The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-09-22
STATE CLOSES ITS CASE
Luetgert Chased His Wife With
Loaded Revolver.
THREATENED TO KILL HER
The Defense viii Deny the Murder Say
They Will Explain Away All the DAM
aging Evidence-some Startling
Developments Are Promised.

Chicago. Sept. 2i.-The direct evil
dence in the Luetgert case is In and
the state has closed. shortly after 4
O'Clock this afternoon the last witness
for the prosecution was heard. This
witness was Mrs. Louise Johnson. She
came into court supported by Captain
Herman. Schuettler of the Sheffield
avenue police station. Mrs. johnson
has been III for several weeks and the
prosecution feared the woman would
not be able To appear Ia testify. Her
evidence MAS important. as showing
Luetgert's attitude towards his wife.
A carriage WAS sent to her home on
the north side and Mrs, Johnson made
the trip to the court house attended by
friend. She was quite exhausted
when she reached the criminal court
building and almost tainted at the ele-
yator leading to Judge Tuthill's court
room.
When sworn Mrs. johnson testified
that upon one occasion she saw Luet.
CERT i'm a rage. chase his wife out of
their house. The big sausage maker,
the witness said. was armed with a re-
volver. He called his wife names and
threatened To shoot her. but did not.
Ex-Judge Vincent did not cross-ex-
anime this witness. When she left the
stand. States Attorney Deenen said:
III the court pleases. the state rests
There was a general movement In the
crowded room as the spectators
glanced toward Luetgert and his coun-
sci. Luetgert leaned forward and
whispered To ex-Judge Vincent. The
latter arose and made a formal motion
that the case be taken from the fury
on the ground that the state had failed
to make out case. Judge Tuthill
promptly overrulcd the motion without
argument. Then ex-Judge Vincent
stated that owing 10 the lateness of
the hour he would like TO postpone his
opening address 10 the jury until to-
morrow morning. There Was no objec-
tion 10 this and an adjournment was
taken.
II required just 20 days for the pres
entation of the evidence. Ex-Judge
Vincent said tonight the defense
would present its side of the case in
just half Of that time
My address To the jury I'm opening
viii be short and directly To the
point" he said. We deny the mar
DIR. the corpus deficit has not heen
proven as the law requires. This fact
cannot be assumed nor inferred from
such testimony as has been presented
here. We viii explain away all the
evidence brought out here by the po-
lice department after months OF inves-
tigatioE and manipulation. do not
care to give out in full our defense un-
I'll we get started. but I promise some
startling developments before We are
through"
Chicago. Sept. 2l.-The prosecution
scored an important point In the l.uet-
CERT case this morning. Judge Tuthill
ruled that the motive evidence OF
Frank Bialk and Frank Odorofsky,
former employees Of the big sausage
maker. was admissible as long as II Was
direct. This WAS the matter taken un-
der advisement last saturday. The evil
dence Of these two men In I'm relation
To the frequent visits To Luetgert's q sau-
sage factory OF Mary Simmering. Luet-
gert's servant. II Is the theory Of the
state that Luetgert's alleged attentions
to other women was the original cause
for the trouble with his wife. Luetgert.
IL Is believed by the prosecution. In or
der to pursue his course undisturbed,
conceived the idea Of getting rid of his
wife and did so.
Frank Bialk. the aged watchman who,
besides watching the factory at night.
kept the fires burning in the furnaces.
was the first witness To be called to-
ud. TO SHOW u nlotlNt, ne Saiu tnht
Mary Simmering paid frequent visits TO
Luetgert In the latter's Office I'm the
sausage factory at night. Luetgert. be-
cause Of his unpleasant domestic af-
fairs. had bed placed i'm a small room
just on his Office and slept there. The
last time witness remembered seeing
Mary Simmering there was one week
before May I. the date OF the disappear
ance of Mrs. Luetgert. II was $50
O'Clock I'm the evening and Luetgert
and the young woman retired To the
bedroom and closed the door. The wit
ness said Mary Simmering visited
Luetgert ON an average of three nights
each week for months before Mrs.
Luetgert disappeared.
Upon one occasion the witness said
Iuetgert called him about 10 o'clock
at night and told him to go and get
Mary. Luetgert said he was III. Bialk
said he went to Mary's bedroom win
dow and tapped upon IL with a stick.
When she appeared he told her that
I.uetgert wanted her She soon APP
peared at the sausage factory and en-.
tered through window and went TO