The Portland daily press., 1897-09-27
FOR LuETGeRT.
Mary siemmering Strong Witness in His
Behalf

Chicago, September 25.-The defence in
the Luetgert trial played one of its strong
cards today and the session of the
court was aD interesting one.
The first wit ness called this morning
was Mary Simmering Luetgert's servant
girl, for love of whom il is alleged he
killed his wife There was a general
craning of necls and many of the people
in theScrowded room arose to get a bet
ter glimpse of the young woman as she
assembled the witness stand.
Attorney Phalen conducted the direct
examination. Under his guidance the
witness related what she said was the
whole truth about her experience with the
Luetgert family. She said she had lived
with the Luetgerts seven or eight years
as domestic. During all that time the
witness said Luetgert had treated his
wife kindly and there was none Of the
quarreling the prosecution charged.
Coming down to May l, the date of Mrs.
Luetgert's disappearance, the witness
said that on the afternoon of that day,
Mrs. LuetgerG said to her: MARY, am
going TO leave. Ny husband 8 money is
all gone and am going to go.''
AT seven o'clock Saturday evening,
May ], the witness said that Mrs Luet-
CERT took from closet a cloak and look.
ing at it remarked, with considerable
impatience, that moths had eaten the
cloth.
and to bed shortly after then that night.
The following morning, Mrs. Luetgert
was missing and the little bank of one
of the children was broken open and the
small sum of money it had contained
was gone. The witness said that Mrs.
Luetgert had acted queerly for some time
prior to May /, and had often whipped
her children. With some chow of feeling
the witness said she was arrested on May
Is and taken TO the East Chicago Avanue
station where she was kept two days. She
said the officer who arrested her called her
a3liar when she said she did not know
where Mrs. Luetaert was and at the
station the matron took all her clothing
from her. While at the station Inspector
Shack and Assistant States Attorney
McEwen questioned her sharply, accusing
her OF improper relations with Luetgert,
which she denied. The witness said:
Inspector Shaack said to me- the old
man (Ineaning Lnetgert) will never see
the light of day again and if you don't
tell tbs truth I'll punish you. Well
lynch you and Luetgert together and he
held up his hands and showed me how
it would be done"
The witness with show of spirit de-
MED that she ever visited Luetgert III his
factory at night except in the evening oc-
casionally when others were present.
Even then she said she did not go to see
him particularly but just to take a walk
from the house. She denied emphatically
that she ever went into the factory
through window or that Luetgert was
in the habit of kissing her when she was
in his Office. She declared that Mrs.
Feldt was busy body and that her story
was untrue.
The cross-examination of Mary Stem
mering during the afternoon and up to
the moment of adjournment, did not
break her down. She chung to the more
mn mt alo l0Y1tc of hor ctO
tradicting herself upon points of little
material value. She reiterated her story
on cross-examinatinn to the effect that
Luetgert and his wife lived together hap
PLY. She declared positively that the
stories of frequent domestic brawls were
exaggerated. She also said that she
and Mrs. Luetgert were on friendly
terms and Mrs. Luetgert often paid her
extra wages because she was so pleased
with her work.
Last January she stated that she made
up her mind to leave the Luetgert house
hold, but Mrs. Luetgert objected to her
leaving and she reconsidered her deter
mination and remained. She told of
Christmas present. Mr.. Luetgert gave
her last Christmas.
The witness was somewhat bitter in her
narrative Of her alleged experience with
the police. While under arrest she said
she was insulted and threatened by DO
licemen who informed her that they knew
she and Luetger5 had been guilty of
wrong doing and that to save herself she
had better desert the s'Dutchman, as
they called Luetgert, and testify against
him. The witness declared positively
she was never in Luetgert's susage fact
DRY, either in the basement, office, or bed
room alone with Luetgert, either day or
night, as has been testified. She also
denied that she was ever in the factory
with Mrs Luetgert and that Luetgert
kissed her in the presence of his wife and
that the latter wept, as was testified to
by witness for the prosecution.