The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-31

the factory. There the attorney said, he
had been visited by other women.
Judge Vincent objected TO this statement,
but Judge Tuthfll overruled the objection.
Mr.. McEwan said a witness will testify
that he saw Luetgert choke his wife in
the chicken house back Of his residence
She said: You need not kill me as you did
that man, for / have no money This
caused Luetgert to say that she would not
be allowed TO betray him.
Judge Vincent objected to this statement
as foreign to the case and not proper evil
dence. but was overruled by the court.
When Mr. McEwan concluded. Attorney
Vincent announced that no opening address
would be made at present for the defense.
The first witness was then called W. II:
TO the correctness of the drawings being
used by the prosecution.
MRS LUETGER1- S BROTHER.
The next witness was Diedrich Bickness,
brother of Mrs Luetgert. He told the jury
of his visit to the house of Luetgert May
4 to see his sister. There he met the saus-
age maker and he talked with him for
some time before he was Informed that
Mrs. Luetgert had disappeared. Bckness
said Luetgert told him he did not know
what mad become of his wife. He had last
seen her at o'clock the Saturday evening
previous Luetgert said he did not believe
She had gone away with some other man,
but thought she had wandered away The
witness said he asked the prisoner what he
had done'to find his wife and was informed
appearance. Instead. he said he had paid
two private detectives s. each, and they
would do more than the police would ac-
complSh The witness SAID Luetgert told
him he had not looked to see ii his wife
had taken any clothing with her except
the dress she had on when he last saw her.
lie had not visited any place or made any
inquiries. Bickness told his story in a SIM
pie, straightforward way that made him
an impressive witness.
Louis Luetgert, twelve years old, the
bright son of the prisoner, was called next.
The boy testified twice previously in the
preliminary hearing and In the habeaS
corpus proceedings. He told more than on
the former occasions, but the statement of
the boy which caused the state to regret
that he was a witness for the prosecution
was that at midnight or later, long after
the time when the murder occurred, ac-
cording to the theory of the state he heard
his mothers voice in the house. The boy
said he attended a circus on the night OF
May l and returned to his home at 1920
clock. There he found his mother sitting
in the kitchen, in a house wrapper and
slippers, reading. He told her what he had
seen at the circus, but his conversation
with his mother was interrupted by his
father, who came into the kitchen and or
dered him to bed Before he went to sleep
he heard his father descending the back
stairs as if going to the factory His
mother he did not see again and the next
morning he saw that her bed had not been
This testimony did not differ from the
story told by the boy on former occasions,
but, to the surprise of the state he made
the uGclaTdIlOn lUdL SOME llIflp III the hight
long after he went to bed, he awoke and
heard rustic in his room. is that you
father" he said. but his mothers voice re-
piled: ut is me-" The boy said he was
sure it was his mothers voice. Assistant
States Attorney McEwan asked him why
he had not told this before. He said no one
had asked him about it,
II asked you If you had heard your
mother after you left her in the kitchen"
said the attorney for the state
II thought you meant If l had seen her
again., was the boy $ reply.
The defense refused to cross-examine the
boy and the court adjourned for the day.
Charged with attempting to inttinidate
witnesses for the State in the Luetgert
case, Charles Withers, of go Orleans street,
was arrested by Detective Griebnow this
afternoon and locked up in the Sheffield
avenue station. Withers was apprehended
in front of a saloon across the street from
the sausage factory. Mrs. Tosch. owner of
witnesses to be called by the State. Withers
went into the saloon at O'Clock and en-
tered into conversation with Mrs. Tosch.
He then took a paper from his pocket and,
holding it that Mrs. Tosch and Mrs.
Schaffer, neghbor who lives above the
saloon and who was present, could see it,
said: II have the names of four witnesses
who testified against Luetgert knowing
that is was not the truth, and if any one
will say anything against Mr.. Luetgert
that is not the truth he will be arrested
and punished" He then put the paper in
his pocket and shaking his finger at Mrs.
Tosch left the saloon. When he reached
the sidewalk he was arrested by Detective
vicinity of the sausage factory by Inspector
Shack as the police have feared that at
temptS might be made to interview wit
nesses for the prosecution. 1t is also
serted that he was IN the courtroom during
the day attempting to talk with the wit