The San Francisco call., 1897-09-09
Bits of Steel From the
Vat Produced in
Court.
Identified by COrSet-MakerS as
Products of Their
Factory.
Widow FeIdt Gives Up an Ugly
Looking Knife Belonging to
the Prisoner.

CHICAGO, ILL, Sept. 8.-The defense
in the trial Of Adolph l.. Lueteert for wife
murder was somewhat surprised by
move OF the STATE to-day. What is con-
sidered to be one of the strongest pieces OF
evidence in the trial WAS produced.
Mrs. Christine Feldt, Luetgert's one
time sweetheart was called to the stand
BY the State for the third time. Assistant
States Attorney MoEwen handed her an
ugly-appearing pocket-knife, the blades OF
which were stained and rusted, and asked
her if she had ever seen it before.
She testified that the big sausage man.
ufacturer had given her this knife for safe
keeping on the day of his arrest.
The prosecution asserts that it was with
this knife that Luetgert murdered is wife
before placing her body in the boiling pot
ash. where it was dissolved.
The uely looking object was passed
around for inspection of the attorneys and
was handed to Luet CERT, who opened and
closed the blades. gazing curiously at the
weapon and scraping the blade with his
finger, as if to feel the stains which COW
cred the blade
Duetgert evidenced no emotion. though
including court, Jury and spectators. were
closely watching and taking note OF his
every action. In talking with his sttor-
news he admitted that the knife was his
property.
The court opened with the usual crowd
camoring for admission at the door.
Within the courtroom the members OF
the fair sex predominated among the
spectators, and the little room was
crowded IN IFS utmost caDacltV.
When Luetgert entereQ, shortly before
court was opened, he repeated his manner
of Tuesday and smiingly nodded at the
jury. lie attempted to catch the eve OF
Judge Tuthili, but that official refused to
notice the prisoner.
Bernard Pruess identified two bits Of
steel as pieces he found in the ashes where
the supposed residue of bones and other
material which was scooped from the vat
was dumped.
Then came the sensation of the day. j.
H. Odebret t and w. G. Cady, corsetmak-
ers, were PLACID on the stand in success
sion and positively identified the two
alleged corset steels as having been the
product of their factory.
Certain marks on the two bits OF metal
were shown to correspond with similar
marks on new steels which were produced
in court.
This was considered by the State to be
q great blow to the defense. and was un-
expected by the latter, who hoped TO
prove that the two pieces OF steel were
scale bands.
The afternoon was given up to dry ex
pert testimony. Professor Charles Glib
son, 10 whom the newspaper men gave
the fluid they got from the val. was e1-
amlned and testified to the finding OF
organic matter in the pinkish brown fluid
which he subjected to chemical analysis.
deliberately, and were couched in tech
nical terms. 1t required much time 10
question the witness so tnat his testimony
could be made clear to the jury.
The witness asserted it rs his opinion
that the dissolution OF the shy portions
time and manner alleged by the State, but
denied that The condition of the bones
would be materially affected.
The defense considered that point was
scored in their favor when the witness as
serted that the hair would be the first por
ton of the body to dissolve in The caustic
mixture.
Attorney Vincent will request the jury
TO reconcile this bit of testimony with the
alleged finding of hair in the vat.
The last witness sworn was the son of
Watchman Bialk, who testified to having
enticed Luetgert to his fathers room un-
der pretense If the latter's illness.
detective was concealed under ;he bed
at the time and the testimony WAS in
tended to be merely corroborative of por-
tions of the testimony Of the officer who
listened to the conversation between
Luetgert ana his old employe
The attorneys for the defense assert that
the day has done h cir cause good. They
expect to controvert the material points
in the testimony and ignore many points
which they consider To be irrelevant TO
the issue.
Luetgert's unconcerned demeanor con-
tinues and the most damaging evidence
seems to affect him but little.