Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-26
ChicngO's Murder Mystery.
lPhiladelnhia Press

The trial of Adolph Leutgert for the
murder OF his wife, which began in Chl-
cago last Monday, will doubtless prove
to he one OF the most absorbing inuruer
trials that have occurred In TINS or any
other country. There are few cases In
the criminal annals 10 compare with IT,
Circums tantial evidence will have TO be
trusted TO from beginning TO end. There
is no proof, in fact. that murder was
committed. Only a woman has been MISS
ing. and the authorities have theory
as TO her disappearance. which may
prove TO be true or not. If. with the PROOF
now known TO the public. conviction can
be obtained. the trial will become land
mark in criminal history.
on the night of the LIST OF May last
Mrs. Leutgert disappeared from her
home. in Chicago. and there Is no anthem
tic proof that she has been seen alive
since Her husband was a large sau-
sage manufacturer but had become en-
barrassed in business. II was notorious
fact that the couple did not live happily
together. and that he had made vague
threats against her life. On the night OF
the supposed murder the authorities be-
lieve that the wife was enticed to the
sausage-factory by the husband. murder
ed. and her body dissolved in some strong
chemical i'm one of the watts used in the
factory. There is no proof, however, that
Mrs. Leutgert went to the sausage-fac-
tory. the last acknowledged sight of her
having been had by her 12-year-old son,
Louis. who babe her goodnight at 1870
o'clock and went to bed.
The facts upon which the authorities
will proceed are these: A few days before
the supposed murder Leutgert had had
delivered ut the factory large package
of some material which burned the hands
Of those who touched IL. and which had
never been used in the establishment be-
fore. The police believe it to have been
some corrosive chemical. On the night or
the alleged murder il is known that Lieut.
CERT had a fire built under one or tne
watts. that he remained alone i'm the vat
room until early in the following morn
ing and that he ordered the place tho
roughly cleaned out Immediately after
wards. In searching the vat which had
heen used on that night the authorities
found two gold rings, Dotn or which, 1t
is said. have been identified as having be-
longed to Mrs. Leutgert, and an artiii-
cial tooth. such as it is claimed Mrs.
I,eutgert wore, and i'm the catch basin
under the vat some small pieces of bone
and small tangle Of blonde hair We're
also found
To test their theory that the dead body
Of Mrs. Leutgert was dissolved i'm some
strong chemical solution experiments were
made at the Rush Medical College, I'm
Chicago, which, il is claimed, proved that
such a result can be obtained. 1t is
claimed that these experiments proved
that dead body can be dissolved in less
than three hours. But there win be con-
ficting testimony, as is usual in such
cases Professors and expert chemists
will try to show that human body cam
not be dissolved in the time given, and
that this is especially true OF the frontal
bone of the skull and of the teeth. Testi-
mOny will also be offered going TO prove
that Mrs. Leutgert has been seen I'm dlf-
ferent places since the alleged murder.
and Leutgert himself stoutly asserts that
she will walk into the courtroom during
the trial. But as the production OF Mrs.
I,eutgert alive and well would have clear
ed up the mystery AT any time little trust
can be placed in these claims.
The case Is certainly a mysterious one,
and il will test the best skill of the de-
tectives and the prosecuting attorney 10
weave the discriminating testimony To-
gether, and present il to jury In such a
clear and connected light as 10 produce
conviction. 1t will be interesting 10 see
whether two rings, tooth, ana a tansle
of hair are as effective i'm unrayelling this
murder mystery as some teeth were III
conyicting Professor Webster, Of Boston,
of the murder of Dr. Parkman many
years ago. Professor Webster tried 10
destroy all evidence OF his crime by
burning the bodc OF his victim, but the
discovery in the ashes OF some gold-hlled
teeth. which were Identified as having be-
longed 10 Or. Parkman, led to the detec-
ton and punishment Of Professor Web
ster If the Chicago trial should nave a
similar result from nearly similar clrcum-
stances IL will mark II as one or the most
sensational in the history or murder cases