes Of
Burned Guinness Home.

LIE Porte county today led to the farm
of Mrs. Belle Guinness, alleged muir
derer Of at least 10 persons whose Dou-
les have been unearthed in the barn
yard and now thought to have been
burned to death with her three chill
dren in a fire that destroyed her farm
house on April 2S- Upwards Of 1a0Oo
sightseers visited the place before sun
set of the first Sabbath to pass since
the news of the mystery. Nearly every
alcoholics resident of La Porte went
to the farm, and railroads and trolley
lines brought about 1900 non-resldents
to the city.
Mayor barrow found it necessary to
issue stringent orders that the Sunday
closing laws be strictly enforced. Ho-
tells and restaurants were over
run with patrons. Every conveyance in
La Porte was pressed into service i'll
an attempt to provide transportation
to the farm, which is a mile north of
La Porte.
Hundreds, however, We're forced to
walk. Nearby villages reached by cleo
trio railways went almost deserted to-
day while citizens fastened to La Porte
had no difficulty in finding their way to
the death farm. The constant stream
of carriages, cabs, omnibuses, automo-
biles, motor cycles, bicycles and farm
wagons afforded unmistakeable direc-
lions to those compelled to walk. There
was nothing in the attitude of the
crowd at the farm to indicate that they
were visiting a place where grewsome
tragedies had taken place. Jokes ana
laughter were heard on every side ami
EXPLANATIONS of joy from successful
relic hunters were numerous. Tamlly
picnic parties grouped themselves on
the slipping lawn under the fine pines
and cedars which dot the dooryard or
found resting places beneath the flow
ering apple and plum trees of the or
chard. Children We're numerous and
many groups had a baby cab as
nucleus.
Along the roadside were several lem
onade stands and lunch wagons. At the
gates were vendors of souvenir
postal cards and those bearing a group
picture of Mrs. Guinness and the three
little ones who met death with hc1
found ready sale. During the rush tc
La Porte in the afternoon, several farm
horses, frightened by automobiles
started to run away A buggy was up
set and Mrs. Benjamin Zanelar of La
Porte suffered broken arm. Severa
pickpockets did thriving business
while the throngs waited for home
ward-bound trains. One saloon keeper
was arrested for opening his bar Of
Sunday.
Investigation of the farm for more
| bodies halted today. The sheriff ant
other officers were forced to become
spectators also. Several visitors. how
ever, We're seeking information con
corning missing friends or relatives ant
some further information regarding tht
positive identity of the victims of the
farm resulted from their inquiries. The
| most definite evidence came from Ola
Lindboe of Chicago. He said that hi
| brother Thomas worked for Mrs. GUM
| ness three years ago and that the las
| letter from Thomas said that Thomas
| intended to marry Mrs. Guinness. Ola
| wrote to Mrs. Guinness later and sh'
renlied that Thomas had gone to st
| Louis and that she had had no wore
| from him. Olaf Lindboe has not heart
of Thomas since. He viewed the un
| identified corpses but was unable t.
| find any likeness to his brother in TIN
bundles of bones and flesh. Sheriff
| Shutter will continue his investiga
| lions at the farm tomorrow. The frs
| object of search vii! be the heaps o
ashes and other refuse in the celia,
of the ruined house. The ashes an,
| cinders are to be carefully Sitted an;
then sluiced by d miner to discove
the gold filings which are said to hav
been in Mrs. Guinness teeth. The foo
of the cellar may also be dug up am
additional excavations may be made il
| the yard, where 10 cadavers have bee
unearthed.
| The report to the coroner of tn
| physicians who made the autopsies O
the bodies found in the cellar is no
expected for a day or two.
An anonymous letter dated Chica
go and received today by Mayor Oar
row said that the mystery of the farr
would be solved by the examination q
the water of a pond just east of tn
farm house. There, the writer sale
would be discovered the corpse of Mr.:
Guinness and the head of the bod
found in the basement of the burne
house. The letter concludes:
"Otner valuable information will b
forwarded as soon as the body