The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-25
INTENTION TO LEAVE HOME
RULED GUT.
MORE KENOSHA TESTIMONY.
WITNESSES WHO SAW
THE WOMAN ALLEGED TO BE
DEAD.
Some Years Ago Brought to
the Front.

CHICAGO, Sept. 24-The testimony
for the defense in the Luetgert trial
today was, for the most part, that Of
witnesses who said that they had seen
Mrs. Luetgert in the vicinity of Keno
sha, Wis, within a few days after the
date on which it has been claimed by
the state that she was murdered. An
effort was made to introduce evidence
regarding threats that Mrs. Luetgert is
said to have made of leaving her home.
When this question was first brought
up the court ruled that threats of this
kind when made not longer than one
week prior to the disappearance of
the woman, would be admissible, but
that he could not permit testimony on
this point dating back farther than
week. The witnesses for the defense,
who were to testify regarding the in
tentiOn of Mrs. Luetgert to leave her
home, had heard her make the threats
several months prior to May l, and
the court threw out the evidence. To-
morrow the defense will make a strong,
effort to get the court to alter his
ruling on this point.
The fact that Juror William Harler
was indicted in 1887 for conspiracy and
bribery, in connection with the Cook
county commissioners scandal. was
dragged to the front today There are
now no cases pending against Juror
Harler and he was never put on trial
on the indictments against him. States
Attorney Deneen stated that he had
known for a month all about the for
mer charges against Juror Harier.
Had been fully advised at the time
he was chosen I might have objected
to him." said the states attorney.
Il have spoken to eX-State's Attor-
ney Longenecker, who had charge of
the county commissioner Doodle cases,
and he assured me that Juror Harier
was a perfectly honest, honorable and
reliable man and that all the charges
against him had been wiped out. He
was indicted at a time when all men
holding any kind of a county contract
were looked upon with suspicion. The
state is perfectly satisfied with the
makeup CT the jury
NOT DISTURBED.
States Attorney Dereen was appar-
emily not disturbed by the evidence OF
the witnesses from Kenosha, who iden-
titled the picture Of Mrs. Luetgert as
that of a strange woman they saw in
the Wisconsin town on May g. 4 and i.
Wait until we put on our rebuttal
evidence" said the states attorney.
I'VE will show this defense up in q
way that will be surprising"
Tomorrow witnesses will be called
TO show Luetgert's treatment of his
wife 1t will be sought to be shown
, Al Il md I,of
his home life was pleaSan-or reason
ably so, and that there was no un-
usual pickering or quarreling between
himself and his wife. Next week the
testimony of the experts in regard to
the bones found in the factory will
| be heard.
The defense this morning devoted
itself to strengthening the story that
Mrs. Luetgert had been seen in and
around Kenosha, Wis, on May 3, 4
and 5. Two witnesses. one Of whom
had known Mrs. Luetgert for seven
wears, positively identified a photo
graph of Mrs Luetgert as the picture
of the woman they saw at kenosna
on the dates mentioned. Mrs. Matte
| Scherer, Miss Maud Sherer and Miss
Gertrude Miller testified this morning
that Emma Schimpke, since she had
| testified for the prosecution, had said
in their hearing that her evidence was
! entirely false. She said the only rea-
son she testified this way was to sup
mort the evidence of her sister, Got
| lieha, who had first lied.
Frank Schlebe, a farmer. who lives
| near Kenosha, Wis, and who had
known Mrs. Luetgert for seven years,
testified that he met her on a country
road near that town on May 4. he
said he did not recognize the woman.
| but he was attracted by her worn and
generally exhausted appearance. After
wards. when he learned that Mrs.
| Luetgert was missing, and read de-
scription of the clothing she wore when
she disappeared, he was confident he
! had seen her, and that the strange
woman he met on the road was She
Policeman William Smith, of Keno
| sha, told of seeing strange woman
| at the Northwestern depot at Kenosha
| at 3 o'clock on the morning of May 5.
! He positively identified the photograph
| of Mrs. Luetgert as the woman he
| saw at the depot. The policeman de-
! scribed the woman and her attire.
Some time ago Judge Tuthil ruled
that no evidence tending to show
| threats to leave her home by, Mrs.
| Luetgert prior to two weeks before
| her disappearance would be admitted.
| When the defense began putting OH
| witnesses today who testified to hav-
| ing heard the woman make threats to
| leave during last February and March,
| this evidence was objected to by the
state. and the objection was sustained
! The defense had no other evidence, and
court was adjourned until 9 o'clock to-
morrow morning.
Canada ArminE.