Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-22

Room, at the Sausage Factory
Office an Average of Three Nights
a Week-When Luetgert Was
Sick, He Sent for Mary, But Not
for His Wife-The Defense States
It's Case-Says Mrs. Luetgert Is
Alive and in Germany.
Chicago, September 21.-The direct
evidence in the Luetgert case is in
and the State has rested.
Shortly after o'clock this after
noon the last witness of the prosecu-
ton was heard. This witness was
Mrs Louise Miller Johnson. She came
into court supported by Captain Her
man Schuettler, of the Sheffield avenue
police station. Mrs. Johnson has been
i'll for several weeks and the prosecu
ton feared the woman would not. be
able to appear to testify. Her evil
dence was important, as showing
Luetgerts attitude toward his wife.
A carriage was sent to her home on
the North Side and Mrs. Johnson made
the trip to the court house, attended
by a friend. She was quite exhausted
when she reached the Criminal Court
building and almost tainted at the
elevator leading to Judge Tuthill's
court room. When sworn, Mrs. john
son testified that upon one occasion
she saw Luetgert, in a rage, chase his
wife out of their house. The big sau-
sage maker, the witness said, was
armed with a revolver. He called his
wife names and threatened to shoot,
but did not.
Ex-Judge Vincent did not cross-ex-
anime the witness at length. When
she left the stand States Attorney
Deneen said: IF the court please, the
State rests
There was a general movement in
the crowded room as the spectators
glanced toward Luetgert and his coun-
sci. Luetgert leaned forward and
whispered to ex-Judge Vincent. The
latter arose and made a formal mo-
ton that the case be taken from the
jury on the ground that the State
had failed to make out case. Judge
Tuthill promptly overruled the mo-
ton without argument.
Then ex-Judge. Vincent stated that,
owing to the lateness of the hour, he
would like to postpone his opening
address to the jury until tomorrow
morning. There was no objection to
this and an adjournment was taken.
1t required just twenty days for the
presentation of the evidence of the
prosecution. FX-Judge Vincent said
tonight the defense would present
its side of the case in just half that
time. my address to the jury in
opening will be short and directly to
the point" he said. I'VE deny the
murder-the corpus delecti has not
been proven as the law requires. This
fact cannot be assumed nor inferred
from such testimony as has been pre-
sented here. We will explain away
all the evidence brought here by the
police department after months of in
vestigation and manipulation. | do
not care to give out in full our de-
tense until we get started, but | prom
ise some startling developments before
we are through
The prosecution scored an important
point this morning. Judge Tut
hill ruled that the motive evidence
of Frank Bialk and Frank Odorosky,
former employees of the big sausage
maker, was admissible as long as it
was direct. This was the matter taken
under Amusement last Saturday.
The evidence of these two men is in
relation to the frequent visits to Luet-
gerts sausage factory OF Mary Stem
mering, Luetgert's servant. 1t was the
theory of the State that Luetgert's al
legged attentions to other women was
the original cause of the trouble with
his wife and his persistence in open
flirtations with other women culmin-
ated in a continued warfare between
husband and wife. Luetgert, it is be-
lieved by the prosecution, in order to
pursue his course undisturbed CON
ceived the idea of getting rid of his
wife. and did so.
Frank Bialk, the aged Waterman at
the Luetgert sausage factory. who be-
sides watching the premises at night,
kept fires burning in the furnaces, was
the first witness called this morning to
show the motive. He said that Mary
Siemering paid frequent visits to
Luetgert in the latter's office in the
sausage factory at night. Luetgert. be-
cause Of his unpleasant domestic af-
fairs, had a bed placed in a small room
just off his office and slept there.
The last time the witness remembered
seeing Mary Siemering there was one
week before May l. the date of the disap-
pearance of Mrs. Luetgert. 1t was $50
o'clock in the evening. Luetgert and the
young woman retired TO the bed room and
closed the door. The witness said that
Mary Siemering visited Luetgert on an
average of three nights each week for
months before Mrs. Luetgert disappeared
This had been going on for three or four
years before May l on the present year.
Upon one occasion, the witness said.
Luetgert called him about 10 o'clock at
night and told him 10 go and get Mary
Luetgert said he was sick. Bialk went
to Mary's bed room window and tapped
upon il with a stick. When she appeared
he told her Luetgert wanted her She
soon appeared al the sausage factory and
entered through a window and went TO
Luetgert's bed room
Attorney Vincent sharply cross-ques-
toned Bialk. He asked him if he had not
been constantly with detective Klinger
since month before the trial opened.
The witness said he had. Then the law
yer wanted TO kncv if he was not telling
by the prosecution.