Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-09-17
CALLS BONES HUMAN.
DcIafontaine's Unqualified and start.
ling Statement.


ling Statement.
Chicago, Sept. 1.-THE experts who
testified in the Luetgert trial Friday
were Prof. Delafontaine, teacher of
chemistry in the Chicago high school;
Prof. Walter S. Haines, professor of
chemistry of Rush Medical college, and
George Vincent Bailey, osteologist of
the Field Columbian museum. 1t was
shown by testimony that the matter
collected in the crevices of the pocket
knife given by the alleged murderer
to his former sweetheart, Mrs. Feldt,
on the eve of his arrest, consisted Of
blood and particles of muscular tbs
sue.
Attorney Vincent made a move in
court which he believes to be one of the
important points of the defense. He
estimates that from the capacity of the
vat in which the body is said to have
been dissolved, and the amount Of
water said to have passed Through it,
that the amount of animal flesh dis
solved must have reached nearly 750
pounds in weight. Assistant States
Attorney McEwen says that large
amount of water was not admitted to
the vat until after the pinkish brown
slime had been collected in the sluice,
and that therefore the theory which
the defense intends to advance is built
upon false assumption.
Prof. Delafontaine told the jury that
certain small, round substances found
in the sausage vat IRE bones from
human hand and foot. There was no
qualifying preface of 81 think" or ut
is my opinion" to the witness state
ment. 1t was direct answer to di-
rect question; and ain interesting point
about the incident was that the ques-
ton was propounded by Judge Tuthill
himself and that the evidence ELECTED
was even more than the state hoped to
prove by the expert chemist.
Prof. Haines, who followed Prof. Del
afontaine on the stand, asserted that
on three different occasions he had i'm
mersed human body in solution. of
crude potash heated to the boiling
point, and that slightly different re-
suit was obtained on each occasion.
Each time hair, skin, leather boots
and wooden clothes We're completely
disintegrated The muscular tissues
and vital organs were largely eaten
away, the degree TO which they were
affected varying with the different eS-
periments. In all cases the ribs and
vertebrae showed to the greatest extent
the effect of the action of the alkali,
becoming partially disintegrated and
SO brittle that they crumhled at touch
The skull was not affected to SO great
degree as the vertebrae and back
bones. The larger bones of the limbs
were affected but very slightly, and the
joints of the foot and hand least OF
| ALL The residue obtained as the re-
| suit of the experiment was of pinkish-
brown color, and eXhaled intensely
strong and disagreeable odor. These
facts correspond to the theory of the
| destruction Of the body offered by the
state. Scrapings from Luetgert's peck
et-knife were subjected by him t.
chemical and microscopical analysis
with the result that this proved The
blood and muscular tissue from some
| of the higher animals. The cross-eN
1 animation failed to shake the testimony
| of the witness.
Osteologist Bailey proved to be {
/ very important witness on direct ex
animation. With reservations, he as
| serted that one of the bones found II
the ashes in the street near the factor,
! resembled certain bone of the sec
end toe of the left foot of human
being, possibly woman.