Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-11-03
CHICAGO AUTHORITIES THINK
SUSPECT MAY BE ANOTHER
MRS. GUINNESS.
STRANGE RUN OF CONDOLENCES
Children, BOOMERS All Die
No Positive Evidence
Against Her.

pursued their investigation into the
deaths of nearly half score of rela-
tives and acquaintance of Mrs. Louise
Vermilya to make certain whether the
similar demises constituted only re-
markable series of condolences as
Mrs. Vermilya asserts.
Nine deaths are included in the long
list with which Mrs. Vermilya's name
has been connected, including two
husbands, two step-children, three chill
dren and two roomers at boarding
houses she kept.
Developments following the estab-
lishment of police surveillance at the
woman's home, were noted in several
cities where she had lived. Pending
the report of the PSYCHOLOGISTS who are
examining the viscera of the last of
the persons whose deaths have oc-
Cured beneath Mrs Vermilya's roof,
the police have made no arrests. No
positive evidence of crime has been
uncovered
From letters received by the police
and from separate Investigations, the
following new facts became known
yesterday:
Latest Developments.
That while Mrs. Vermilya has said
that one of the members of the death
roster, Richard T. Smith, conductor,
was only a boarder at her home, a
former roomer asserts the two claim
ed previously to have been married
and that they lived together as man
and wife.
That, while the woman told the po
! lice she had assisted an undertaken al
Crystal Lake, former home, in EN-.
balming bodies, the undertaken there
denies she ever had any such expert
| ence. She gave this as a reason why
she could discuss the deaths with com.
posture.
That r. N. Bennington. a photog-
rapher of Peoria, and brOther-in-law
Of Conductor Smith, had made love to
the widow following Smiths death SO
as to investigate suspicious he then
/ had about the reason for his relative
|
part of her matrimonial history which
he desires to give to the coroner.
That Smith died during commissions
and after drinking some substance
whether medicine Or not being unset.
tied; but that the doctors gave the
cause of death, from descriptions of
symptoms given by the widow, as
| acute gastritis.
Mrs. Vermilya told inQuirers she
had never studied medicine, or sought
| to become a nurse, as had been re-
ported, but that she had some little
knowledge Of medicine that she had
acquired to enable her to be of aid
to neighbors and relatives in time Of
illness. She insisted she was innocent
and condemned the police for main
tanning a surveillance over her
The deaths which are being looked
into follow:
| Fred Brinkamp, first husband of Mrs.
Vermilya; died on farm near Barring
ton, Ill.,, after brief illness; Charles
Vermilya, second husband died after
six days illness of 'gastritis" at
Maplewood, Ill.,; Florence Brinkamp,
year old daughter, died at Barring
ton: Cora Brinkamp, year old daugh-
ter, died at harrington; Harry G.
Vermilya, step-sOn, 35 years old; Lii
liam Brinkamp, step-daughter, 26 years
old; Frank Brinkamp, son, died of
pneumonia in Chicago; Richard T.
Smith, conductor, and reported to be
third husband. He boarded at her
home; Arthur Bissonette, policeman,
roomer, to whom she was engaged to
be married; died of ''gastritis" last
Thursday.
1t was the suddenness Of Bison
cites death, coupled with the widows
statement that he was addicted to
drink, whereas members Of the police
force had known him as an abstainer,
that prompted the investigation and a
determination of the coroner to have
the policeman's viscera examined by a
toxicologist. Prof. Walter Paines, a
poison expert who testified in the
Hyde murder trial at Kansas City, is
making the examination.