Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-01-21

Ine SlnEICSa SdSRCOt " was Uc- Y
cIared he had confessed his par \
~ticipation in the crimes commit =
ted at the Murder farm" near \
\ La Porte, Ind. y
ST. Louis, Mo-, Jan. f5.-Ray Lam
phere, who died recently in the lndi-
ana ren:tsnt:sry at Michigan City,
while serving a life term for completely
in the murders on the farm Of Mrs.
Bella Guinness, near laport, Ind, did
not carry the secrets Of the Guinness
charnal farm to the tomb with him,
according to a copyrighted story in the
Post Dispatch today. When he be-
iieved death was near he confessed.
The confession was made to Rev. DR..
= +. A. Schell, formerly pastor of the La
Porte Methodist church, now president
of Iowa Wesleyan university at Mount
Pleasant, Ia, and held by him ~inviolate
as a secret of the confessional. The
Post-Dispatch says the Rev. Mr.. Schell
would verify, if he would consent to
break his silence, the confession it pub
fishes. The Post-Dispatch, however,
says the confession it publishes was
made to a man of unassailable charac-
ter.
Knew of Three Murders.
Lamphere, according to the confess
sion, had a guilty knowledge of the
murder Of three men in the Guinness
home during the time he lived there,
about eight months in 1907, and he as
sisted Mrs. Gunnes in disposing of the
bodies of the three men.
He said he thought he had not re-
ceived as much of the profits OF the
transactions as he considered himself
entitled to and that he went to the
farm house at night with a woman and
chloroformed Mrs. Guinness, her three
children and Jennie Olson. He and the
woman then searched the house, find
ing between $50 and $40.
The light they used was 2 candle and
they left the house without knowing
they had left behind a spark that soor
burst into flames.
Cut Of Victims Heads.
Mrs. Guinness method of killing her
victims, Lamphere said, was first to
Chloroform them as they slept, and then
If the drug did not of itself kill, she
severed the heads with an AK. Each
time a man was to be murdered, &C
cording TO Lamphere, she sent him to
purchase chloroform. Lamphere said
he saw one of the men killed, and aided
in burying all three. These men were
Andrew Helgelein and probably Ole
B%udsberg and Tonnes Peterson Lien.
Lien, Lamphere thought, was the
"a ~ Vi IA Ia
time of the Lamphere trial it was
thought Jennie Olson had been killed
by Mrs. Guinness. Lamphere, however,
details how Mrs. unnes had secreted
her in the house after she returned
from a visit, and she was chloroformed
by Lamphere and his accomplice.
Details Are Cold Blooded.
The confession says Mrs. Guinness in
formed Lamphere of the coming Of her
cousins. The first man to be killed was
from Minnesota. He never awoke from
his sleep in the Gunnes house. In the
darkness Lamphere was ordered by
Mrs. Guinness to dump a gunny sack
and it contents III d hole that had
been made by another farm hand for
rubbish.
Mrs. Gunness never told him what
become Of the man, but Lamphere re-
ceived money from Mrs. Guinness.
Within a month another man ar
rived. He wanted to know his rights
before paying off the mortgage on the
Guinness farm, and Mrs. Guinness took
him TO ST. Joseph, Mich, Lamphere
thought. where they were married. A
few nights after they came back there
was another burying. Lamphere re-
ceived money ono more from Mrs.
GUINNESS, and he said he became the
trusted ally of Mrs. Guinness.
South Dakota Victim.
Then Andrew Helgelein came from
South Dakota with a check for 1888. 20.
!. This was cashed and Helgelein was
given to understand he was nothing
more han 2 farm hand. Lamphere was
sent on an GRAND to Michigan City to
remain all night. He returned to the
Guinness home, and through a hole in
the floor heard Helgelein groan in dis
tress. He was begging Mrs. Guinness
to send for a doctor.
1t was choral she had given Helge-
lein, according to Lamphere. Present
ly Helgelein fell to the floor and Lam
phere said he saw Mrs. Guinness .+-i.ze
the PROSTATE form and end the nbA6s
life.
Lamphere, the following night, buried
this body. with Mrs. Guinness assist
arAce. Shortly after Mrs. Guinness and
Lamphere quarreled over money and
he was ordered off the farm. She put
her money in the bank the afternoon
before Lamphere. seeking money.
chloroformed all in the house. robbed
and set fire 10 the place.
Lamphere said he was drunk the
night he visited the place. He thought
he would find $1,000.
L.amphere said the chloroform he
used was a part of the quantities he
bought for Mrs. Guinness.
Didn't Intend Murder.
Lamphere did not desire the death OF
Sir 1ulSAtSS oAN oSAihiS O'Soh
His first question when he was ar
rested on suspicion Of having set fire
TO the house was whether the children
had escaped. He did not even intend
to kill M-s
Although he confessed to greater
crimes, he did not admit that he inten-
t~ionally started the fire In which Mrs
Gunness and the children persisted
Once he was willing TO enter a forma
court plea Of guilty TO that charge in thu
hope OF leniency, but when he learned
that In the confession OF arson would
he involved a confessiorl of numbering
the family he refused