Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-10-12
LUETGERT MURDERTRIAL REACHES
THE ARGUMENT STAGE.
TO GO TO THE JURY SATURDAY
STATES ATTORNEY M'EWEN TO
TALK FOR TWO DAYS.
All the Parties Interested in the Case
EIated That the End Is So Near
As Big n Crowd ns Ever
10 Hear the
Trial.

Chicago, Oct 1.-THE final arguments
will have been concluded in the Luetgtrt
trial and the case will he given TO 'he
jury by the end of the week This. NJ le,ls''
is the expectation of the attorneys. Ihe
defense expected to-day TO take most OF
the session OF court in offering sur-feou''ai
evidence. but some of its witnesses "sfe
not present when their names were caii'u'
and 1t was decided that the case might as
we'll go on Assistant States Attorney Me
Even began the opening address Tor Inc
state. and he will speak for TWO days AT
least He win be Followed by Attorney
Phalen, for the defense. and Attorney Nin-
cent will close in behalf of Luetgert Ihen
will come the closing of the state WHICH
will be made by States Attorney Deneen.
States Attorney McEwen addressed the
jury for three hours this afternoon and
had barely outlined his argument at the
hour of adjournment for the day. lie Will
vesume the argument tomorrow morning
and will talk aii-day. '-'-N17' ''''---
''The state was conservative in its as
sertions as to what it would prove on the
witness stand some weeks ago." said the
speaker. in his opening. I'VE made no
boasts We told you in the simplest
language We could employ just what the
evidence would disclose. Our promises
have been fulfilled. Testimony given from
the witness stand has disclosed and de-
yeloped more than we promised YOU No
stronger case under similar evidence was
ever presented to 4 jury. Search the law
books the world over. and you will find
no circumstantial case to equal the now
world-famous Luetgert trial. The. crime
is one of the most remarkable in criminal
4 annals. yet when the details are followed
up and linked together in ctrcumstantial
/. chain, the motive and the act are extreme
1r- 1air and md ilh 10 Tha a
been made here that We have failed TO
establish properly the corpus delfcti, and l
suspect you will hear much about this
from the attorneys on the other side. The
body of the crime has been sufficiently
shown by the circumstances which estab-
lish that Mrs. Luetgert met her death
more necessity of proving the corpus deficit
further than there would be to produce a
house in court to prove that a person on
trial for burglary broke into 1t, or'to pro-
duce the horse before the jury which a
thief is alleged to have stolen.'
The speaker referred to the fact that
nearly six months had elapsed since Mrs.
Luetgert had disappeared from her home.
She still remains absent, and will remain
missing as long as the world endures. u
shouted the assistant states attorney, star
ing at Luetgert.
Then the case was taken up chronological.
ly, and all the incidents traced briefly
down TO the date of the opening of the trial
This started with the inquiry of Diedrict
Bicknese fo- his sister, and Luetgert's in.
different reply that she had left IN a temper
and would return when she got over hel
mad" Finally came the notification of the
police and the subsequent developments
All these were traced by the speaker, who
praised the police for the excellence of theil
work
circumstantial evidence has sometimes oc
CURED said Assistant StatssZ Attorney
MeEWsn; but such pen died: az truly t
support law and order as the sailor or sol
dier killed in battle
The alleged relations of Leutgert AND
Mary Siemmering were touched upon ant
were declared to have furnished the mo
tive for the crime. The law was read Il
impress the jury with the scope and sig
,nfficance of -circumstantial evidence.
- Tomorrow especial attention will be pait
to Mary Siemmering and William Charles
and DR. Walter II. AllpoTt, the bone ex
length Attorney Phaien i'i will follow 'Oas' AS
sistant States Attorney McEwen.
Despite drizzling downpour of rain to
ipal court building to be present at th'
opening of the eighth week of the famous
trial was no less in numbers than upoI
other mornings. The thrpng was com
posed of the same Heterogeneous combina
tion of the morbidly curious that ha.
packed the courtroom from the beginning
of the trial. More than third of tn,
members of the crowd which poured int
the big criminal court building to-day wer,
women. They came attired. as If for mat
ineeAperformance. but the raindrops had
in some instances. played havoc with tn,
flowers and feathers of their hats. The in
jury to their pumage did not rufIle thei
tempers. and they chatted spiritediy a
they stood in line and waited for the chic
baiiif TO order the doors leading to Judg
Tuthill's courtroom to be opened.
Wien this order was finally given, ther
was a rush for the courtroom which tn
officers in charge were unable to checl
and in n few mnutesdhe room was packe
ard the guards closed the corridor door.
Then followed the usual flow of oriGins
and grotesque profanity from those VIII
were shut out. The oft-repeated cry c
favoritism on the part of the deputy shel
ifs and court bailiffs was raised, but
had no effect and the discontented thron
slowly sought consolation by going int
other courtrooms TO listen to the trials
less noted cases.
Luetgert expressed his pleasure that I,
day marked the opening of the last wee
OF his trial. He was not alone in his al
probation of this fact. Everyone connec
ed with the proceeding Is tired of It, -
has been a long drawn out and hard trial
said States Attorney Deneen. Il am pos
lively eiated over the fact that we are
close to the date when the case will |
given over TO the jury
NntnaHr