Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-05
Sensations at Close Of Defense in the
Luetgert Trial.
DEFENDANT COULD NOT TESTIFY
His Leading Attorney Would Not
Allow Him to Do So.
REBUTTAL EVIDENCE NEXT

| CHICAGO. October 5-Two sensations de-
veloped in the Luetgert trial today. The first
| was the positive refusal of ex-Judge Vim
cent to allow the defendant to take the wit
| ness stand in his own behalf, and the sec
| ond was the partial Identification by a wit
ness for the defense of one of the rings
| found in the vat as the property of Mrs.
Luetgert, though the other ring was de-
clared not to be the property Of the missing
| woman.
Luetgert has declared for months that he
must tell his story to the jury. His coun-
| sci finally decided not 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 permis-
sion to consult with their client privately
Judge Tuthill said they might do SO, and
Luetgert and his lawyers retired to a pri-
waite room. 1t was known that the matter
under elaboration was whether or not
Luetgert should go upon the witness stand.
Ex-Judge Vincent vigorously opposed the
suggestion. He pointed out to Luetgert
that VIM. Charles, his business partner
had told practically the story Luetgert
would tell. You cannot add to it anything
that will benefit you,'' said Judge Vincent
III you go upon the witness stand you Will
be subjected to q examination lasting
days and covering the entire period of your
life. You will get excited, and you will say
things which will injure your case. My adj
vice to you is keep num-
Phalen Favored Luetserts Wish.
Attorney Phalen was inclined to favor
Luetgerts desire to go upon the witness
stand. He thought he might be able to
explain some things more satisfactorily
than other witnesses had. He also believed
that the absence from the witness stand
A.
| might prejudice him in the eyes of the
jury. But Attorney Phalen was willing to
admit the logic of ex-Judge Vincent's posi-
ton. and Luetgert said he would abide by
his counSelS advice.
When the lawyers and Luetgert returned
from their consultation Luetgert sat down
with grim smile upon his face. His coun-
tenance bore the expression of martyr.
The greatest disappointment of the trial
to him was apparently 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 situation with good grace as his
rough nature would permit.
Cox Describes the Weather.
The first witness called today was Henry
j. Cox of the United States weather bureau
service. Witness Cox came with charts and
| data to prove that the night of May /, 1897,
was cloudy in Chicago and vicinity. This
evidence was brought out by the defense
to counteract the testimony of witnesses
who had sworn that they stood across the
street at IL o'clock the night of May !
and saw Luetgert and his wife walking
toward the sausage factory.
The first witness called after the consul
tation of Luetgert and his attorneys was
Mrs. Mary Charles. wife of VIM. Charles,
Luetgert's business partner. Mrs Charles
said that upon several occasions Mrs. Luet-
CERT had said to her: Il am going away.
My husband has failed in business and
nla vrrSh inf hair frprn
and say: She is the wife of the sausage
maker who failed l 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. Luetgert
said again that she was going away and
repeated that she could not stand the dis
grace the failure had brought upon her
family.
she turned away and 1 never saw her
again." concluded the witness.
Dramatic Scene Follows.
A dramatic scene followed
1t has been agreed that Luetgert has Of
fered an explanation Of every accusation of
the prosecution except the rings found
in the middle vat in which the body of Mrs
Luetgert is alleged to have been disinte-
grated. 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 was engraved
the letters IL. 1.-The initials of Mrs.
Louise Luetgert. The theory of the prosecu-
ton was that they had dropped from the
dissolved finger of Mrs Luetgert in the
vat and had been glued together by flesh
tissues. The defense put off an explana-
ton of these rings until the last moment.
1t was the climax of the sausage maker S
story.
Did you ever see Mrs. Luetgert wear
finger rngs?' asked Attorney Phelan, after
Mrs. Charles had finished telling about the
missing woman's threats to leave home.
Il have. replied the witness.
Then how many?'
'She wore two
Were they geld rings?"
'They We're.
you saw them often?"
YES very Often.
Describe them, can you?"
Both were plain gold rings nearly equal
| in size-as to the width l mean. One of
them. 1 am sure, perhaps both, contained
Mrs. Luetgert's initials"
The Rings in Evidence.
did you ever see this ring now hand
YOUR
1T was one Of the rings found in the
vat. People in the court room stood up
and craned their neeks with GREATNESS in
terest while the witness examined the
ring. The big court room was hushed as
the crowd of spectators strained their ears
to ca tch the reply of Mrs. Charles.
No, sir; 1 never saw that ring before
she finally answered. 1T is narrower
than either of those Mrs. Luetgert wore.
The other ring was handed to her, and the
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
I cannot tell do not think it is one of
Them
States Attorney Deneen questioned the
witness sharply. He asked her why she
Gid not tell this story to the police or to
Justice Kersten long ago. she replied that
she had told it to Luetgert's attorneys. and
was not asked to tell it again.
Fred Miller, a nephew of Luetgert, who
had worked for the latter in the grocery
department of his sausage factory, testified
that he had the watch of Mrs. Luetgert.
He produced it upon the witness stand.
The witness said that Mrs. Luetgert gave
CERT would take 1t away from her. he