Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-10-06
THE DEFENSE HAS CLOSED.
Luetgert Persuaded Not to Go Upon
the Witness Stand.

fludlly Accepted Juo 1AusioO "
His Attorneys = A Sensational
Climax Held Till the Last Mrs.
Charles Declares the Rings
Alleged to Have Been Found in
the Vat, Are Not Those Of Mrs.
Luetgert.
Chicago, October 5.-The end OF the
famous Luetgert murder trial is nearer
than was thought. The defense to-day
rested its case, and there is nothing
now to come but the rebuttal evidence
of the State and the arguments of the
probably about two weeks
in all. The State has eighty witnesses
to place upon the stand but States At
torney Deneen said this afternoon that
short, and that he will get through with
them in a hurry. He expects to de-
molish the stories offered by the wit
nesscs for the defense that Mrs Luet(
CERT was seen around Kenosha gAnd
Lake Zurich, Wis, within a fe" days
after the murder is said to have peen
committed, and to furnisf other testl-
mony that will in a gr~dt measure hold
up the side of the>prosecutlon.
The big sausage manufacturer yielded
to the advic- of his attorneys and will
not test4y, but the Disappointment to
him las great. He has declared for
psrlths that he must tell his story to
The jury. Luetgert's counsel feared to
put him on the stand, and he accepted
he situation with frown.
Soon after court convened ex-Judge
Vincent and Attorney Phalen asked
permission to consult with their client
privately. Judge Tuthill said they
might do so and Luetgert and his law
Yers retired to private room. 1t was
known that the mater under delibera-
ton was whether or not Luetgert
should go on the stand. Ex-Judge Vim
cent vigorously opposed the suggestion.
He pointed out to Luetgert that William
Charles, his business partner, had told
tell. You cannot add to it anything
that will benefit you, said Judge Vim
Hent- X yol 30 upon the witness
s's S"" WAN 30 @Sns1cetea TO ..-
examination lasting days and s.oven, 20
The entire period of your life. You Will
get excited and you will say things
3slich will Inquire your case. My advice
to you is Keep num-
Attorney Phalen was inclined to favor
Luetgel' desire to go upon the witness
stand. Re thought he might be able
TO eXpla some things more satisfacily
than other witnesses had. He also be-
lleves the absence from the witness
stand OF the principal actor in the great
tragedy might prejudice him in the
eyes of the jury. But Attorney Phalep
was willing to admit the logic of ey-
Judge Vincents position, and Luetgert
SAID he would abide by his counsers
advice.
When the lawyers and Luetgert re-
lurne1 from the consultation Luetg s~r
Sat down with smile upon his face.
his conntenance bore the expression If
martyr. The greatest disappointment
or the trial to him was apparently the
TACT that he was not to be permitte /
to testify in his own behalf. and address
the jury as he bad said dozens of times
he would Bur he accepted the situation
with as good grace as his rough nature
would permit
The first witness called to-day was
henry j. Cox, of the United States
weather. Bureau service. Witness Cox
came with. charts and data to prove
that the night of May 1, 1897, was
cloudy IN Chicago and vicinity. This
evidence was brought out by the de-
Tense to counterfeit the testimony of
witnesses who had sworn that they
had stood across the street AT /,
O'Clock on the night of May and saw
Luetgert and his wife walking toward
the sausage factory.
The first witness called after tha
consultation of Luetgert and his AT
torneys was Mrs. Charles, wife of
William Charles, Luetgert's business
partner. Mrs. Charles said that upon
several occasions Mrs. Luetgert had
said to her: Il am going away. Nv
husband has failed in business and
pee will now point their finger at
me and say, She l. the wife of the
sausage maker who failed 1 cannot
stand that"
On May 1 the wiiles, sold she saw
Mrs. Luetgert for the last time. Il
was about IL o'clock in the morning.
Mrs. Luetger. again sad she was 60
Inc away and + p ated she could not
stand the disgrace the failure mad
brought upon her family. She turned
away and l never saw her again." con-
cluded the witness.
A DRAM ATTIC SCENE FOLLOWS.
1t has been agreed that Luetge,t has
offered an o>plan ton of every ac-
cusation of the prosecution except the
rings found the middle vat, in which
the body of Mrs. Luetgert is alleged to
lave been d sint 'a' ata!. the tinAs
found in the vat were stuck together
when discovered, according to the
cry of F POLICEMAN Dean, who found
them. Experts who examined them
said the rings were SUED together
by human flesh. In one of these rings
were engraved the letters 81. 1.-The
Initials of Mrs TOuiSe Iuatgert Tho