The sun., 1897-09-01
DUEre ERrs PLAN OF DBFENoE
An ETsrt to Break Down the Persecution Day
By Day-Yestcrday's Testimony.

CHICAGO, Aug. 31.-Adolph l.. Luetgert, now
on trial for the murder of his vie, was In good
humor this morning, and even the testimony OF
the witnesses for the State during the day
which was all against him, failed to disturb MS
eouanimity. Luetgert says that II he does not
20 on tho stand in his own behalf he will claim
h,s constitutional right and make personal ad-
dress to tho jury.
or don't go on as a witness will talk to
tho jury myself. anyhow" said Luetgert THIS
morning. II have a right to do So and SHALL
I think It would be better II l went on the stand
because then what say will 20 In the evidence
But want to have my say some way.
The plan Of the defence, told by Luetgcrt
himself is to break down the States case as 1t
ia presented, rather than to put in large
amount of contradictory evidence. The first
ptroke of this kind was in the testimony OF IL.
year.old Louis Luetgert, when he surprised tho
State by telling Of waking shortly otter midnight
and hearing a rustic like that Of his & mothsrs nr, 5
dress and voice that sounded like hers. Luet-
"He is a bright boy" said he, when You
fGw TN s whead eSpy ySfH OF the ssS old block. o' S ~
Only three witnesses were heard to-day. Silas
T. Molander a photographer, who look views
the State offered in. evidence; Mrs. Agatha
Tosch, neighbor OF the Luetgerts, and one
ThS hSS been fssf Of the nRS
watchman at the sausage factory. The two
last were known TO be the state 3 star wit.
nesses, and their testimony rather disappointed
those who had expected sensational develop.
ments. Mira Tosch plainly enacted the role OF
an enemy-made 80. II Is asserted, by tho de-
fence by Luctgertn waning regard for her.
Mrs. Tosch told nothing new, nothing that
she had not testified to on two former occa-
sions. She said that Luetgert had displayed In
difference to his wife: that on the morning after
Mrs. Luetyerts disappearance he appeared
nervous, and as though ho had been without
sic ep the night before. On cross examination
Mrs. Tosch admitted that she was not friendly
to the prisoner
Biall narrated in detail the happenings at tho
factory on the night of May l, the date OF Mrs.
Luetgcrt's disappearance. He told OF Luctgerts
working about the va. that night from about
o o'clock until between 3 and In the morning;
how Luetgert had sent him on two long errands
to a drug store, and had prevented him from
entering tho factory office. He told how Luet.
CERT, with his aid, had partly filled the vat with
water, and had put into II a barrel of caustic
potash. and then had turned steam into the vat.
He said that LuetRert had dismissed him for
the night, but that his curiosity had prompted
him to watch through window in the base
ment, where. by the dim light of a lantern, he had
seen Luetgert carry sack or bundle about
the size Of human body and place its contents
in the vat
All this had been told before. SO II created no
sensation. A wrangle over a question as to the
admission OF testimony by Ball concerning the
visits OF Mary Simerling a servant in the Luet-
CERT family, to the sausage factory brought the
proceedings OF the day to a close.