The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-08-26
VICTIMS BURIED At NIGHT;
UNDERGROUND TO GRAVEYARD
Young Girl, Latest Victim, With
Strange Needle Marks on Arm
and Traces Of Poison

jhicago, Aug. ga terrible cham
of death. said TO have encomt
ised the murders OF more than
snty persons. has been discovered
West Hammond, Ind.
The fatal room. which is located
the rear of the resort operated
Henry Foss, has for the past ten
ars been the scene of twenty
avn deaths. In eSeyy @sasa--these e
ave beGh sudden and unexplained.
Murder was never suspected, how
ever, until an investigation was be-
gun Aug IA, as a result of the death
Of John Messmaker. who was strick-
en- while drinking in the room and
died shortly afterwards in the st
trancis hospital.
The inquiry came to a startling
end yesterday afternoon with thedis
cOvery that young woman had
been the latest victim of the place
and had been surreptitiously re
moved from the room and at mid
night buried in the West Hammond
cemetery
Wealthy Contractor Murdered
Messmaker. who was a wealthy
c0ntractor of West Hammond, was
lmred into the Foss resort by
Young woman frequenter of the
place. Upon his person he carried
aeveral hundred dollars. The victim
was induced to drink heavily and
then fell into a torpor. During this
period OF coma the fearful murder
K instrument OF the place was put to
its deadly use,
Messmaker was murdered with the
winjection into his blood of a poison.
edle punctures on his arm gave
lesfrst clew in the gathering of the
videnc1j Iatdr examination OF
Is blood proved that heavy am
int of some deadly poison had
cen injected.
fMessmaker's death occurred Aug.
8. aud an investigation was begun
promptly SO severe was it that
Ane of the frequenters of the place
f5ecame heightened and yesterday
ibid the story Of the latest victim OF
he murder chamber The informers
tory was investigated a newmade
rave was opened in an obscure part
II the cemetery and the body OF
n sther Harrison Of Indiana Harbor
q Is unearthed.
.sappearance is Explained.
Il The mystery of Miss Harrison 5
isappearance from her home sever
sll months ago finally has been eX-
Sained. The young woman, who is
aid to have borne a good reputa
fion was lured to West Hammond
on false promise of work and TAX
en- to the Foss resort. Her death
probably was the result of her re
fusal to subject herself to the con
ditions.
when her body was removed yes
terday from it's grave it was dscov
cred that her arm like that OF Mess
maker, bore the markings of the
needle A blood test was made and
poison of the same nature as that
found in the body OF the slain con
tractor was discovered.
Death Game Suddenly.
The informer told the police that
the young womans death had been
as sudden as those of all the other
victims who died within the fatal
room She said that the body had
been hidden until midnight and then
carried quietly to the graveyard ana
placed in grave that had been dug
for it several hours earlier No re
port of the death was made to the
police.
The account of this second muir
der recalled to the authorities the
deaths of eighteen others who have
lost their lives in the same resort
A close delving into the history OF
every case brought out the fact that
the deaths of all bore the same
strange symptoms. All of the TWEEN
ty. the residents of West Hammond
no wassert, were murdered in the
place
The discovery has so startled the
better element in the city that ser
ious police scandal is imminent Foss
has been operating his place with
out license, and has been. upon
number of occasions, ordered to
board up the doors This he has re
fused to do, insnuating he possess
es pull with the police. with
which the mayor is powerless to in
terfere
Virginia Brooks, the 1S-year-old re-
former. who has been fighting the
vice ring in the city for two years.
yesterday determined on crusade
of destruction. If no criminal action
is taken against Foss and the own
Continued on Page Six)