Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-15

Mount Pleasant. Jan. 15.-The Rev.
pr. Il. A Schell president of Iowa
Wesleyan University. broke his long
| silence today and gave the confession
of Ray Lamphere. made 10 him In the
county jail Mt Laporte, Ind. in April,
| 1908.
Tho confession, which hitherto has
been held as a privileged communica-
ton by the minister was given with
all the detail of the three conversations
in which Lamphere laid bare the Sc
crets of the Guinness charnel house.
| 1t describes the killing of Mrs. Belle
Guinness and the three children who
| perished in the burning OF the Guinness
house. Lamphere admitted killing the
four persons. but denied setting fire TO
| the house.
| Lamphere's confession duplicates a
negress as an accomplice. n descrip-
ton is given OF the killing OF Andrew
Hegelein. which Lamphere says he Wit
messed. He assisted In the burying OF
the bodies of two other men.
/ Minister Authorizes Publication.
DR. Schell authorized the publication
of the confession and described how 1t
was given To him. When seen in his
| office al the Iowa Wesleyan University
| he dictated the following statement OF
| his reason for making public the con-
| fession:
In view of the conflicting reports
j which continue to keep alive interest
In the Guinness case and the interroga-
tions which must continually arise in
4 the minds of sorrowing friends and
recognizing that the principal facts are
already made public. / have concluded
to relieve myself of further responsi-
bility by communicating to the public
the details of my three conversations
with the late Ray Lamphere In the Jail
at Laporte, the statements he made 10
me. and the circumstances under which
they were made"
SchclFs Story of Confession.
The following is DIR. Schelrs state
ment of the confession. written several
months after his conversations with
Lamphere:
In April. 1908. 1t was reported to me
on the next to the last Monday morn
ing that the Guinness house had been
burned and with 1t three children who
mad been attending my Sunday school
a bright, winsome lad years old and
TWO girls perhaps and 8. 4 had seen
the children driving around in a pony
cart the previous fall and several times
noticed the boy In the infant class
At the suggestion of j. p. Rupel tho
Sunday school superintendent. we ar
ranged brief memorial service for
Sunday school the following Sunday
nlprDinp hn,,f la
Ray Lamphere was arrested. being ac
cused of arson, and confined in the Ia
porte jail On Friday. mt the suggest
ion of Prosecuting Attorney smith and
understanding that IL was Lamphere,s
wish. ! called at the jail 10 counsel
with him aud perhaps to receive his
confessoon
Finds lampherc Aatated.
II found him aisitated In the extreme.
beads of perspration were on his
brow, his hands twitched. nd his nery-
BUSINESS was plainly noticeable. 1
stated that | had come to see him.
FEELING that a conversation with some
one might relieve his feelings and holm
hin 10 caimness He said that he sup
posed they would hang him but that
! ne was innocent of murder
lie denied that he had set the
house on fire and related to me how he
mad slept at the house of a negress
uhtll a. m. that morning. then he had
started Tor the home OF relatlye In
ne country, and IN passing By tho
GUINNESS home had seen that II was
hufnlng but being angry at Mrs. Gun
ness and no longer working for her no
hurried past He then said he reached
ms relatives place in the country
somo four miles farther. at about 4
, o'clock
Early after dinner of the same is,x
called again and told him ha.t
'S''r:e! he had not req chaa his ,..fs
, tive until until after o'clock th.,
morning He said that on thinkino Il,
r over he remembered that he went hac,e
, to bed after waking up, and thai tna
negress got his breakfast abmnt (
, o'clock a. m. and that he did NOT start
, 7as early as he thought as he remern
{ bered that the Lake Erie train went BY
{ just as he crossed the track north ~
the lake.
He also said that instead of going
directly by the house. as he had said
In the morning. he had taken the road
, farther east. and on the other side OF
the lake, and only saw the house at a
distance. / kindly accused him of
| falsehood and advised him IL he wanted
Q my sympathy, prayers, and help, to re-
Z main silent or tell the exact truth.
. Helped to Bury Victim.
81 promised not to tell the prosec,,f
ing attorney and after some two hours
OF general conversation about Mrs.
Guinness. he told me tho story of the
night as follows:
az I, N Mt Vx,tky,