Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-01


was out of the city when his wife was
taken sick with the throat trouble.
Judge Vincent asked her If she did not
say to Luetgert on May Is that if he
knew his wife as well as she, Mrs
Tcsch, knew her, he would let her go
and not worry about her. She declar-
ed she did not make this statement.
She was then asked if she did not sug-
gest to Luetgert that he could come to
her house with the two children to
live, and she would be mother to the
children. Her answer was an emphatic
no.
Frank Bialk, the old Waterman who
was employed at the sausage factory
was the next witness. Bialk, told about
the arrival at-the factory in March last
of several barrels which were stored on
one of the upper floors, and shortly
before May removed to the basement.
These are the barrels which it is al
legged contained custic potash, and the
witness said the stuff was emptied into
the middle vat in the basement shortly
before May 1, and dissolved by steam.
Bialk said there was steam under
one of the two boilers in the furnace
room when he arrived at the factory
at D m, May l. Luetgert turned the
steam into the vat in the basement
and instructed him to keep up steam
during the night, as he would need il
in the basement At quarter past
nine Luetgert sent him to drug store
to purchase a patent nerve medicine.
He was gone over half an hour and
gave the bottle to Luetgert through
the gate to the sausage makers office,
which was locked. After 10 o'clock he
was again sent to the same drug store,
but the second trip consumed more
time He returned with a bottle of
mineral water, which Luetgert had di-
rected him to purchase. He did not
see Luetgert again that night The
sausage maker was in the basement,
where the vat was, and the door be-
tween him and the boiler rooom, where
the witness was, remained locked.
About 8 o'clock in the morning the
steam to the vat was turned off. Bialk
left the factory at o'clock Sunday
morning and before leaving went to the
Office, where he saw Luetgert with his
feet on the table. He did not know
whether Luetgert was asleep or not. The
next evening when he returned to work
lie IOuiiQ the NdI ONCi. ~ iO9C
was pouring cold water into it. Beside
the vat, on the floor, was a Shiny sub
stance. Near the vat was chain from
the Office The witness said three large
doors which had been removed from the
smokehouse were beside the vat as
though they had been used to cover the
vat while it's contents were boiling.
Balk said that after the factory was
seized by the Sheriff and he learned that
Mrs. Luetgert was missing he was afraid
to remain there. He said that on Sun
day evening at 8 o'clock he saw Luet-
CERT in his office, and asked him if he
wanted the steam turned into the vat
that night. Luetgert he said, turned
pale, and said no. At this statement Of
the witness, Luetgert laughed heartily.
Bialk told of his visit to the factory
with police officers. Officer Dean dis
covered two rings in the vat and smoke
house. The witness said that since May
l he has lived part of the time with OFF,
Ger Klinger, of the Sheffield avenue sta
tion and part of the time at his own
home. On May 16, Officer Klinger was
concealed under bed in the house of the
witness when Luetgert came to see
Bialk. Luetgert asked the witness what
the officers found in the factory, ard
Bialk said they had discovered nothing.
THAT is good" said Luetgert. The lat
ter advised him not to tell the police
anything, and said after a short time he
would start the factory and give the
witness and his son employment
The court adjourned for the day with
Bialks testimony unfinished.