New-York tribune., 1908-05-06
MYSTERY IN MURDERS
FIVE BODIES FOUND.
Dug Up on Premises Where Woman
and Three Children Pe1shed.

La Porte Ind. May J-One Of the most shock
ing murder mysteries ever unearthed in this
part of the country came to light to-day, when
the bodies of five persons, all of them murdered,
were found in the yard OF the home of Mrs.
Bella Guinness who with three of her children,
was burned to death on the night of April -.
So far only two of the bodies have been identi-
fed. These are Andrew Helgeein. who came TO
this city from Aberdeen. 5. D, to marry Mrs,
Guinness. whose acquaintance he had made
through a matrimonial bureau. The other is
that of Jennie Olson Guinness, a Chicago girl.
who had been adopted by Mrs. Guinness. She
disappeared in September. 1906, and it was said
had gone to Los Angeles TO attend school The
other bodies were those of a man and two chill
dren. apparently twelve years old. SO many
bones missing that the sex Of the children
cannot be determined. The body of Helgeein
was dismembered and the arms. legs, trunk and
head were buried in different parts of the yard
1t is believed by the authorities that Guy
I.amphere. who has been under arrest since the
burning Of the Guinness home on the charge of
numbering II. Guinness and her family, COM
m:tted the Helgeein crime. Lamphere is A car
penter and the manner in which the body OF
Helgelein was dismembered leads to the belief
that it vas done by some familiar with the
use Of q saw.
Lamphere was told this evening of the dis
coverics.
LAMPHERE EXPRESSES HORROR.
My God. Five bodies, What wouldn't that
woman do" exclaimed Lamphere. who is await
ing grand jury action on charge of first de-
gree murder The dim lighting Of the cell in
which he has been confined since his arrest fol-
lowing the fatal fire revealed a spasm of hor-
ror. shaded with relief which crossed his
features.
4 always thought something was wrong out
there" he cried. when Sheriff Smutzer ques-
toned him. several people came to that farm
who never were sean to 60 away. one was d
man, BIG, with black hair and mustache Mrs.
Guinness told me he was Jennie Olson's sweet
heart He was around there about two years
ago Then one dav man and woman drove up
with a baby. They went away without il. Now,
that's all ! know about II. but ! guess there
must have been others I amt sure just when
that big there
Despite the incohercncy of Lamphere's state
ments the Sheriff thinks that a long step has
been made toward clearing up the case. The
fact that Lamphore knew Of the comngs and
goings Of persons about the Guinness farm at
least a year before he went to work for the dead
woman is being held i'm reserve by Sheriff
Smutzer and Ralph NJ. Smith. the Prosecuting
Attorney for the % Judicial District They hint
that they have other facts with which to con-
front The prisoner but may not reveal them
until the grand jury has heard the case next
week
LENT MONEY To MRS. GUINNESS.
1t Is known that HeIgelein had lent $500 to
Mrs Guinness. and that he had another $500
in his possession just before his death. 1t is
considered probable that he was killed by Mrs.
Guinness or by I.amphere. or by both of them. i'm
order to procure the cash he had and to avoid
the necessity Of repaying the loan he had made.
Ismphere. against whom strong case Of cir
cumstantiaI evidence exists in connection with
the burning OF the Guinness home and the death
Of Mrs. Guinness and her three children denies
all knowledge Of the bodies found to-day He
has said. however. on other occasions. that Mrs
Guinness was anxious to send him to an insane
asyIum because of his knowledge Of her career
II was current gossip, however. that Lamphere
vas fnsanely jealous Of Mrs Guinness ana "t
tIeIoeIain. and il is well known that the woman
stood greatly in fear OF him and had asked for
police protection
The search bv which the bodies were found
to-day vas insttgated by John Helgelein. the
brother of Andrew who has always believed
that his brother murdered and that he had
never gone 10 Norway.-as asserted by Mrs Gun
ness and Lamphere He noticed some recently
,,n-urr7ed earth in the yard. and suggested 10
sheriff Shutter that an excavation he made TO
500 II his brothers body could not be found Ii
was dug up after brief search
HIRED MAN DUG HOLES.
While questioning Joseph MaXson. hired /
man on the Guinness farm. John Helgelein /
learned Of the mysterious digging Of holes by !
min, all Of them being filled at a later day by
Mrs Guinness The bodies were only four feet /.
,rder ground and were enclosed in a gunny /
sack
The discovery Of the bodies led expressnen % .
er of the delivery of five trunks to the Guinness
,arr, in the last six months and this fact mas /
.aueed the authorities to work On the theory !
hat rbe pIace was 4 clearing house for muir
,erers They suspect that wealthy persons. after
,einp Irred 10 Chicago and killed. were packed
e., these trunks and sent to Laporte and dis
,osed of
The developmerts of today also caused the
u+bortries to recall that the two husbands OF
FRS Guinness died under suspicious circum-
tances both meeting violent deaths. The first
fay Sorensen. was insured for $500. and the
ecopd Guinness. for $500. This insurance was
aid over TO Mrs. Guinness by the companies.
Tax Sorensen the first husband died several
aare ago while the family lived at Austin. III.
lis death was said to have been due to heart
isease but relatives said he had been poisoned.
N inouest was ordered some time after the