The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-31
LINKS IN THE CHARGE
OF MURDER.
1t Is Proposed to Show That
the Sausage-Maker Killed
His Wife
AND THEN DESTROYED HER
BODY.
Testimony Of the Little Son of the
Accused Produces a Mild
Sensation.

CHICAGO, ILL, Aug. 30.-The trial of
AdoIph Luetgert, the sausage m aker, Tor
the alleged murder of his wife on May L
last began in earnest to-day. Two wit
nesses were examined, Diedrich Blck-
nesse, brother of Mrs Luetgert, and Louis
Luetgert, the 12-yea1-old son OF the &C
cused. The testimony of Bicknesse
tended In the main to show the alleged
indifference OF Luetgert to the fate OF his
wife, and the alleged indisposition to
report the matter of her disappearance to
the police department.
Louis LuetgerI, who is a remarkably
bright lad for his age, produced some
thing ora sensation in concluding his tes-
timony, and it is believed caused counsel
for the prosecution to regret having
placed him on the stand. The boy has
already been examined twice as to his
knowledge of his mothers disappearance,
and in neither case did he refer to hav-
ing heard his mother about the house
after he had been sent to bed.
To-day he recounted how he had gone
to circus on the evening Of his mothers
disappearance. He returned about 1920
and found his mother, to whom he de-
scribed what he had seen at the circus.
While engaged in this conversation he
said his father entered the room and Or
dered him to bed. Later, he said, he
heard his father descending the rear stair
way in the direction of the sausage fac
tory. This portion OF his testimony was
identical with that given at the prelimin-
airy and habeas corpus hearings. But to-day
he continued by saying that after he had
been asleep Tor long time he was sud
denly awakened by hearing a rustIiDg
skirts in his bedroom. He called out: us
THAT you, fsther| but his mothers voice
replied, No; 1t is me-"
The lad declared that he was sure that
it was his mothers voice which replied to
his query, and be soon went to sleep.
The States Attorney asked LOUIS why he
had not told this part of his testimony
before, ana he replied that no one had
asked him If he had seen his mother after
retiring.
Assistant States Attorney McEwan for
mally opened the case for the State. On
the wall close to the Jury box were hung
large maps of the Luetgert sausage-fac-
tory. the Luetgert home and all the sur
roundings OF the place where it is charged
the prisoner killed his wife and then de-
stroyed her body. The attorney for the
State began with the disappearance OF
Mrs. Luetgert on May l, and next de-
scriDed the visit on May OF Diedrich
Bicknesse, a brother OF Mrs. Luetgert, when
he called to see his sister, and discovered
that she had disappeared. He dwelt on
the apparent indifference of the husband,
his statement that he had not in formed
the police, but had hired two detectives
and his invitation to Bicknesse to call
again In about a week, when he would tell
him if anything had been discovered con-
corning the Whereabouts of his sister.
Attorney McEwan told the jury that
Luetgert's statement that he had hire
Two detectives to search for his wife
would be proven false.
MIR. McEwan said it is the the theory of
the State that Mrs. Luetgert accompanied
her husband to the factory. About 1880
her little son Louis returned from the
city and saw her sitting IN the kitchen.
The conversation of the boy with his
mother was Interrupted by Luetgert who
came in and ordered the boy to bed. Be-
fore going 10 sleep the boy heard his
father descending the back stairs toward
the factory, where he had slept for years
Mr.. McEwan said it is the theory Of the
State that Mrs. Luetgert descended the
stairs at the same time and went 10 the
factory. The boy did not hear her steps
because she wore house slippers, which
were seen In the alley in the rear of the
house a few minutes later. They were
seen going through gate, which leo to
no place except the factory.
The attorney for the State then detailed
the movements at the Luetgert factory,
the turning on of the steam TO the vat, the
sending OF Watchman Bailk shortly after
to a drugstore and Bailk's subsequent
errand to a drugs ore, all of which kept
him OUT of the factory Tor an hour and a
half He was away when Mrs. Luetgert
was last seen alive in the alley.
The alleged motive and operating rea-
son which actuated Luetgert, according
TO the theory of the Stale, was then de-
scribed. Mr.. McEwan said Luetgert
despised his wife. He had treated her
with violence, as the evidence for the
State will show. He had no affection for
her and lived alone in the factory. There,
the attorney said, he had been visited by
other women
Attorney Vincent object d to this state
ment, but Judge TuthiIl overruled the OBJ
lection
Mr.. McEwan SAID a witness would tes-
tify that he saw LuetgerI choke his wife
once. She said, You need not Kill me
as you did that man, for l have no
money" This caused Luetgert to say
that she would not be allowed to betray
him.
Vincent objected to this statement as
foreign to the case and not proper EVIL
dence but was overruled by the court.
When Mr.. McEwan concluded Attorney
Vincent announced that no opening ad-
dress would be made at present for the de-
tense.
The first witness was then called, w. 81.
Haafe of the city map department testify
ing to the correctness of the drawings
being used by the prosecution.
When the aftern DON session began the
hrst witness called was Diedrich Bicknesse,
BROTHER of Mrs. Luetgert. He told the
Jury of his visit to the house OF Luetgert
on May TO see his sister There he met
the sausage maker and talked with him
for some time before he was informed
that Mrs Luetgert had disappeared.
Bickeosse said Luetgert told him he did
az know what had become OF his wife.
ae had last seen her the Saturday even
Sngg previous. Luetgert said he did not