The San Francisco call., 1897-10-15
Attorneys Try to Raise a
Doubt That the Wife
Is Dead.
PhaIen and Vincent Use Elo-
QuenCe to Influence the
Jury.
During the Closing Scenes Of the
Trial the Accused Seems to
Be Breaking Down.
Special Dispatch to The CALL.

CHICAGO Ill. Oct. 14.-The food of
oratorv continued in the Luetgert trial to-
davand il viii last for two days longer.
Attorney Phalen, for the defense, con-
cIu5ed his address, after speaking two
hours this morning. and ex-Judge Vim
cent began a fervId address on behalf of
the defendant. The main point of his ar
eument to-day was TO raise in the minds
of the Jury doubt as to whether Mrs.
Luetgert is really dead. He admitted that
she had disappeared, but insisted that it
had not been shown beyond all doubt that
.yhe was dead Having spent much time
y N trying to create the doubt in the minds
OF the Jury, he insisted that there should
be no hallway measures in the verdict
made. II Luetgert was guilty OF this
crime he deserved all that the law could
mete out TO him, but if he was not guilty
beyond all doubt he should be set free
Vincent ,nsisted that the case was not one
Tor compromise verdicts. 1t would not do
to sentence the prisoner to the penlten-
tiary, because it was just possible that the
woman might turn up some day. If the
jury believed that there was any Hkeli-
hood of her turning up at any later day it
was their business to aCquit the prisoner
now.
The sons of 4. /. Luetgert, who were
YESTERDAY removed from their father by
order OF the court, were not present this
morning when Attorney Phalen resumed
his address. The absence of the children
was taken by the prosecution as a con-
firmation of their assertion OF yesterday
that the little boys were brought into
court after an absence of several weeks
simply to pay uFOn the sym pathles Of
lhe jurors.
The expression upon the face of Luet-
CERT this morning indicated more plainly
than words that he had spent a restless
night. He Is breaking down, was the
comment OF those who know tie man
well. Ii will not be surprising If a total
collapse follows in the event or conviction.
Dark rings encirCled the swollen eyes of
the prisoner this morning, and his man
ner was sub lued In comparison with the
spirit he displayed some weeks ago.
The argument of counsel, which bring
up in review all the details OF the famous
trial, affect Luetgert more than did the
various testimony OF the witnesses. All
the circumstances and events OF May L,
and The Developments since that time, are
marshaled into line and paraded before
the jury, recalling TO Luetgert's mind Ghs
amount of evidence which is welded into
the circumstantial chain.
Attorney Phalen WAS apparently much
resumed his argument and made the dec
Iarauon that the defense had not only
broken the States cIrcumstantIaI chain OF
evidence at both ends and in the middle
but that 1t h"d scattered the fragments to
the four winds. He reiterated the conten-
Iion that the State had not proven a cor
pus deficit OF sufficient reliability for
serious consideration when human life
was al stake.
For aught we know Mrs. Luetgert is
this very moment in the enjoyment of ro-
bust health in the land of her nativity, -
shouted Attorney Phalen. Then he let
his voice down to heavy whisper and
added: "Cr she may be employed in some
family remote from the habltation OF in
telIigent civilization and be herself in a
partially dementeu condition"
The lawyer next took up the matter of
the rings found in the middle vat in the
Luetgert sausage factory.
These rings are considered by some
people as the strongest feature in this
case" said Attorney Phalen. In one
sense they are, or. rather, were, until We
proved beyond doubt by one who had
seen Mrs. Luetgert's rings repeatedly,
that those found in the vat were never
worn by her. They were not her rings.
How did they get into The vat? l don't
know. Rather, I ask the question, Were
they ever in that vAtP Policemen say
they found them in the bottom of the vat
wherein the body of Mrs. Luetgert
j. said to have been destroyed by
caustc potash. But policemen say
many things, and there was con-
tradlctlon upon this point which ought
to ralse reasonable doubt, l think, in e
mind OF any far Juror. If those rings
were In that vat they were placed there by
some one who sought the ruin OF Adolph
/. Luetgerf"