The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-25
According to the Testimony of
Mary Simmering
LUETGERT'S SERVANT.
Tried to Make Her Tell Where
Mrs. Luetgert Was.
Called Her a Liar When She
Said She Didn't Know.
The Sausage Maker Promises
Some Hot Testimony Yet.

Chicago. Sept 25.-Adolph L. Luet-
CERT, alleged wife murderer, suffered
much pain from the injury to his right
leg TINS morning that MasSeur Peter
j. Feel was called in to give him treat
ment. The massage expert succeeded
in relieving the pain in the right side
ana leg of the sausage maker and when
court opened Luetgert hObbled in with
the aid of his crutch in a much better
humor than he had shown during the
early morning hours. Luetgert pro-
fesses to be much pleased with the de-
Velopments thus far in the defense. I'VE
nave something hotter coming" said
the accused man. There will be a
whole lot OF things explained away
when L get on the witness Stand.''
State Attorney Deneen, Assistant
states Attorney Willard NJ McEwen
ana Inspector NJ. ]. Setback, had CON
sultatlon this morning during which
the matter of calling Fred HaineS, an
eX-neWSpaper writer to the witness
stand was discussed Haines is under
conviction for forgery. Last August he
was sentenced to the penitentiary by
Judge Neely. Afterward through the
influence of friends the sentence was
vacated and the case taken under ad-
Vlsement. HaineS has acted as a sort
OF confidential secretary for Luetgert in
the Jail and has written a number of
letters for him. 1t is said that Haines
asserts that he wrote letters to A. w.
c. Grottey of New York, for Luetgert
in which Grottey was urged to come to
Chicago and testify that he saw Mrs
Luetgert in New York a week after he1
disappearance. 1t is now known that
Haines told this story to States Attor-
ney Deneen some time ago. The pros
ecution hesitates about calling Haines
to the witness stand. States attorney
is not exactly satisfied with the state
ment OF the man. L may call him as a
rebuttal witness if Grottey is produced
by the defense" said the states attor-
ney this morning, but I dc not believe
the defense will call Grottey. In that
event we will not need Haines''
Unexpectedly no reference was made
by the court to the matter he yesterday
took under adviSement. This was
whether the defense will be allowed to
produce witnesses to show that Mrs.
Luetgert threatened to leave her home
six months prior to the date of her dis
appearance. A ruling on this point is
expected on Monday. The first witness
called this morning was Mary Simmer
ing, Luetgert'S servant girl, for love
of whom, it is alleged he killed his wife.
There was a general craning of necks
and many of the people in the crowded
court room arose to get better glimpse
of the young woman as she ascended to
the witness stand. The face of Mary
Simmering was flushed as she held up
her right hand to be sworn by the
court clerk. She was evidently under
suppressed excitement The young Wo-
man was neatly attired in a brown cos
tune and wore small chip hat of the
same color. Attorney Phalen conduct
ed the direct examination. Under his
guidance the witness related what she
said was the whole truth about her ex-
said she had lived with the LuetgertS
seven or eight years as a domestic
During all that time the witness said.
Luetgert had treated his wife kindly
and there was none of the quarrelling
pickering the prosecution charged.
Coming down to May 1, the date of
Mrs. Luetgert's disappearance, the wit
ness said that on the afternoon of that
day Mrs. Luetgert said to her: Mary
1 am going to leave. My husbands
money is all gone and I am going too
A Z ~ Sunday evening Nav I the
witness said that Mrs. Luetgert took
from closet a cloak and looking at it
remarked with considerable impatience
that moths had eaten the cloth. The
witness said she went to her room and
to bed shortly after O'Clock that night
The following morning. Mrs Luetgert
was missing and the little bank of one
of the children was broken open and
the small sum of money it had contain
ed was gone.
The witness said that Mrs. Luetgert
had acted queerly for some time prior
to May 1, and had often whipped her
children. With some show of feeling
Nav Is and taken to the east Chicago
avenue station where she was kept two
days. She said the officer who arrested
her called her a liar when she said she
did not know where Mrs. Luetgert was
and at the station the matron took all
her clothing from her While at the
station Inspector Schaak and Assistant
Attorney McEwen questioned her sharp
Iy accusing her of improper relations
with Luetgert which she denied. In
spector Schaak said to me, The old
man. meaning Luetgert, will never see
the light of day again and if you don't
tell the truth I'll punish you. Wen
lynch YOU and Luetgert together said
the witness, land he held up his hands
and showed me how it would be DONE
The witness with a show of spirit de-
MED that she ever visited Luetgert in
bis factory at night except in the even
ing occasionally when others were pres
ent Then she said she did not go to
see him particularly, but just to take Il
walk from the house. She denied en-
nhatically that she ever went into the
factory through a window. or that Lu-
etgert was in the habit of kissing her
when she was in his office. She declar-
ed that Mrs. Feldt was a buSybody and
that her story was untrue
states Attorney Deneen went at Mary
Simmering on croSS-exa minatiOn in a
lively manner The rapidity of the
states attorneys questions seemed to
stun the witness. She soon became con
fused and made damaging admissions
despite the appeals of counsel for the
defense that she take her time to con-
slider her reply to each question. The
| Young woman was so badly confused
that she paid no attention to the ad-
noonition of the counsel for defense not
| to answer until the latter had an op-
portunity to make objections and the
court had passed upon them. The wit
ness admitted that Luetgert and his
wife auarrelled occasionally but she
| persisted in her denial that she had In
/ any way been guilty of improper con-.