Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-05-06
MURDER MYSTERIES.

A dispatch from Lsporte, Iod., says
one OF the most grewsome murder mys-
ieries ever unearlhe1 in that seclion Of
the country came to light yesterday,
when the bodies of FIVE persons, all of
them murdered, were found in the yard
of The home of Mrs. Belle 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 identified. These are Andrew
Heldgren, who vent to Laporte from
Aberdeen, g. D., for the purpose Of
marrying Mrs. Guinness, whose acqusiu.
tance had been made through natri-
mOnial bureau. The other is that oi
Jennie Olsoa Guuness, q 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
we're those of two men and woman.
None Of them has been as yet identified.
The body of Heldgren Was dismem-
bered and the arms, legs, trunk and
head were buried iu different parts Of
the yard.
L; is believed by the authorities that
Guy Lsmphere, who has been under ar
rest since the burning of the Guinness
home, on the charge of numbering Mrs.
Guinness and her family, committed the
Heldsren crime.
In some quarters ii is believed that
Mrs. Guinness may have known some
thing of the murders of the FIVE people,
as it is not considered likely that 30
many could have been buried 10 her
yard without her, at sometime, becoming
familiar with The fact. There have been
rumors that Jennie Cson GUINNESS had
knowledge of the manner in which the
rst husbsnd of Mrs. Guinness cSme to
his death in Chicago.
1t i. known that Heldgren had loaned
Isl, 500 10 Mrs. Guinness and that he had
another 81 500 in his possession just
prior to his death. It's considered prob
able that he wss killed by Mrs. GunnCs.
or by Lsmpbere, or by both of them,
iu order TO procure the cash he bad and
20 avoid the necessity of paying the loan
he had made.
Lsmphere, against whom strong case
of circumstaniial evidence exists iD con-
uection with the burning of the Gun
ness home and the death of Mrs. Gun
ness and her children, denied all knowl-
edge of the bodies found yesterday. He
has said, however, on other occasions
that Mrs. Guinness was anxious to send
him to an insane asylum because OF his
knowledge Of her career.
The developments OF yesterday also
caused The authorities to recall that the
two husbands Of Mrs. Guinness died
under suspicious circumstances, both
meeting violent deaths. The first, MaG
Sorreuson, was insured for $8, 500, and
he second, Guinness, for SO, 500. This
insurance was paid over 10 Mrs. Gun.
ness by the companies. Sorrepson, the
ret husband, died several years ago,
while the fsmily lived at Austin, Ill.
h death was said to haze been due TO
heart disease, but relatives claimed that
he had been poisoned.
While a resident of Austin the home of
Mrs G unntss was burned, md although
some question as 10 the origin OF the fire
arcsa the insurance was collected.
1t appears that Andrew Heldgren be-
came acquainted with Mrs. Guinness
through a matrimonial fgency. At that
time Heldgrep spent almost month vis-
iting Mrs. Guinness and others in Laporte.
He was supposed TO have started on a
trip TO Norway and Sweden. He has
never been heard OF since.
At that time Mrs. GUINNESS was irving
to make loan from local bank. When
Heldgren learned Of that he offered 10
lend her money. Early in January
she borrowed 81, 500 from him. just be-
fore that Htldgren bad drawn trCm
Aberdeen though lnrsl bank. So 600.
La Pore, Iud., May GA sixth
body was discovered on Guntss farm III
morning. This makes six in all.
Rodol completely diee IS all classes Of frod.