The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-05-07

ago.
Guinness, Mrs. Belle. believed to
have been burned to death in fire
which destroyed her home one week
ago.
Sorenson, Myrtle, IL years old, cid.
est daughter OF Mrs Guinness thought
TO have pershed in the fire.
Sorenson. Lucy 8 years old. anoth-
err daughter; also believed TO have
been O victim of the fire.
Guinness. Philip. 6 years old. young
est child; said TO have been killed in
the FIRE
Laporte, Ind, May 6.-With i've
bodies already unearthed. Sheriff
Shutter and Coroner Mack continued
their search Wednesday for other al
legged victims Of Mrs. Belle Guinness,
who, from all indications, was one OF
the most fiendish murderesses of the
century, and who was recently killed
with her three children through the
burning of her country home, one
mile northeast of Laporte.
OF the bodies SO far unearthed, two
have been identified. They are those
of Andrew Heldgren, a wealthy
bachelor of Aberdeen, S. D., and Jen-
ME Olson, 11-year-old stepdaughter OF
Mrs. Guinness, The other three bodies
are SO badly decomposed as to make
Identification impossible.
How the Bodies Were Discovered.
The discovery of the bodies was
brought about by the appearance of
John Heldgren of Aberdeen, s. D.,
brother of Andrew Heldgren, in La
porte in search for the missing man.
With information that his brother An
drew had come to Laporte to wed
Mrs. Guinness and that he had turned
over his property TO her, he became
convinced that he had been made the
victim of foul play.
While questioning Joseph Maxson,
hired hand on the Guinness farm, he
learned of the mysterious digging of
holes by him, all of them being filled
at later date by Mrs. Guinness. He
led Heldgren and the officers to the
place where the holes had been dug,
about $50 feet from the house, and
there, after digging a few minutes,
was uncovered the body of Heldgren.
The remains were only four feet under
ground and were inclosed in gunny
sack. The legs and arms had been
dismembered, but were with the
trunk.
About IS feet further on the four
other bodies were wound. Lying on
top of mattress were the skeletons
or two men and a woman. Under
meath the mattress was the body of an
1l-year-old girl, said TO be Jennie Oh
son. All the bodies were taken In
charge by the coroner and are now
locked in box on the farm.
Clearinghouse for Murderers?
The discovery OF the bodies led ex.
pressmen to tell OF the delivery of
five trunks to the Guinness farm dur
ing the last six months, and this fact
has caused the authorities to work on
the theory that the place was a
clearingho' Cor murderers. They
49, aet J,sa.ltsy persoas, after
being lured 10 Chicago and killed,
were packed in these trunks and
sent to Laporte and disposed of.
The developments of Tuesday also
the authorities to recall that
the two husbands of Mrs. Guinness
died under suspicious circumstances,
both meeting violent deaths. The
first, Edward Sorenson, was insured
for $500, and the second, Guinness,
for $500. This insurance was paid
over to Mrs. Guinness by the compa.
mics.
Ray Lamphere, the former hired
man OF Mrs. Guinness, who was arrest
ed after the woman's home had been
destroyed by fire and the bodies of
Mrs. Guinness and her three children
had been found in the ruins, was
charged with numbering the family.
He now win be accused OF being an
aecomplice of Mrs. Guinness in the
numbering of the alleged victims of
the >Laporte woman. 1t is believed
that Lamphere, angered because Mrs
Guinness refused TO keep him sup.
piled with money, killed her and the
children out Of revenge and then fred
the house TO cover the crime.
Looks Bad for Lamphere.
1t developed Tuesday night that
Lamphere had been seen wearing a
fur oyereoat answering the descrip-
ton OF one belonging to Andrew Held
gren, several times during the month
OF February. Mrs. Guinness also wore
the coat on several occasions, and
when asked concerning It stated that
IL had been given to her by an ad.
mirer. Lamphere is also said to have
entered barber shop in Laporte dur
ing the South Dakota mans visit in
Laporte with a revolver in his posses.
sion with which he said he could not
part as he might have use for IL be-
fore long" The revolver, 1t is de.
clared, was afterward identified as be-
longing to Heldgren.
That Lamphere knew Heldgren had
been slain is now believed a certain.
~. During the time he was prosecut.
cd by Mrs. Guinness for trespass he
told the police he knew something
that Mrs Guinness wanted him TO for.
get. He would not divulge what he
knew, stating that justice would be