The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-09-29
Defense Puts DR.. RieSe
Upon the Witness
Stand.
Results of His Experiments in
the Boiling of Human
Bodies.
Counsel for the Prisoner Finds
Consolation-Mary SIemmer-
ing In Hot Water.


between the experts has begun, and from
now on there will be denials thrown at
the evidence of the medical and chemical
wise men who testified for the State in the
Luetgert case. The defense put its first
witness in the expert line on the stand TO-
day and he will be followed by long
string of others.
The witness of to-day was DR.. B. l..
Riese, who boiled TWO bodies in caustic
potash on behalf of tie State.
Another witness of the day was Arma-
dale Opdyke, peddler. who testified that
long after the murder is said 10 have been
committed he saw Mrs. Luetgert in the
neigh borhood of GAINESVILLE, Wis. Wit
ness said that there were no chances of
his being mistaken and he identified the
photograph of her which he was shown
in court in the most positive manner.
Two girls were placed on the stand to
impeach the testimony OF Emma
Schimpke, who said that she saw Luet-
CERT and his wife enter the factory on the
have been committed.
There is a sJrong probability that Mary
Slenmering will be called upon to ar
swer 10 the charge of perjury. In her
testimony she gave evidence rejecting on
the manner in which she had been treated
by Inspector Setback and Assistant State
Attorney MCEwen before the trial, and rs
she gave sworn evidence on the witness
stand directly contradictory 10 the sworn
evidence she gave at the preliminary
hearing the Assistant State Attorney
says that he will bring a charge OF per-
jury against her.
The court proceedings opened to-day
with the appearance on the witness stand
OF DR.. Clarence Rutherford, the Luetgert
family physician. He testified as to Mrs.
Luetgert's physical condition, stating
that she was in fairly good health, and
after stating that he visited the Luetgert
family twice each month, and never saw
any unpleasant tness in the family, he was
released from the witness stand.
The defense then introduced its medical
expert witness Dr. Bernhard l.. REESE
was called to the stand to tell of expert
ments lie had made in disintegTating
human bodies with 10 per cent solution
of caus:ic soda or potash. DR.. r csc first
experimental IN the m idde vat-the one
the body OF Mrs. Luetgert is alleged to
have been disintegrated in. He said that
the first experiment was made with the
body of n woman feet inches tall and
weighing 80 POUNDS.
The crude potash was emptied into the
vat in the manner Luetgert is alleged to
have placed the potash in the same re-
ceptacle on May l, and the steam was
turned on. Within a few minutes the
body was put in the vat, then the steam
was turneI on and The vat was covered
with gunny sacks. The boiling process
was continued for several hours, with the
result that very little OF the flesh was left.
The physician described the color OF the
liquid. 1t resembled, he said, vinegar.
On the surface of this lou was a fatty
So bstance the twentieth part of an incn
deep.
The expert said that the teeth of the
subject extending from the gums were
not in iured but the roots of those teeth
which had been covered by flesh were
crum bled, and in some instances brittle.
The skull, femurs and the large bones of
the arms still remained intact or nearly
So The hair almost entirely disappeared.
In the vat at the beginning OF the ex-
pertinent Two gold finger rings were
thrown. The doctor said he hal some
difficulty in getting them out of the val,
as the alkah water burned his hands. IL
was found that the solution had not al
fected the rings.
Dr. Riese also testified that he had ex-
peTltutuAtu Win man pins ana u COTSel-
steel-the latter from Mrs. Luetgert's
wardrobe. Different kinds of hairpins
were used. Those which were iapanned
came out OF the test minus the japan.
Bone, celluloid and rubber hairpins were
ties ed, ana it was found that they were
utterly destroyed by the solution. A hard
rubber button was placed in the quid,
but il was not destroyed. This was owing,
| the expert explained, TO its structure.
The second experiment with the body of
a man was much the same, with the ex-
ception that tho vat was left uncovered.
The process did not require much longer,
despite this fact,
TIE effect of this testimony-whic h in
! fact, bore out 10 a Considera ole degree the
statements of The prosecution-was to es-
tablish an important point the defense
has kept i'll view from the beginning
| Frank Olorofski and Frank Bialk testi-
! fed that the floor of the basement near
! the midd e vat was covered with grease
which had flowed rom the vat.
| DR.. REESE testified that the residue from
! both bodies boiled in the vat was very
| little. The fat did not amount TO over
one-twentieth part of an inch. the physi-
clan said.
Ex-Judge Vincent declared that this
statement substantiated the story of the
defense that Luetgert was making soap in