Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-08
LAPORTE MYSTERY GROWS
Skeletons Unearthed Two Deep
From Shallow Trenches.
CROWDS WATCH THE DIGGERS
Of the Remains of Twelve Bodies
Found Only Three Have Been
Positively Identified.

Guinness farm today, two in a shallow
grave near the spot where three of the
four bodies were exumed Wednesday and
another In. the yard of the house. The
first to be turned up is undoubtedly that
of a grown male, and the second is be-
lieved to be that of a woman.
The rain having ceased, the diggers
were put to work at an early hour. A
soft spot under pile of refuse was Sc
lected as the most promising place to be-
gin operations. The digger had not long
been at his task when he turned up a
spadeful of bones, and before O'Clock
the body-the skeleton of full-grown
male-had been entirely exposed.
The bones of the skeleton We're scat
tered. but were In a good state of preser-
| vation. 1t is believed that the body was
put under ground about two years ago.
Two in a Grave.
The second skeleton was found directly
underneath the first. with an intervening
space of earth. 1t is because the bones
are much smaller that they are thought
to be those Of q woman. The skeleton
also was not in an articulated state, the
tools Of the diggers probably having to
do with the breaking and scattering Of
the smaller bones.
The news that digging operations were
to be resumed today attracted large
crowd. AS early as Z o'clock this morning
buggies, hacks. wagons and all sorts Of
conveyances started for the farm. and by
S o'clock the crowd numbered more than
thousand.
Farmers from the surrounding country.
merchants, clerks and townspeOple of ad-
Jacent towns and villages and visitors
from far-away cities made up the crowd
that watched the diggers.
That more bodies will be found today
IL confidently believed. This opinion Is
expressed by the authorities, and excite
ment is again approaching the feverish
spot.
A Message From Providence.
One of the outside communications
which attracted attention came from
Providence, r. 1. A message from the
eastern city said that one of the VIC
Tins Of the death farm may have been
from that city. Confirmation of this is
not obtainable, but in the present state of
development Of evidence 1t is given some
consideration.
What the inquiries of Prosecutor r. n.
Lamphere with the crimes will develop
is exciting interest. Deputy Sheriff Roy
Marr, who is aiding the state attorney
in this line of work. claims that he will
today produce witnesses to strengthen
the testimony of Louis Roule Bessie Wal
lace and Nettie Shoemaker, who yester-
day told the authorities that Lamphere
had asserted that he knew enough con-
corning Mrs. Guinness to convict her Of
serious crimes, and had threatened to
reveal this evidence in revenge for her
prosecutions Of him. One of these new
witnesses. it Is said, took part In the con-
versation between Roule and Lamphere,
and. 1t IL further reported. is Of unques-
toned integrity and standing in the COM
munfty.
Only Three Identified.
With the finding of more bodies on the
Guinness farm today fresh mysteries con-
front the authorities Thus far only three
Of the twelve bodies have been identified.
The known victims are:
Jennie Olsen. the sixteen-year-old foster
daughter of Mrs. Guinness
Andrew Helgelein of Mansfield, 8. D.,
and Ole o. Budsberg OF lola. Wis.
Despite the searching Investigations of
the sheriff and states attorney, there is
as yet almost no clew to the identity of
by. the fact that the bodies have been in
the ground for long time.
That the PinkertoD operatives who were
brought into the affair yesterday may be
hope of Sheriff Smutzer and Prosecutor
Smith. The outsiders are in charge of
c. J. Smith, and he is said to have four
assistants
Two of these. it is said. have been de-
tailed to search neighboring farms for
information regarding Mrs. Guinness es-
tablishment. The others are working un-
der the direction Of the sheriff.
The woman frequently changed her sig
nature sometimes signing Guinness" and
often writing 1t Guinness" The gener-
ally accepted spelling of the name how
ever. In Laporte, Is Guinness"
Man From Chicago Disappeared.
1t became public today that Roy Lamp
here made a statement to Mayor barrow.
who is the partner of Lamphere's attor-
ney. a day or two ago. that a man from
Chicago. whose name he did not know
came to the Guinness farm several months
ago and remained there for several days
He disappeared suddenly, leaving a trunk
and a few belongings behind.
Upon Lamphere's questioning Mrs. GUM
ness as to what had become of her visitor
she replied that he had gone south for his
health and that probably he would not
return. She ordered Lamphere to carry
the trunk and Other enectS OF the Strang-
! er to an upper story of the farmhouse.
Nothing was ever heard of this person
| after he left the Guinness place. and he is
| supposed to have met the same fate as
| those whose bodies are now being dug
1 up at the Guinness farm.
The Search at Austin.
| The local police decided today that they
| will not dig up the premises occupied by
Mrs. Guinness in the suburb of Austin un-
| til they have received some further proof
! that crimes were committed while she
| lived there. There Is at present no evi-
| dence In that direction.
One Of the Come-On Letters.
| MILWAUKEE. May S.-A special from
Waupaca, Wis. says that a letter which
Carl Petersen of Waupaca received from
Mrs. Belle Guinness OF Laporte has been
translated from Norwegian into English
Following is practically the correct SUBJ
| stance:
| .'cari Petersen. Waupaea. Wis.