Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-05-12
ELEVEN VICTIMS DIE
IN BIG MURDER PLOT
Finding of Five BODIES in Yard
Reveals Mysterious Whole
sale Killings.
WOMAN is BLAMED AS CHEF.
Death of Herself and Children in
Incendiary Fire Only Adds
to the Puzzle.

Wholesale murder-murder more
ruthlessly rremeditated and diabolical-
" executed than the famous Holmes
castle crimes in Chicago revealed
at Laporte, ind, Tuesday when five
mutilated bodies were dug up in the
back yard of the home of Mrs. Bella
Guinness. who, together with her three
children, are supposed to have met
death when their house burned one
week before.
Eleven persons already have a place
on the list o. known or probably slain,
and circumstances point to Mrs. Gun
ness as the arch-conspirator in at least
seven of the crimes. Until this time it
had been accepted as true that she and
her three children had met death in the
fire that destroyed their home. but now
the suspicion arises that the bodies that
were found in the smoldering ruins
were brought from SINE hospital or
medical school for the purpose of Gre
ating the belief that Mrs. Guinness and
her family had passed from existence.
List of known Victims.
The eleven victims SO far known to
figure in the tragedy We're:
Helgelein. Andrew. 40 years old. bach
elor, Aberdeen, S. D.. sutton for Mrs.
Guinness hand. who came to Laporte in
January and disappeared one month later
of Loo he
dug up to-day.
Guinness, Jennie Olson. 16 years old,
adopted daughter of Mrs. Guinness: disap-
peared in September, 1906 ostensibly TO
attend school at Los Angeles; body dug
up to-day.
Unidentified man, believed by Sheriff
Smulzer to have been an admirer of the
woman.
Unidentified boy, apparently years
old; mutilated body in gunnysack.
Unidentified girl, about years old;
mutilated body in gunnysack.
Guinness, Joseph. husband of Mrs. Gun
ness, whose death at Laporte four years
ago had always remained a mystery.
Sorenson. MAIDS womans first hus-
band, who died under mysterious circum-
stances in Chicago eight years ago.
Guinness, Mrs Bella, believed to have
been burned to death in fire which de-
stroyed her home.
Sorenson. Myrtle. II years old, eldest
daughter of Mrs. Guinness; thought to
have persisted in the fire.
Sorenson, Lucy, . years old, another
daughter; also believed to have been a
victim of the fire.
Guinness, Philip, > years old, youngest
child said to have been killed in the fire.
In the arrest of Ray Lallphere, a
former servant of the woTaan, Sheriff
Smulzer believes, some light may be
thrown upon the circumstances sur
rounding the deaths of at least some
of the eleven victims.
Lamphere before the fire had trouble
with Mrs. Guinness. lie had declared
about town she was trying to "get rid
of him because he knew too much. He
also is said to have been seen wearing
an overcoat belonging to Helgelein, and
to Sheriff SmulZer and Coroner Mack
he has told several conflicting stories
concerning his relations with the wom-
an and his presence in the neighbor-
hood of the Guinness home the night it
burned.
The discovery of the bodies led ex-
pressmen to tell Of the delivery of five
trunks to the Guinness farm during the
last six months. This fact has caused
the authorities 10 incline to the theory
that the place may have been a clear
ing house" for murders. They suspect
that wealthy persons. after being lured
to Chicago and killed, may have been
packed into these trunks, sent to La
porte and disposed of there. Lamphere
in his cell declared Mrs. Guinness fire.
quently asked him to buy poison for
her She wanted chloroform, ne said.
Four of the bodies were found buried
in a refuse pile about 100 feet from the
house. while Helgelein's body was dug
up within few feet of the ruined
home 1t is the opinion of Coroner
Mack and physicians who examined the
bodies that they were burned after
death. Helgelein was easily identified
by his brother, although the remains
had been badly mutilated. The body
Of the other man shows a red mustache-
The discovery of the bodies primarily
was due to the efforts of Ask n. Hedge
lein. of Mansfield, S. D., brother OF
Andrew Helgelein. The former had
known of his brothers correspondence
with Mrs Guinness and of the latters
trip to Laporte. When Ask Helgelein
arrived in Larorte he demanded a thor
ough search of the Guinness premises.
Two weeks eg3 he had been Informed
in a letter written by Mrs. Guinness
that his brother had gone to Norway.
Mrs. Arthur OIanGer. 2S1S South
Park avenue. Chicago. sister of Jennie
Olson Guinness. also spent two days in
Laporte following the fire searching the
ruins in quest of the girl The theory
now is advanced that Jennie knew too
much concerning the death ef Mrs. Gun
ness second husband. who succumbed
to wounds received from meat chop
per four years ago.
INTERESTING NEWS ITEMS.
An ice cream factory is the latest ad-