The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-31
Several Hours After Her Body Was
Supposed to BE in tho Boiling Vat
of Her Husbands Factory.
OPENING OF PROSECUTION
WHAT THE STATES ATTORNEY FIX.
PECTS TO PROVE IN THE CASE.
Arrest of Charles Withers on the
Charge of Attempting to Intimi-
date an Important Witness.

CHICAGO, Aug. 3O.-The trial OF Adolph
Luetgert, the sausage maker, for the al
legged murder of his wife on May l. last,
| began in earnest to-day. Three witnesses
We're examined-W. II. Hofe, Diedrich
Bickness brother of Mrs. Luetgert and
Louis Luetgert, the twelve-year-old son of
the accused. The testimony of Bickness
| tended in the main to show the alleged in
difference of Luetgert to the fate of his
wife and the alleged disincination to re-
port the matter of her disappearance to the
| police department Louis Luetgert vino is
a remarkably bright lad for his age, pro-
duced something of a sensation in conclud-
ing his testimony and, it is believed, caused
counsel for the prosecution TO regret hav-
| ing placed him on the stand. The boy had
already been examined twice as to his
knowledge of his mothers disappearance
and in neither case did he refer to having
heard his mother about the house after he
had been sent to bed. To-day he recounted
how he had gone to circus on the even
ing of his mothers disappearance. He re-
turned about 1890 and found his mother,
to whom he described what he seen at the
circus. While engaged in this conversa-
and ordered him to bed. Later, he said, he
heard his father descending the rear stair.
way in the direction of the sausage fac
tory This portion Of his testimony was
Identical with that given at the preliminary
hearings. But to-day he continued by say
ing that after he had been asleep for
long time he was suddenly awakened by
hearing a rustling of skirts in his bed
| room. He called out, 'Is that you fatherg'
but his mothers voice replied: mo, 1t Is
me-" The lad declared that he was sure
that it was his mothers voice which re-
piled to his query and he went to
sleep. The states attorney asked Louis
why he had not told this part of his testi-
mCny before and he replied that no one
had asked him if he had seen his mother
after retiring. Court adjourned for the
day. the defense refusing to cross-examine
the boy.
Long before the famous case was
called this morning the corridors OF
the court building were thronged
with people anxious to gain admittance to
the little courtroom, and five minutes after
the doors were opened the room was packed
| to suffocation.
MORE EXPERIMENTS.
Contrary to the expectation of the state,
| Tue jury Will We dShtu ny lL6 utItllSe "
witness an experiment in the vat in the
basement of the sausage factory. This is
to be the result of an experiment conducted
by Luetgert's attorneys Saturday and yes
terday. The body Of q man. of about Mrs.
Luetgert's age and height, who met his
death by violence Thursday, was taken TO
the factory at No. COT Diversey avenue a1d
| immersed in a solution of caustic potash.
The result exceeded their expectations. The
experts reported that after boiling the body
in 10 per cent. solution of the potash for
the same length Of time, three and one-haf
hours and under the same circumstances
as the state alleges Luetgert disntegrated
the body of his wife, the &C mplete skeleton
Of the cadaver remained intact, and that
the solution had had little effect on the
clothing. AS a result of the test the de-
Tense win, it is said ask Judge Tuthill TO
remove his court and the jury to the base
nent of the big sausage factory for few
hours and witness another experiment
which, the defense claims, viii completely
disprove the states theory of disintegra-
ton.
Iuetgert was calm and confident looking
when brought into court this morning, and
he has apparently been greatly refreshed
by his Sundays respite from the daily court
room ordeal. Assistant States Attorney Nc
EVAN formally opened the case for the
state on the wall close to the jury box
were hung large maps of the Luegtert
sausage factory, the Luetgert home and all
the surroundings of the Luetgert place
wife and then destroyed her body. The at
tOrneys for the state began with the dis
appearance of Mrs. Luetgert on May and
next described the visit on May OF Died
rich Bickness. brother of Mrs. Luetgert,
when he called TO see his sister and dis
! covered that she had disappeared. He
dwelt on the apparent Indifference of the
husband, his statement that he had not
informed the police, but mad hired two de-
tectives and his invitation to Bickness to
cali again in about week when he would
tell him If anything had been discovered
concerning the Whereabouts Oh ms sister.
ENTICED TO THE FACTORY.
Attorney McEwan told the jury that
Luetgert's statement that he had hired two
detectives to search for his wife would be
proven false. Mr.. McEwan said 1t is the
tn ~ Of the state that Mrs. Luetgert ac-
coz. panied her husband into the factory i5e-
tween 1890 and IL o'clock. About 1890 her
little son Louis returned from the circus
and saw her sitting in the kitchen. The
conv~~0ation of the boy with his mother
rrupted by Luetgert, who came in
a dered the boy TO bed. Before going
eep the boy heard his father descerd-
ing the back stairs towards the factory.
where he had slept for years. Mr.. McEwan
said il is the theory of the state that Mrs.
Luetgert descended the stairs at the Same
time and went TO the factory. The boy did
not hear her steps because she wore house
slippers which made no noise. Luetgert ana
his wife were seen in the alley IN the rear
of the house a few minutes later. They
were seen going through a gate, which led
10 no place, except the factory, The attor-
ney for the state then detailed the move
ments OF Luetgert in the factory the turn
ing on OF the steam 10 the vat, the sending
of Watchman Bialk, shortly after 10 o'clock,
to a drug store, and Bialk's subsequent err
rand to the drug store, all OF which kept
him out OF the factory for an hour and a
half lie was away when Mrs. Lnetgert
was last seen in the alley.
The alleged motive and apparent reason
which actIated Luetgert. according TO the
theory of the state, was then described
Mr. McEwan said Luetgert despised hts
wife. He had treated her with violence az
the evidence for the state will show He
had no affection for her and lived alone in