The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-14
EVIDENCE OF THE TWO PRINCI-
PAL DEFENSE WITNESSES TORN
TO SHREDS.
MARY S|EMMER|NG Grief Sufferer
Numerous Reliable Witnesses SwOre
That She Had Admitted Improper
Relations With the Defendant.
Reputation Assaulted.

the defense. The evidence of two of the
chief witnesses was almost destroyed
Mary Siemmering and William Charles,
Luetgerts business partner, were the suf-
ferers. Witness after witness came on
the stand and swore that when Mary
Siemmering had denied that she had ad-
mitted improper relations with Luetgert
she had not told the truth. They said
she had admitted, and in the most I'M
cquivocal manner. Most of these wit
nesses were members of the grand jury
which had indicted Luetgert, and their
evidence was crushing. They all told
the same story, and the most desperate
efforts of the defense could not shake one
of them.
The crowd at the criminal court today
was larger than upon any other morning
during the past week.
William Fubeck, Luetgert's former
hostler, gave an interesting bit of evil
dence with reference to Mary Liemmer-
ing. In fact, the testimony of Fulbeck
was the opening wedge for Il violent at
tack upon Luetgert's pretty servant girl,
for love of whom, the prosecution asserts,
the sausage maker killed his wife. Full
beck said that he missed Mrs. Luetgert
on May /, but said nothing until May 3.
Then | asked Mary Siemmering where
Mrs. Luetgert was" said the witness.
What did she say!' inquired States
Attorne- Deenan.
'She said Mrs. Luetgert was up stairs
in bed" responded the witness.
Are you sure she told you that on
May 3?'
Il am positive"
"Attorney Phelan tried to get Fulbeck
to change the date to day in the latter
part of April, but the witness was obdu-
rate and chung to his original statement.
Mrs. Christina Feldt was in court today
to contradict the evidence of Mrs. Mary
Charles, relative to the rings worn by Mrs.
Luetgert.
Mrs. Charles emphatically denied on the
witness stand Tuesday that she had ever
asked Mrs. Feldt to say, if questioned, that
the rings found in the vat ut the Luetgert
sausage factory were not the rings which
had belonged to Mrs. Luetgert. Today
Mrs. Feldt, with equal emphasis, declared
that Mrs. Charles did request her to deny
that she ever saw the rings before. Mrs.
Feldt refused to do so. She said today
the rings were those worn by Mrs. Luet-
CERT. She was positive about it.
Judge Arthur II. Chetain and ten mem
bers of the grand jury which indicted
Luetgert have been summoned by the pros
ecution to impeach Mary Siemmering.
When Mary was first arrested she was
taken before Judge Chetlain on a writ OF
habeas corpus. In chambers the young
woman made a statement to his honor and
was released. 1t is said that she told
Judge Chetlain certain things concerning
her relations with Luetgert which she pos
itvely denied on the witness stand. When
before the grand jury Miss Siemmering
was closely questioned with reference TO
her association with and nocturnal visits
30 T "a, in,
he slept. and States Attorney Deenan
saws the young woman made admissions
which she denied on the witness stand.
Grand Jurors who heard her testimony
are to be called to tell the trial jury just
what she did say. The prosecution was
confident that this evidence would i'm
peach the young woman and annul her
evidence in Luetgert's behalf.
Witnesses from KenOsha, Wis. were
called to the stand during the day to fur
Their impeach the witnesses for the de-
fcnse who testified to having seen Mrs.
I.utgert in the Wisconsin town on May
3, 4 and ), we,
A horde of witnesses to impeach VIII
liam Charles, Luetgert's business part
ner, were heard. Mr.. Charles sat in the
co,,rt room and listened to his reputation
assailed right and left. He heard ms
reputation for truth torn into rlDpohs'
and while these were Haunted in his red
dened face. his ears were greeted by the
harsh tones of former business associates
who questioned his integrity. ,r
Alex Sweeney, Philip Reitz. William
Spanda and others who had sustained
business relations with Charles, declared
his reputation for truth bad. A number
of the witnesses said that Charles still
owed them money.
The state will close its case tomorrow.
Judge Tuthill will then adjourn court un-
til Monday. His honor will leave tomoI,
row night for Nashville, where he will
he orator of the day at the Tennessee cen
tennial exposition on Saturday.
The trial will be resumed at $3.50, Mon
day. with rebuttal evidence.