The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-06
MRS. CHARLES'S TESTIMONY
RINGS FOUND IN THE VAT NOT THOSE
OF THE MISSING WOMAN.
Eighty Witnesses to Give Rebuttal
Maker Confident of AcauittaI.

~'Ne~SS
on the stand, but State Attorney Deneen
said this afternoon that in most cases their
evidence will be short and that he will get
through with them in a hurry He expects
to demolish the stories offered by the wit
nesses for the defense that Mrs. Luetgert
was seen around kenosha and Lake Zurich,
Wis, within a few days after the murder is
said to have been committed and to furnish
other testimony that will in great measure
hold up the side Of the prosecution Luet-
CERT did not go on the witness stand in
his own defense to-day as expected The
big sausage manufacturer yielded to the ad-
vice of his attorneys, but the disappointment
to him was great. He has declared for
months that he must tell his story to the
jury. Ills counsel feared TO put him on the
stand and he accepted the situation with a
frown.
Soon after court convened ex-Judge Vim
cent and Attorney Phalen asked permission
to consult with their client privately. Judge
Tuthill said they might do so and Luetgert
and his lawyers retired to a private room.
1t was known that the matter under deliber-
alton was whether or not Luetgert should
go the witness stand. Ex-Judge Vincent
vigorously opposed the suggestion. He
pointed out to Luetgert that William
Charles his business partner, had told prac-
tically the story Luetgert would tell. You
cannot add to it anything that will benefit
you,' said Judge Vincent. IF you go upon
the witness stand you will be subjected to
a cross-examination lasting days and COW
ering the entire period of your life. You
will get confused and you will say things
which will injure your case. My advice to
you is to keep num-" Attorney Phalen
inclined I11nfOpTf'S 6aGira n
go upon the witness stand. He thought he
might be able to explain some things moro
satisfactorily than other witnesses had. He
also believed that the absence from the
witness stand of the principal actor in the
great tragedy may prejudice him in the eyes
of the jury Thus Attorney Phalen was
willing to admit the logic of Judge Vincent's
position and Luetgert said he would abide
by his counselS advice.
CHANCE TO POSE AS A MARTYR.
When the lawyers returned from their
consultation Luetgert sat dawn with grim
smile upon his face. His countenance bore
the expression of a martyr. The greatest
disappointment of the trial to him was APP
parently the fact that he was not to be
permitted to testify in his own behalf and
address the jury as he had said dozens of
times he would. But he accepted the situa-
ton with as. good grace as his rough nature
would permit.
The first witness called to-day was Henry
j. Cox, of the United States Weather
Bureau service. Witness Cox came with
chart and data to prove that the night of
May l, 1897 was cloudy in Chicago and
vicinity. This evidence was brought out by
the defense to counterfeit the testimony of
witnesses who had sworn that they stood
across the street at II o'clock the night of
May and saw Luetgert and his wife walk
ing toward the factory.
Mrs. Mary Charles, wife of William
Charles. Iiuetgerts business partner was
the next witness. Mrs. Charles said that on
CIV al ions I've mt hn6 "a n
her: Il am going away. My husband has
failed in business and people Will now point
their fingers at me and say she is the wife
of the sausage maker who failed. cannot
stand that " On May l. the witness said,
she saw Mrs. Luetgert for the last time. 1t
was about IL O clock in the morning. Mrs.
and repeated that she could not stand the
disgrace the failure had brought on her
family. Then she turned away and |
never saw her again. continued the wit
ness.
A dramatic scene followed 1t has been
agreed that Luetgert has offered an ex-
PLANTATION of every accusation of the prose-
cution, except the rings found in the middle
vat in which the body Of Mrs. Luetgert is
alleged to have been disntegrated. The
rings found in the vat were stuck together
when discovered, according to the story of
Policeman Dean, who found them. Experts
who examined them said the rings were
glued together by human flesh. In one of
these rings were engraved the letters III.
L. L. the Initials of Mrs. Louise Luetgert.
The theory of the prosecution was that they
had dropped from the dissolved finger of
Mrs Luetgert in the vat and had been
put off an explanation of these rings until
the last moment 1t was the climax of the
evidence in behalf of the sausage maker.
NOT MRS LUETGERTS RINGS.
Ibid you ever see Mrs. Luetgert wear
finger rings?' asked Attorney Phalen after
Mrs. Charles had finished telling about the
missing woman's threat to leave home.
II have" replied the witness.
How many?"
''She wore two"
"Were they gold rings?"
'"They were"
''You saw them often?"
Eyes, very often
Describe them can your"
Both were plain gold rings nearly equal
in size-as to the width I mean. One of
them I am sure, perhaps both, contained
Mrs. Luetgert's initials
did you ever see this ring l now hand
vou?"
It was ore of the rings found in the vat.
People in the court stood up and craned their
necks with GREATNESS interest while the wit
ness examined the ring. The big courtroom
was hushed as the crowd Of spectators
strained their ears to catch the reply of
Mrs Charles
mo sir. j never saw the ring before she
finally answered. ut is narrower than
either of those Mrs Luetgert wore.
witness gazed at it for some time. This
ring is about the size of one Of the rings
She wore :" said Mrs. Charles finally but /
cannot tell do not think it is one of
them"
State Attorney Deenen questioned the wit
ness sharply He asked her why she did
not tell this story to the police or to Justice
Kersten long ago. She replied that she had
told it to I.uetgerts attorneys and was not
asked to tell it again.
Fred Miller a nephew Of Luetgert, who
had worked for the latter IN the grocery de-
partment of his sausage factory. testified
that he had the watch of Mrs. Luetgert.
He produced ii on the witness stand. The
witness said that Mrs. Luetgert gave 1t 10
him to Garry saying she feared Iuetgert
would take it away from her as he scolded
her about having so much jewelry when,
as a matter of fact. her watch and rings
were all the jewelry she had. Inc state
then rested its case.
AS the evidence in this famous trial is
now practically all in an estimate OF the
relative strength of tie prosecution and the
defense respectively IS the sole tonic ~ dis
cltssion around the Criminal Court hGiding.
The attorneys engaged are probably the
hest Judges Of the weight of the evidence
All Of them have made close analytical
study OF every bit of evidence produced on
one or the other Of the contending sides
must be entirely wrong for both are sure
OF winning,
1--WE have made out as strong a clrcum-
stantial case as II was possible TO present
said State Attorney Deneen tonight THE
evidence was connected and the story moved
along in a smooth. natural groove. can