Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1908 — VOICE FROM NORWAY [ARTICLE]

VOICE FROM NORWAY

Asks the Authorities at LaPorte Where Is His Son, Who Is Missing, he Worked foe mrs. gunness Father of tbe Boy Has Letters from the Fair Fiend— Death Prediction Fails. Laporte, Ind., July 10.—The sheriff at Hillsdale, Mich., telephoned Sheriff Smutzer that he had captured Mrs, Bella Gunness and was holding her pending advices from the local officials. They refused to send an officer to Hillsdale, declaring that Mrs. Gunness lost her life in the flames which destroyed her home. The sheriff’s office received $n inquiry from C. A. Lindboe, lighthouse keeper, Grasoerne, Fry, Norway, asking for information regarding his son, Olaf Lindboe, age thirty)one, who came to Chicago from Norway in 1904 and then went to Laporte to work for Mrs. Belle Gunness, the arch-murder-ess. Another Mrs. Gunness Victim. The father Incloses the last letter received from his son, this letter having been written from Laporte, on May 8, 1904, and also a letter received from Mrs. Gunness in March, this year, in reply to one written by the father for Information regarding his son. The father writes that he bad another son, Ole Lindboe, living at 582 LaSalle avenue, Chicago, but the latter knows nothing of his brother since the time he began to work for Mrs. Gunness. Writes of Prospective Marriage. In the letter to his father the son tells of how well he likes his new place, tell of the beauty of Mrs. Gunness’s farm, and intimates that he will be married before the end of the year. This leads the officers to believe that Lindboe expected to marry the widow. What object she had In disposing of him the officers are unable to fathom, for he did not have more than S2OO when he came to her place, unless he learned too much about her and she concluded be would be better dead than alive. What the Murderess Wiote. Mrs. Gunness’s letter to the father In. Norway states that Olaf worked sot her four years ago. She says he lefl in June to go to the St Louis exposition. She adds: “Since then be has visited ns a couple of the last time, I think, two years ago. At that time he spoke some of going to Norway, but instead he went west and took up a homestead claim. I had a couple of letters from him, but I can not remember the place from which he ■wrote. He was a kind and brave young man, but perhaps somewhat easily in flne*nced when out in the tumultuous life so common among mert here.” His Skeleton Unidentified. The authorities are confident that on« of the seven unidentified skeletons found in Mrs. Ghnness’s private cemetery Is that of Olaf Lindboe. The letter is signed “Mrs. p. S. Gunness," a signature which she used only occasionally, but which corroborates the initials on the inside of the ring found on the body of the dead woman and over which there was considerable controversy because of the inscription “P S. G.”

PFEIFFER IS STILL ALIVE Had a Hunch That He Would Die on July 4, But the Hunch Was Premature. Columbus, Ind.. July 10.—Francis Pfeiffer, the ninety-three-year-old pioneer of this city, who said be would die on the Fourth of July, is still alive, but his death is expected at any hour. In spite of his critical condition his mind is as active as It ever was For over sixty years he has been agent for the German Fire Insurance com pany, of Indianapolis, and he decided that he had better resign before bt died. He asked bis daifcbter to write his resignation, but she had something else to do at the time and delayed the task. When she was out of the room Pfeiffer got out of bed. found some writing materials and wrote his resig nation. It was through! then that hr might die any minute, but he is still alive. Not long ago representatives of this insurance company came here and gave a banquet In honor of Pfeiffer. They stated that he was the oldest agent in their employ.

He “Coughed Cp“ a Kry. Elwood, Ind., July 10.—Norman, the slx-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Mero, swallowed a brass key three inches long, with which he was playing, and for three days the neighbors were in a highly nervous state, owing to the parents being Christian Scientists, and refusing to call in medical aid to relieve the boy. After two days the bqy was seized with a coughing spell, and during an especially violent retching thnew up the key. Novel Case of Dislocation. Greenfield, lad.. July 10.—Miss Ethel Garrlott. of this city, was in a serious condition for some time, the result of quickly turning her head to keep from seeing her father kill a chicken. One of the spinal muscles was dislocated and It required the services of a physician before her bead could ba turned to its natural position.