The evening times., 1897-08-09

Chicago, Aug. e.-Under the direction Of
the states attorney, body was dissolved
in fluid composition similar to that which
Adolph L. Luctgert Is alleged to have used
To make away with the remains Of his
wife.
Prof. Walter s. Haines and Prof. Mark
Deiafontaine, OF Rush Medical College.
made the test, and i'm two hoursan nd twenty
five minutes nothing was left hut half n
dozen pieces OF bone. Crude potash, such
as I.uetgert purchased in such singularly
large quantities dissolved in water and
heated 10 the boiling point. had utterly
destroyed every vestige OF flesh, mem
brane and tissue.
Even the fragments of bone less than
handful altogether, were reduced tn
brittle. chalky, easily crumbied substance,
from which all the animal matter erandnearly
all the mineral had been separated.
The ghasily test was made in order to
meet the assertion of the defense that
body could not be dissolved III such rapid
time by the process.
Experts have been willing to swear that
the materials proved 10 have been in the
sausage -Inaker's vat could not have been
made 10 destroy the woInan's body. The
jury might become clouded and doubtful
on that important point
SO states Attorney Deneen AMI Mr..
McEwan, his chief assistant, resolved TO
establish beyond doubt The possibilities in
this matter.
They employed Profs. Haines and Della
fontaine TO secure precisely the same kind
OF materials that Luetcert secured; TO
subject them 10 a treatment similar TO
what be was supposed To have done; TO
select a human Iody from the subjects"
given them by the law; to choose one
as nearly resistsui in its OsltlOn-
considering age and quantity OF flesh; TO
put tais through precisely the sane process
as, by be theory OF the State. was Wis
i,ed on the body of the unfortunate wife OF
Luetgert.
At O'Clock today the chemists began
their work in the basement or Rush Medical
College laboratory. A big tin boiler, much
like those used 10y laundresSes Cn wash
day, was placed on supports within two
inches of the smooth cement floor. The
crude pota sh was shoveled into the boiler
until il was one-qua rter full. Then water
was poured On until the mass was covered.
into the caustic liquid the body OF a
man vas placed. 1t had been dismem-
bered, so that every portion could be
submerged in the solution. The cover
was placed on the boiler and at O'Clock
half a dozen gas burners beneath the boiler
were lighted. In ten minutes theliquid was
h.ilius and the work of destruction had
comm enced.
At $40 the flesh lad left the bones, but
was rot yet dissolved. AT s;45 the skeie-
for was clean and the solution in the
boiler was smooth. The last fragment
of flesh had been Changed from solid to
liquid.
At 10 O'Clock the bones began To crum-
tae. and in half an hour only the skull and
thigh bones remain ed.
From 10 to IL O'Clock TIE gas burners
hummed beneath the boiler. The cover was
set on sidewise, the seething contents OF
the vessel veTe bubbliDg and rolling. and
the bones were melting.
AT IL O'Clock very little of any suit
stance was left. Atnoon the bones were
still mote reduced in size, still more cha Ky
and liable TO crunibling, but they had stub
bornly refused TO entirely disa ppear.
Some fragments of lone were found in
The watts at Iuetgert's factory, along with
Mis-. Luegert's finger ring. witness
testified that steam had teen turned IN
those watts of crude potash for somewhat
more than three hours.
At IL O'Clock Ppof Haines found In his
big boiler nothing but a dark fluid, some
what thicker than water, about the con-
slstency of ordinary molaSses. From YES
sci dischargng at the bottom every yestige
of that body could have been flushed away,
barring the meager handful of shdpeless
bone fragments
During the time of the experiment the
basement room In which the work was per-
formeh was occupied by PrOfs. Haines and
Delafontaine, together with half a dozen
other men The fumes from the boiler were
not especially offensive.
The men managing the test we've author
lied by the states attorne Y to conduct il,
and they did so i'm a manner as nearly ike
that supposed to have prevailed IN the
I.uetgeTt case as was possible.
And they have proved that human body
can, under certain circumstan ces, be en-
tirely and quickly destroyed