The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
SATURDAYS TESTIMONY.
Crush of People Causes an Accident
Mrs. FeIdfs Evidence.

people anxious to hear the Luetgert trial
and see the leading character in the now
famous case almost resulted in a tragedy
to-day. On account of the great crowds
which have been gathering in the Criminal
Court building all week the elevators have
been forbidden to stop at the second floor.
To-day the floor near the elevator shaft
was packed with people who had just been
denied passage ZIP the stairway to the
courtroom and, exasperated by the flrmness
Of the big deputies, they made rush just
an elevator was passing. AS the
slipped by the level of the floor the heavy
Iron door fell into the elevator with a crash,
carrying several people with it. The ele-
vator conductor stopped the car with jerk
and the would-be passengers, all badly
scared and more or less bruised, were pick
ed UP. Had the car assembled a few feet
further some fatalities would undoubtedly
have resulted.
When the trial was resumed this morning
additional witnesses appeared to identify
the rings found in the vat. Luetgert con-
suited frequently with his counsel and once
rose up in his place and carefully examined
the ring with the initials 81. L." in the
inside, and which, according to the Witness
es for the state, were Mrs. Luetgerts we'd
ding rings. FTieda Muller niece of Mrs
Auetgert, was the first witness. She said
the rings were the ones which Mrs. Luet-
CERT wore habitually.
Mrs Christina Fearce of 656 Clybourn
avenue, followed. She said she had known
Mrs. Luetgert since she the witness) was
small girl. Mrs Luetgert, before her
marriage to the sausage maker lived at
the house of the witnesses mother She
said that a picnic year ago, which Mrs.
Luetgert attended the wedding ring was
the subject of a conversation, in which it
was remarked that Mrs. Luetgert wore no
alr~xra rfar
cross-eXamination the witness said she had
never seen the wedding ring off Mrs. Luet-
gerts hand and knew nothing of the ini-
tials in it, but identified 1t from its size and
general appearance.
Mrs Anna Gieser. of Chicago Heights,
was servant in the Luetgert household
up to the fall of 1889. She identified the
wedding ring and the small guard ring
worn with it positively. The witness pro-
duced a photograph of herself taken in
1883, when she wore the two rings. Mrs.
Luetgert, she said, offered her the rings to
have her picture taken.
MRS. FELDTS EVIDENCE.
There was a sensation when Mrs. Chris
tine Feldt of Isl Clybourn avenue, was
called as a witness for the state. Mrs.
Feldt is the widow whose name has been
SO often mentioned in connection with the
case. 1t was believed she would be one of
the main witnesses for the defense, but she
had not been before the jury two minutes
when it became apparent that she had
gone over to the prosecution. She produced
a bundle of letters written to her by Luet-
CERT in his cell in the Jail and carried to
her home by Luetgert's son Arnold. The
letters were filled with endearing terms
They began Beloved Dear Christine or
Beloved Christine" and in them Iluetgert
told of the sufferings he was enduring
an innocent prisoner in the Jail. Inspector
Setback and his officers were referred to
as the gang that was after him and the
police were frequently referred to as
dogs" Luetgert over and over again as
sured his correspondent that he would
overcome the police and be with her again
q free man"
Mrs. Feldt testified that Luetgert told her
months ago that he cared more for Mary
Simmering, the servant than he did for
his wife. She said she visited his house
May and asked Mary Simmering where
Mrs. Luetgert was. Mary replied that she
had gone down town and would be back
soon. The witness then asked Luetgert
about it and he told her Mary had lieu to
her and that his wife had disappeared
Luetgert said his wife had on former occa-
sions left him for several days without any
explanation and he did not know where
she had gone. He then made the state
ment that he cared more for Mary than he
did for his wife
The witness told of a visit to Luetgert at
the jail The prisoner sent her a request
through Judge Vincent, his attorney, to
come to the Jail. Luetgert then endeaVored
TO persuade her to loan him money to pay
for his defense. He asked her. she said to
put mortgage on her house in order to
Luetgert to apply to other friends for
money and he told her he had been unable
you 90 back on me, he SAID Il will take
my life" The witness said he ought to be
ashamed to talk that way on account of his
children. and he replied that even his chill
dren did not care for his life. She said she
then left him.
Mrs. Feldt was not cross examined. for
the reason that translations of the letters
had not been verified and the letters could
not be read to the jury at once. They will
be given to the jury and next week the wit
ness will be recalled for cross-examination
The letters of Luetgert contained many re-
quests Tor money. interpreted with pro-
testauons of affection. Through them all
he protested that he was an innocent and
prosecuted man.
A LITTLE GIRLS TESTIMONY.
The next witness was little Gottlieba
Sehrimpke She is fourteen years old. and
her testimony was that on the night of May
l shortly after II O'Clock she and her sister
Annie, returning from dance on Belmont
avenue, passed the Luetgert house. Her
own home is opposite the Tasch saloon and
is close to the sausage factory The girl
said she saw Luetgert and his wife walk
around the corner of the factory into the
alley in the rear of it. This evidence sus-
tains the theory of the State that Luetgert
took his wife into the factory by way of the
furnace room in the absence OF the watch
man, whom he had sent TO the drug store.
While being cross-examined the girl became
hysterical and had TO be removed from the
witness chair After her composure had
been restored the ss-exammation pro-
ceeded, and Gottiieba said she was taken
away from her home by the police and
locked UP as a witness. She pointed but
Police Captain Schuettler as the officer who
told her she would be paid money if she re-
NAMED with the police. This was whsn Whe
cried and wanted TO go home 10 her mother
On the cross-examination the girl said she
knew nothing about the Luetgert case ex-
cept what the officers told her. Then the
court took her in hand, and she said she
dsd not swear that she did not see LUetgert
and his wife. subsequently, she said ii was
her sister twenty years Old who saw Mr.
and Mrs. Luetgert that night and told her
mother about 1t. The State put in evidence
a statement IN writing purporting to have
been made by the girl. Another document
an agreement by which the girl bound her
self 70 remain with Mrs Emma Karth as
servant for 81 per week and not return to
her home, was also put in evidence.
At the conclusion of the cross-examina-
ton Justice Bonnefoi. of Lakeview, testi-
ned that he had made translations of the
letters and that the translations were cor
rect The court then adjourned to next
Tuesday morning. Judge Tuthill said that
Monday being a legal holiday he would not