The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-01-15
Negress Aided in Chloroforming Mrs. GUINNESS
and Children, Setting Fire to the House
===Saw Mrs. GUINNESS Murder a Man

Chicago, Jan l5.-The Chicago Tri.
ine prints the following this morn.
g under a Mount Pleasant, Iowa,
date:
The Rev. DR. z. A Schell. president
OF Iowa Wesleyan university, broke
his long silence today and gave to the
Chicago Tribune the confession OF
Ray Lamphere, made to him In the
county jail at LaPorte, Ind, in April,
1908
DR.. Schell authorized the publication
of the confession and described how it
was given TO him. When seen by Il
representative OF the paper In his Of
flee AZ Iowa Wesleyan University he
dictated the following statement of
his reasons for making public the Con.
fession:
I'm view of the conflicting reports
which continue to keep alive interest
in the Guinness case and the inter
Togations which must continually
arise In tho minds OF sorTowlng
friends and realizing that the princi-
pal facts already are made public, I
have concluded to relieve myself of
further responsibility by communicate
ing 10 tho public, through the Chicago
Tribune. the details OF my three con-
yersations with the late Ray Lamp
here in the jail at Laporte. the state
ments he made to me, and the circum-
stances under which they were made
Here follows tho story OF Dr.Schell's
visits TO Lamphere after which the
statement continues:
Il promised not 10 tell tho prosecut-
Ing attorney and. after some two hours
OF general conversation about Mrs.
Gunness. he told me the story of the
night as follows:
I had been intimate with Mrs.
Guinness from June, 1907, while as
carpenter and man OF all work I WAS
around the house. Three times. at
her request 1 purchased chloroform
and once | dug hole In the hog lot
for her and helped her put In the
body Of some one who she said had
died suddenly about the house, and
she thought the easiest way was To
cover him up and say nothing about
81
"Lamphero went on TO say that he
had no suspicious OF Mrs. Guinness
having murdered any one until one
night when he returned suddenly
from Michigan City and, having bored
some holes through wall. saw her
administer some chloroform to a man
and hit bin In the back OF the head
with a hatchet He then said that he
had taken money from Mrs. Guinness
several times, making her dig up or
he would tell on her. Once she gave
him $50; at another time $l5 and
again S5 He then would go to the
saloons and. when he was sober once
more. he would find the money all
gone On Sunday night. after he and
q negreSs he mentioned, had been
drinking, about II o'clock the two
went together 10 the Guinness house.
letting themselves in by key which
he had and going quietly so as not TO
disturb another hired man, who was In
the house With some of the chloro-
form which he had purchased for Mrs.
Guinness before Helgelein disappeared,
and part Of which he put into another
bottle. the two gave Mrs. Guinness
some chloroform, holding it under her
nose Ubtil she became quiet The lit.
tie boy was in bed with her. They
then gave some u the two children.
who were In bed in another room
81 asked him to explain how all were
together whom found. He said he did
moi know. that he was pretty drunk.
but that was the way he remembered
It.
They then searched the house for
the large sum OF money which they
felt sure was hidden in the house, but
found only a small amount He did
not set the house on fire, though he
said he was not certain that the ne
gress did not do It, for she was as
drunk as he. He stoutly protested
that he did not arrange a candle so
that II would burn down and later
set FIRE TO the place, that he had moth
Ing in his mind more than to get
money enough TO have a big time
with
He and the negress left the house
together and at certain point in the
rond she went home and he went run
ming away. greatly afraid because he
saw the house burning.
Il advised him to tell the story TO
the prosecuting attorney and save the
county the cost OF the trial. and his
sisters the expense of defending him.
] told hIm would see Attorney Smith
and ask him TO be easy on him and
allow aim to consult with lawyer be-
lOlt a ill'd vi kull'y WIS b'NN
Smith almost Immediately after leav-
ing The jail and told him Lamphere
was golng TO confess.
81 advised him TO arrest the ne
gress. but he attached no importance
TO II and urged him to let Lamphcre
have "A lawyer. He asked me II Lamp
here had confessed and l made an
cvasive answer"