Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-02
TALK TO PHoNoGRAPH
Witnesses in Luetgert Trial Asked to Speak
Up in Court.
Interest In Defendants Testimony
to Identity Bones.

CHICAGO, October 2.-It looked for a
few moments today as II there would be
another interruption in the Luetgert trial.
Juror John E. Fowler was not feeling well,
but expressed desire, however, that the
case proceed, and court opened at the
usual hour.
The first witness called to the STAND this
morning was Dr.. v. A. Merillat of the Nc
killop Veterinary College. Chicago. DR..
Merillat was called upon to identify var
icus bones placed in evidence ny the prose-
cution and declared by the defense to be
the bones of one of the lower animals.
Like his predecessors upon. the stand in
the expert line, the witness was inclined to
lecture and demonstrate his remarks to
degree that became somewhat tiresome
But he spoke in clear, loud tone Of voice
which was entertaining to the experts in
the room. -
He was less confident in his identifications
than other experts who have been heard
curing. the trial. Benefiting by their anus
lrg, and at times humiliating. plumbers. the
witness avoided the cleveriy laid technical
pitfalls arranged by Professor Dorsey of
the Field Columbian Museum and led I'D
to by the questioning of Assistant States
Attorney McEwen He refused to identify
stumbling block to Dr. Airport who said IT
was the femur of strong man, who, in
life, had probably been five feet four inches
taiL In reality, the gorilla, whose Zones
Row rest In the Field Columbian Museum,
was six feet six inches tall when he roam,
ed the jungles.
Refused to Commit Himself.
The witness also refused to commit him
self as to a temporal bone handed him. He
gave his reasons for these refusals. He
said that he wanted something more than
an isolated bone in order to positively state
its probable nature and connection. While
the witness felt sure In his own mind as to
the identity of the bones, yet he did not
propose, he said, in a case involving 40
much, and while he was under oath, to
positively state that these bones were All
solutely what he thought they were. He
did not believe in offhand guessing. and
tnought any expert should be granted time
10 make thorough investigation
I A photograph expert brought to the
court room today a score OF receiving
cylinders and vast bugIe-shaped tube.
This was trained upon the witness stand.
and. by request of counsel. witnesses will
speak loud and clear in the future. In a
short time Photographic reproduction of
some of the evidence in the famous Luet-
try. e CUM
Luetgert's testimony will be the star EVIL
dence OF the trial, and an effort will he
made to get 1t all into the -phonograph.
On cross-examiEatfon by Assistant
Stdte Attorney McEWe1, DIR. Merillat WAS
led into a fiat contradiction of DR.. Allport
as to the Identification of a hog femur.
Yesterday DR.. Airport positively Identified
the bone as the upper part of the femur
OF hog. This morning DIR. Merillat tust
as positively stated the bone was the lower
part OF the femur.
Surer queried Assistant States Attor-
ney McEwen.
Sure. echoed the witness
You could not be mistaken" persisted
the cross-examiner.
Il think not; no. sir" answered the sur
geon.
That's ALL remarked Mr.. McEwen.
smiling as he toyed with the femur of the
hog.
More Talk About Bones.
Mr.. ]. Hughes of the Chicago Veterinary
College was next called to the witness
stand and told what he knew about bones
to the phonograph-and incidentally to the
attorneys and jury. His evidence did not
differ materially from that OF the other
experts.
Later Prof. Eckley of Chicago College cf
Physicians and Surgeons was called and
questioned at length regarding sesamoids.
femurs. temporals and other bones
Luetgert was apparently In the best of
spirits and good humor and laughed fire.
quently over the tits between counsel