Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-08-28
ON TRIAL FOR LIFE.
State Claims Body Destroyed In
Pot ash-Eyidcuce Circu Mstantial.

POtash-EvidcuceC ircumstantiai.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, Aug. 26-Adolph l.. Luet-
CERT, the alleged wife murderer, has been
placed on trial for life. 1t Is charged that
1uetgert, who Is sausage maker and very
wealthy. killed his wife and dissolved her
body In a strong solution Of boiling potash.
1t Is not positively known even that the
woman Is dead, no trace OF her body hav-
Ing been found. An unclaimed cadaver from
one OF the penitentiares was operated upon
n few DAYS ago In the manner charged by
the state against Luetgert The body was
entirely destroyed only two splinters OF
bone and muddy sediment remaining.
This was done by the state rs II preliminary
10 prove that body could be thus destroyed.
The evidence will be entirely circumstantial.
A little study OF the accused man IL OF IN
terest. As he enters the courtroom his
face betrays neither u forced look nor re-
served attitude, though his countcnance
eyinces the realization that he Is a special OBJ
iect of interest His blue eyes, curtained with
heavy lids, suggest friendly disposition,
and betray both humor and thoughtfulness.
His features are heavy, strong and border
ing on coarsencss, while his face and head,
on the whole, are we'll formed and large:
His hair Is dark brown, abundant, and
slightly tinged with gray. No stigmata OF de-
generacy are anywhere evident about him.
He has u large and strongly proportioned
body, about feet II inches in height. He
at times chats in the most natural manner
with others, or reads q newspaper while
counsel for both sides are holding
a private conference. Viewed In the
light of certain facts, the charge, II true,
has been fifty called the crime OF the
century. 1t is anomalous and without par
allcl. His wife, whom he married about 20
years ago, was a comely and shapely person,
six or seven years younger than himself and
/, =; - h,r a liam M ornp aha
periencing the change OF life. Although
not markedly retiring in disposition. she
was somewhat peculiar In deneanor, but
quite domestic in her habits. Nor was ever u
word of unfaithfulness to her marriage vow
whispered against her, although state OF in
felicity OF some kind existed between herand
her husband, which was evidenced by petty
quarrels and his sleeping in his office for
some years past. Two beautiful children.
the elder being boy of twelve, are their
mutual offspring, both loving their parents
and both parents loving their children.
Mrs Luetgert Il domestic servant when she
was married, finally attained to the luxuries
Of her husbands indomitable energy
and business perseverance,. But, with
all that, she seems hardly to have
risen any in the social scale. On
the other hand, Luetgert, now 81 years OF
age, is a man of great physical energy and
business capacity. His mind seems TO nave
been absorbed with the desire for business
success as sausage maker. Among his
customers and those with whom he had
business relations, he has the general repu-
tation for being honorable and businesslike
in all his dealings, though varying some
what in temper. From small beginning he
gradually built up an enormous business.
with manufacturing plant having an
estimated value of 100000 and employ
ing some 400 people when in full blast
BY experimentation he discovered u process
which enabled lin TO make sausages in
summer, a feat peculiarly his own. He
worked early and late, idling never. While
he was moderate in the use of drink he was
an inveterate smoker. He Is reputed to be
blunt and somtimes harsh in manner. So
far his demeanor since arrest has simply
been that of All energetic, uncultured
man, feeling outraged at his imprison-
ment and the charge against him. lie
has at no time shown any stolidi!y.
exaggeration, suggestion Of insanity.
nor any sign Of fear or remOrse,
nor any noteworthy Inconsistencies
in word or deed. He is as fresh and
vigorous today as on the day of HE incar-
ceration and just as sanguine of complete
yindication. He has none of the marks OF
the smooth, oly-tongued, sagaclous ilend,
such us the late Midget, the multi-mur-
derer, nor has he evidenced anything of the
stolidity of the lower order of callous crimi-
mails. The points that the state will have
to prove are, first that MIS- A. l.. Leutgert
Is dead; second, that she died by foul
means, and. third. that A. l.. Leutgert; her
husband caused hcr death