The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-08
Grand Jurors Positive that the Scrv.
ant Girl Admitted Improper ReIa-
tiOns with Luetgert.
PARTNER CHARLES SCORED
HIS BUSINESS METHODS DENOUNCED
BY FORMER ASSOCIATES.
Testimony of Bankers and others
Who Said They Would Not Be
lieve Him Under Oath.

dence and then the nnlSh OF the LuetSerI
murder trial will be in sight. The state an
nounced to-day that it has but few more
witnesses, and that it would get through
with them without much delay tomorrow.
An adjournment will then be taken until
Monday when the defense will offer small
amount of sur-rebuttals, and then the way
will be clear for the arguments of the at
torneys which will take about one week.
1t was a bad day for the defense. The evil
dence of two of their chief witnesses was al
most destroyed. Mary Siemmering and VIM.
Charles, Luetgerts business partner. were
the sufferers. Witness after witness came
on the stand and swore that when Mary
Siemmering had denied that she had adj
mitted improper relations with Luetgert she
had not told the truth. They said she had
admitted it and in the most unequiVocal
manner. Most of these witnesses were men,
bers of the grand jury which had indicted
Luetgert, and their evidence was crushing.
They all told the same story, and the most
desperate efforts of the defense could not
shake one of them Prominent business men
who had dealings with Charles, and bankers
with whom he had done business swore that
he could not be believed under oath, and
told of shady business transactions OF which
he had been guilty. In this case, as in that
of Mary Siemmering, the defense made
frantic efforts to save the character OF their
witness, but were not able to accomplish
anything.
The crowd at the Criminal Court building
to-day was larger than upon any other
morning during the past week. 1t was COM
posed of the usual mixture of men and
women of extreme stations in life. The po-
licemen and deputy sheriffs on duty had
several violent arguments with the throng
over the matter of admission to Judge Tut
hills courtroom. and hundreds We're turned
away disappointed and angry. Never before
in Chicago has the interest in murder
trial beeS sustained from start to finish as
it has been in the Luetgert case.
Wien court opened the impeachtng process
adopted by the prosecution was resumed
Police Officer Charles Griebenow was called
to the witness stand to testify to certain
dates of material events in the case in con-
tradiction of witnesses for the defense.
THE HOSTLER'S STORY.
William F,ulbeck, Luetgert's former host
Ter, gave an interesting bit of evidence with
reference to Mary Siemmering In fact, the
testimony of Fulbeck was the opening
wedge for a violent attack on Luetgert's
pretty servant girl, for love of whom, the
prosecution asserts, the sausage maker
killed his wife Fubeck said that he missed
Mrs. Luetgert on May 1, but said nothing
until May 3. "Then l asked Mary Siemmer-
ing where Mrs. Luetgert was" said the wit
ness
What did she say?" inquired the states
attorney.
..She said Mrs. Luetgert was upstairs in
bed" responded the witness
Are you sure she told you that on
May 3?''
Il am positive"
Attorney Phalen tried to get Fulbeck to
of April, but the witness was obdurate ana
chung to his original statement -
Luetgerts heavy features, which nad
been contorted by his habitual frown, aug
mented by physical pain, caused by an at
mospherical change relaxed somewhat as
he caught sight of Mrs. Christlne REQ.
The big sausage maker smiled, then an ex-
preston of scorn shone in his eyes. Mrs.
Field is the woman who loaned Luetgert
money and on the witness stand remarked
that She was very sorry for him. Luetgert
wrote her many letters OF tender ana
supplicating character soon after ms arrest
last May, and Mrs. Field handed MS mis-
siyes to the prosecution To Luetgerts
CONSERVATION the letters confronted MN In
court and he was compelled TO listen 10
the expressions of endearment he had ad-
dressed to the widow. There was a story
in circulation at one time that Luetgert in
tended to marry Mrs. Feld, ana lhat tnal
was the reason he decided to be rid oil MS
wife.
Mrs. Field was in court to-day to contra
dict the evidence of Mrs. Mary Charles
CERT Mrs. Charles emphatieally denied on
the witness stand TUESDAY that she nap
that the rings found III the vat at the Luet-
CERT sausage factory were not the rings
which had belonged to Mrs. Luetgert. To-
day Mrs. Field. with equal emphasis, de-
clared that Mrs. Charles did request her
to deny that she ever saw the rings be-
fore. Mrs. Field refused to do So She said
to-day the rings were those worn by Mrs.
Luetgert She was positive about it.
EVIDENCE OF GRAND JURORS.
The rebuttal evidence of the prosecution
In the afternoon made serious inroads on
the direct testimony of the defense. The
evidence given by each of the impeaching
witnesses called was sharp. short and to
the point Mary Siemmering's evidence
was torn to tatters. Members of the grand
Jury which indicted Luetgert last May APP
peared on the witness stand and testified to
admissions that young woman had made
before that body as to her relations with
Luetgert until Judge Tuthill tired of it.
Finally his Honor said: Il will hear no
more grand jurors. Their evidence is but
a repetition 1t seems to me the point
upon which they are being questioned has
been thoroughly covered.
Assistant States Attorney McEwen was
satisfied. BY the evidence of a half-dozen
former grand jurors he had impeached the
testimony of the young woman who assert
ed with almost hysterical emphasis, upon
the witness stand that she never said to
the assistant states attorney or to the
members of the grand jury that her con-
duct with Adoph Luetgert was anything
but decorous and proper.
John Beckett of Evanston, Robert ].
Sloane Frank C. Weber, Charles w.
Smith and Edward Pryor, all members of
the grand jury which returned the true bill
against Luetgert, were called to the wit
ness stand and told of the admissions made
before the jury by Mary Siemmering. who
testified before the grand jurymen for over
one hour before the indictment was voted
against Luetgert. According to the story
of each of the former grand jurors the
young woman confessed that improper re-
lations had existed between herself and
Luetgert.
In vain did ex-Judge Vincent and Attor-
ney Phalen attempt to break down this
strongest witnesses by suggestions of in
timidation. Ex-Judge Vincent inquired.
with fire in his tones. IL Inspector Shack
or Police Captain Schuettler were not in
the grand jury room while Mary Siemmer-
ing was undergoing the inquisitoriai cross
jurors remembered of having seen either
of the police officials during the eXamina-
ton of Mary Siemmering. John Beckett
said he saw Captain Schuettler in the room,
but that the captain said nothing and was
not close TO Mary Siemmering while she
was on the witness stand.
Police Matron Mcmahon, of the East
Chicago-aVenue station, was placed the
stand 10 deny Mary Siemmering's story
that she had been subjected to humilating
treatment when she was placed under ar
rest and brought to the station. Matron
Mcmahon declared il was untrue that the
young woman was despoiled OF all her
clothing in her cell she had stated and
that a policeman had stood guard at her
cell door while she was without raiment