The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-08-29

knoWIedge or chemistry, Luetgert devised
several processes Dy which ne was en-
abled TO manufacture ms product Tor
much less money than his competitors
ana became possessed Of fortune estl-
mated at sJvp,WJ.
In his domestic life the sausage man
was not SO successful. Mrs Luetgert is
said 10 have had violent temper, which
she not infrequentiy displayed, aroused
on most occagions by jealousy. The quar-
rels became 50 frequent that the husband
fitted I'D a couple OF rooms Tor himself
in ms factory. There, with only TWO great
Danes for company he spent his nights.
Saturday night, May !, at 1880 clock,
Mrs. Luctgert was seen Tor the last tme
by her twelve year-old son, Louis, who at
that hour bade his mother good night and
went TO his room. At this time Mrs.
Iuetpert was dressed in a brown flannel
wrapper, with small white spots, cloth
slippers. with leather sOles, and square
brOwnish shawl, which she mad thrown
over her shoulders. Sunday morning
Lustgert walked across from the factory
To the house. casually inquired Tor his
wife. and expressed little or no surprise
when ne found she was not at home.
There appears TO have been no inquiry
as TO Mrs Luetgerts whereabouts until
the Tuesday following, when her brother
Dietrich Blcknese, called at the Luetgert
residence and made some inquiries OF his
brOther-in-law To the brothers inquir-
les Luetgert replied that he guessed his
wife, IL not at her brothers. house, had
gone away on little trip.
Incidentally be stated that he had found
the children savings banks broken open
and the contents. amounting 70 someGing
Ike $40 gone. The brother suggested that
the police be communicated with, where
upon Luetgert stated that he had already
communicated with a private detective.
The brother waited for two days, and see
ing no evidence OF an active inquiry on
the part Of his brOther-in-law, reported
the matter TO Captain Schuettler.
A careful description OF the woman was
sent broadcast, and then, on the theory
that she might have committed suicide,
suggested bv Luctgert himself, the river
was dragged in the neighborh0od OF the
factory. In the meantime n reward OF
$3.50 was offered for information that
would lead TO the discovery OF the missing
woman.
appeared financial difficulties overlook the
sausage maker and his factory passed
into the hands Of an assignee. IL was
stated that Mrs Luetgert on a number
OF occasions had told her friends that II
her husband ever got into trouble or lost
his money she would leave Chicago and
get a position as servant somewhere
where She was not known.
Color was lent 10 this idea by the fact
that Mrs. Luetgert was not strong mem
tally, and for some time the police worked
on tho suicide theory. Quite by acci-
dent. the police got track Of Frank Bialk,
n former night watchman In the factory.
and from him they ascertalned the sig
niiicant fact that at Luetgerts request
he had fred up on the night OF May !, I'm
spite OF the fact that the factory was
closed down. This opened the eyes OF the
police, who started in upon a minute
search Of the premises.
In the front part of the basement were
three large vats used In boiling sausage
meat, the heat being supplied in the form
OF live steam from a battery Of two boil
ers in the rear a board partition separat-
ing the two rooms. one OF the vats show
ed evidence OF recent use, and for a pur-
pose other than that for which IL Was III
tended. Bialk told the police that his em-
plOyer had spent the greater part OF sat
urday night in the front part OF the base
ment, where the vats were located, ana
that Luetgert had himself turned on the
steam I'm a pipe connected with the watts.
lie had seen nothing Of Mrs. Luetgert,
but his employer had sent him away
from the factory twice during the evening
his absence being long enough 10 nave
permitted the accomplishment OF great
many things. Moro detectives were I'M
mediately detailed on the case, and all OF
the ex-emplOyes cf the establishment
were found and qleslf0aed. Among Otn-
ers, Frank OberOWsky, a laDOrer, told the
officers that several weeys previous 10
the disappearance Of Mrs. Luetgert,
barrel OK stun. with which ne was not
familiar. had been delivered at the fac
tory, and under Luetgerts instructions,
he mad dumped IL out OF the package ana
broken it up. lie told the police that it
burned his hands, ana exhibited the scars
with which they were SUI marked. This
practically satisfied the police tnat cor
rOslye cnamcal, Tor which there was no
legitimate use in the factory, had been
purchased for purpose, and probably
used in the central vat.
When he was arrested, Luetgert was
confronted by an array of sinister facts.
Inc bottom of the vat in the basement
of the sausage factory had yielded sew
eral pieces on bone and TWO small gold
rings, one OF them u plain gold circle.
sucn as Is ordinarily worn as u wedding
ring, the other with chased surface,
which was known as friendship ring.
Both of these had been idenuned as hdN-
ing been worn by Mrs. Luetgert. nve ac-
quaiutances of tine missing woman swear
ing absolutely TO their identity.
another clew found by tine detectives
was part of an artificial tooth. Or. Carl
Kline, Mrs. Luetgerts dentist, identined
it as the latter half Of an upper inclsOr
and stated Mrs. Luetgert had such a
tooth on an upper plate she wore An IN
yestigatiOn oil the catch basin into which
the contents of the vat had drained
brought 10 light several small pieces OF
bone and "a small tangle OF blonde halr.
There mad been an apparent attempt 10
wash out the central Vat, and large
plug I'm the front section near the bottom
had been pulled 10 allow the contents 10
escape.
no this awful charge Luctgert entered
calm and complete denial. lie maintain
cd that his vile Was still alive and that
she would eventually appear, and that
the ALLEGED evidence Of the police was
"A mass OF fabrlcations. However, at the
preliminary trial, held before Justice
Kerstcn on May - the evidence obtained
bv the police appeared 10 be so strong
that the sausa-e man was held TO the
grand jury without pail.
Iuetgert was indicted by the grand jury
on June 4. and ou June 26, Judge Gibbons,
before whom Dee was taken on WITH
of habeas corpus. for the purpose Of secur-
ing bail. refused the writ. Since the pre-
liminarv examination and the haboas cor
ms proceedings al both Of which a large
amount OF testimony was taken, the po-
lice have been actively at work. with the
result. so they claim, that they Will be
able TO present at the trial, which opens
ON Monday. much new evidence that VIII
startle Luetgcrts attorneys and weave
the web about the prisoner the closer.
one OF the most remarkable features IN
the case so FAR is the attempts TO prove
that the sausage makers wife Is still
alfvo Mrs. Luotgert has been seen" at
NO less than a dozen different places since
the date of her disappearance, according
10 the stories of certain people in differ
ent parts Of the country, but so far the