1950: Lammers being sought after wife, children die
Dec. 20, 1950
HARTINGTON — Ray Schrempp of St. Helena, returned home last week from a sevenweek tour through Europe. He left New York Oct. 1 by plane and came back via boat.
He visited France, Italy and Rome, where he had a general audience with the Pope. He also visited Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and England. He said the food was good in Switzerland and Germany, but just fair in France and Italy. In England, he reported they actually went hungry.
Dec. 20, 1950
HARTINGTON — Mrs. James Lammers, 23, a former Hartington woman, and her three children — two daughters, ages three -and-a-half and two years old and an eight-month old son, all burned to death in a trailer house fire in Troy, Kansas Tuesday evening.
It is thought the oil burning heater in the trailer house exploded, enveloping it in flames.
Mr. Lammers was not at home at the time of the fire, it was reported he was away, looking for work. He had not yet been located as of Thursday afternoon.
Radio reports and rumors that Mr. Lammers was being sought on a murder charge are unfounded according to Robert Guier, County Attorney of Doniphan County, Kansas at Troy.
Mr. Guier told the News in a telephone interview that he had issued a pick-up order for Mr. Lammers in order that he could be notified of the tragedy and so they could question him.
The evidence, Mr. Guier said, proves conclusively that Mrs. Lammers and the children died of carbon monoxide fumes. This indicates that they were alive at the time of the fire and were not dead before the fire started.
He said authorities have carried on an extensive campaign to locate Mr. Lammers. Guier said this was unusual because Lammers had been in the habit of “checking in every night,” and he had not been home for the past two nights.
“We are wondering why he hasn’t checked in,” Mr. Guier said. When asked about the report heard over the radio that a murder charge had been filed, Mr. Guier said he had heard the report this morning, but added “it is news to me. I am sure that if charges were filed, they would be filed through my office.”
Mrs. Lammers was the former Geneva Orr. She was employed by the Bank of Hartington prior to her marriage.
The children’s grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lammers, live near Fordyce.
Dec. 20, 1950
LAUREL — A new bowling alley was opened Monday in Laurel by Milton Johnson. The business is located in a new building on Main Street and will be known as the Laurel Lanes. The new building and alleys were built by Mr. Johnson.
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