Gunness, according to the story of Mrs. Gunness, who is a bride of but a few months, went into the kitchen at the hour above named, to get his shoes that he might go out of doors. The shoes were close beside the kitchen range. In stooping down to get the shoes a heavy piece of metal, the knife attachment of a sausage grinder, fell from the shelf of the stove striking him in the back of the head, producing an ugly wound. The piece of metal in falling overturned a receptacle filled with boiling water, and in addition to the wound in the head Gunness was burned about the neck.

Gunness did not lose consciousness and he was able to go back to bed, and making but little complaint the wife and family were in ignorance of the gravity of the case. Several hours after the accident it became apparent that Gunness was dying and a messenger was dispatched to the city for Dr. Bowell. He was dead when the physician arrived.

Gunness was married to his present wife in April of this year, Dr. Moor officiating. He came here from Minneapolis.

Coroner Bowell's postmortem will likely throw light on the sudden death.

The offer is now open and the early birds will make the best catches. By the middle of the winter all of the handsome young men will be taken, and there will remain only the "picked over lot."

The above word comes from J. R. Walters, who went to North Dakota about a year ago. In a letter written home he says that everyone up there is prosperous, money can be made fast, life is comfortable, but the young bachelors with large farms, find great difficulty in finding housekeepers.

Mr. Walters says among other things:

"To the working man wages are good here and there is plenty of work to do. We want more American citizens and we can use more American ladies also. The bachelors told me to write for 500 Hoosier girls. They all have farms and want housekeepers and I guess they are telling the truth, for I have talked with a great many of them since I have been here."

Coroner Bowell also reached the decision not to hold the inquest today. He will take evidence tomorrow but his finding will not likely be made a matter for publicity until the day following. There is a disposition on the part of the authorities to make thorough inquiry into the manner in which Gunness received his injuries, with a view of rendering a finding that will be in accord with the facts as revealed by the evidence adduced at the inquest.

The replies to telegrams sent to brothers of Gunness living in Wisconsin indicate that they will arrive here tonight.

There is more than passing public interest in this case with its strange features and the opinions of physicians in regard to the injury received by Gunness.

Coroner Bowell began the taking of evidence last evening. The inquiry into the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding the accident was exhaustive and . . .

     No, these are by no means meant to put forth any meaningful picture of the Belle Gunness case. These are simply several short articles which I happened across while looking for material on other historical topics.

old newspaper articles on-line	more on Belle Gunness	here too	e-mail

This page is at http://calumet.tripod.com/newspprs/gunness.html.

Created 10th March, 2003.