The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-23
LUETGERT'S BOLD DEFENSE.
HE DENIES EVERYTHING CHARGED
AGAINST HIM.

Will EndcnvOr to Prove That His
wife Is in EurOpc-That the Ex-
pert Testimony Against Him Is
False, That the Bones Brought in
Court We're From "a Lower Amman
md That He Has Been Engaged
LegitimatcIy in Making Soap.
Chicago Sept. 22.-The first witnesses
for the defense in the Luetgert trial were
called to-day and there will be three
weeks of evidence tending to establish the
sausage makers innocence before the at
torneys in the case commence their final
arguments
Attorney Vincent, for the defense, made
the opening statement for Luetgert and.
according to him. the defense will be sim
pie. 1t will consist chiefly of a general
denial of all the expert evidence submit
ted by the state. prove that the caustic
potash used in the vat was purchased by
Luetgert for the purpose Of making soap.
and evidence tending to show that Mrs.
Luetgert is alive. and in all probability in
Germany.
Concerning the rings found in the vat,
Attorney Vincent said that they were
not those of Mrs. Luetgert and that he
would prove that she had never seen them.
much less worn them. He also declared
that he would bring witnesses to show
that many OF the bones Identified by the
experts for the prosecution as human
bones are in reality those of the lower ami
mails. He will also show, he said, that Mrs.
Luetgert has been seen alive and well.
save for her mental troubles, since May /,
the night on which it is claimed that she
was murdered. He also asserted that Luet-
gert will so on the stand in his own de-
fense.
A warm legal fight arose in the course
of the opening statement of Attorney Vim
cent. In outlining the defense he said
that he would prove that Mrs. Luetgert,
nervous and discouraged by the business
reverses of her husband, had told sew
eral of the neighbors that she intended
to run away from home. The state pro-
tested against the admission Of such evil
dence, and the court, after listening to
the arguments of the lawyers. said that
he did not think that he could permit
such testimony to go in. The defense felt
this badly, as Attorney Vincent, in the
heat of his statement, had said that
without such evidence as he had just al
luded to, his client might be hung. He
fought with desperate energy for the ad-
mission of the testimony and finally
Judge Tuthill said that he would permit
the Introduction of evidence relating to
conversations with Mrs Luetgert held a
week prior to her disappearance, but ha
said that the testimony must be abso-
lutey direct and unquestoned
The purport of the evidence to-day was
that Luetgert reported the disappearance
of his wife 20 his lawyer, and was greatly
disturbed by the fact, and that he had pur-
chased large quantities of materials for
the purpose of making soap. One witness
testified that toward the close of April he
was az the Luetgert factory and saw Mrs.
Luetgert, who seemed to be depressed. She
remarked during a conversation that near
ly everything was gone and she thought
she would go too pretty soon and work on
a farm where no one knew her.
Rosa Gleich, Of 1859 North Paullna street,
Lake View, was called on to impeach the
evidence of Emma Schimpke, who testified
for the prosecution and said she saw Luet-
gert and his wife going from the Luetgert
residence to the sausage factory about 10
o'clock on the night of May 10. Gottlieba
Schimpke, younger sister of Emma, also
testified to this fact, but as the child after
ward admitted she did not know what
state or county she was living in, her evi-
dence was Of little value
Rosa Gleieh said that she was with the
Schimpke girls on the night of May l. They
had all been to a dance She declared
positively that neither of the Schimpke
girls had seen either Luetgert or his wife
that night and that since she testified
Emma Schimpke had admitted to the wit
ness that she had sworn falsely and tried
to get her to do the same, telling her she
must not be ION Luetgert's side.'
Emma Schimpke said to me that It was
the prattle of her sister that got her into
the case" said the witness, "and she tes-
tilted to suit the side that called her."