New-York tribune., 1896-05-29
DOCTOR ACCUSED OF ARao,'
SERIOUS CHARGE MADE AoAlss,
VETERINARY SURGEON

! Els WIFE IS ONE OF THE pRruc,n..
FOR THE PRosEcurIoS-1r Is 49,.
THAT HE PICKED UP LAMP Am
SET THE HOUSE ON FINE
IN ORDER TO BE
REvENoED
Alfred E. Luks. veterinary surgeon
was placed on trial In the County Co,-. a enenis,
before Judge AspInall and fury IN sss'esdy
arson IN the nrst degree. crime for vhos ~
convicted, ne may be sent to prison so, 49, 70
his life. Luks IS an intelligent and ve,,-..Wu W
man. without any OF the characteristics. sss..ss'ne
commonly attributed TO criminals -. "a'@ N
against him Is that on March Is lae, b. Nv NAM
the house at No. 2670 Atlantic-aye. hv hnt mt
lighted lamp in the hallway. The foor ..s
work Of the hall were saturated with N. .r s0ed
serious hre resulted At the time OF the Ar ~
fendant lived In the house with hts wife ~" y
Luks' and she and one or two other persons ~.
the building. "h
Mrs. Luks was one Of the witnesses for III. -.
cution. and her husband alleges that n. ~ y. rs<
an attempt on her part to railroad hin. ~ .as'n
He says that at the time the lamp wa. 49, r"A
was Intoxicated. and the whole thing ~. ~"
dent. A complete panel OF Jurors was -. - 90
less than four hours. OF the twenty ns-nb
challenges allowed to each side. the dss.V
twelve and the prosecution Ave. II was - uH
when Assistant Distrct-Attorney Crane s..su
case for the prosecution.
He told the Jury that on Sunday, Marchu
prisoner. after threatening his wife with A.. :
the moraing. came home late at night and kcrss =.
the runss In the bannister leading to hs ap.rtr.,
which were on the third floor, directly over ,n :.
occupied store. Then he took a amp mia ~
tn hail ahatr
floor, breaking It, To make doubly sur. A,, ~. ~ =
would spread all over the place, he kicked N. -
nants Of the lamp around. tore up the cam, -.
when that was ablaze broke In the door To n. ~.
sleeping apartments and carried from them n,,o..
and other bedciothes, hcaping them upon the e,n.'
At the time there were in the house eight p>,so,.
the prisoners wife and Mrs. MIddendorf with H.
six children. Mr. Crane also called the stten,,on !,
the jury to the fact that the prisoners own ~.
with whom he had been living unhapply for sevsb,,
years. was not the principal or complaining vitps.
SHE HEARD THREATS MADE
The first witness called was Mrs Louise Mdd~L
dorf. She testified that on the date Of the fire a.
was alone in her apartments with her six chiIdr.u
her husband being away at work. She had krov,
Luks for several years. Early In the morning "a.
was aroused by loud talking and swearing In a.
apartments below her, which Luks occupied Viii.
she and her children were at supper at O'CLOCK 1.
the evening, she heard the street door slam N1
went out into the hall and looked over the bannis
The prisoner ard several OF his friends were starA
ing there Shortly afterward she heard Luks M
Come up and I'll treat You good" Then he vG.
up the stairs. kicking at the bannister at evuy
step. and making such noise that his co..
panions ran away. Before they did SO. the witnw
said she heard them ask Luks to come with then
His only answer was: Il won't. - 1t. I'll bun
the ranch down"
When he got to the first landing on the STAIN
the witness called to him: MY God, don't do that
for I am alone in the house" His only ansva
was TO repeat his declaration that he would bun
down the house. Then he took hold OF the lang
and threw II TO the floor with great violence Not
satisfied With that he heaped bedding and pilow
on the blaze. The smoke was fast filling the hall
Mrs. Middendorf said that she then tried 10 rs
down the stairs to get help. but the defendant
seeing her intention. grasped the heavy bras
stand OF the lamp ann fiourshing 1t over his head
called TO the witness: "If you come down here ~
brain you With the lamp"
Meanwhile her children had gathered about tN
witness The smoke was then so thick in the hall
that It was impossible TO see. Hurryins back 10
her own apartments. Mrs. Middendorf closed As
door and ran 10 the window. shouting loudly @
help. A numh.r OF people were attracted ~ M
cries, but they could not get into the houe = ~
front door was locked. Soon afterward us M
engines arrived the street door was broken w
and the blaze was extinguished.
The cross-examination OF the witness q !ns nsSS
OF George Alexander. counsel Tor the Riencs' ~
Mrs Luks She denied that she was In any xyw
sponsibie for the quarres between Luks ana ns In1
although she admitted that on one occason as -, ou
slammed the defendants face when ne oruelea ~ vs
OF his apartments She also denied nat sne nsI w ~
stigated the divorce proceeding orousn' W ~'"
Luks against the prisoner.
THE PRISONERS WIFE TEsrlFiEs'
Mary f. Luks. the wife OF the prisoner, was tn
next witness. She said that she had oeen 'hA',''s
three times and that Luks had been c'e'A " Nv
second husband, Mr. Rich who was the p'op1'"
OF four drug stores In East New-iotA a.
months after his death she was mafr'eo " ' ~.
fendant Even before her marriage no u'a
quently and to excess. and TO this fact sne s'.s
the many quarrels which have occurreu o
,hem She said that her husband had been An'
her only for coupe Of months aner ne' .A ,r.
Then he began 20 ,reat her and ever since 'nA' a.
he has beaten her frequently on direct examlns
ton the witness corroborated the testimony x.s
Mddendorf arding the origin OF tne i' - he ire
permitted 10 state that on the morning " - G buru
her husband had threatened 10 XIII "e' "
the house over her head ,,o, skas Mr. Alex.
Madam, are you Spiritualist! asHeu ~
ander. In discrimination .. ,u,ed out
Mr. Crane objected and the question was aSs,s,su,lst
but Mrs Luks said that she was sa, no. .Ss had ~
nevertheless. She acknowledge ina, w. s ,sr which
cs,vad jctter from her husband from the at -, n.
was published in the papers. The letter "" Nv
mitted. -, ~ .,x,o,s 10 eet "a
~ her hnsbsnd though she said that she wo,a :, hef
10 see him punished for what he had ovn vsnsatd hes
As 70 why she did not leave him when wnao ne he ssa
crueIlv fhe witness answered: Becsunsss, ~, M M"
that il should leave him hi he p.oDs ESSS " vas given
Corroborative evidence for tne arsopcf-sye who
vas visiting Miss Middendorf the s ~ the re
daughter OF the first witness a. me sna Mr. Aexaa'
The prosecution rested AT o cioeA
der opened for the defence
REAL ESTATL