The herald., 1897-09-08
LETTERS
Play a Part in the Trial of
Luetgert
PROSECUTION MADE POINTS
WHICH WILL TROUBLE COUNSEL
FOR DEFENSE
PROSECUTION MADE POINTS
Two Witnesses Testify to the Presence
of Mrs. Luetgert at the Sausage
HIoloed
Associated Press Special Wire.

| Associated Press Special Wire.
CHICAGO, Sept. 1.-TWO strong
points were scored by the prosecution
in the Luetgert trial today, and unless
the defense is able to impeach the testi-
mony of the witnesses their evidence is
likely to have considerable weight with
the jury.
The two witnesses were Nicholas
Faber, who testified that on the night
of May 1 he saw Luetgert and his wife
enter the sausage factory. and Charles
Hengst, who swore that on the night of
May he passed the factory and heard
a cry from within, as though some one
was in pain. AT the hearing before the
police justice by whom Leutgert was
| held to await the action of the grand
| jury, Hengst said he could not tell
whether the cry was OF a human being
on of an animal. Today he said, how
| ever, that he was confident that the
cry came from a human being. The
| defense rely greatly upon the state
| men. he made before the trial to impeach
his testimony.
| Faber grew confused somewhat on
| cross-examinati ton and could not tell
whe ther the moon shone or whether it
was cloudy night when he saw Lieut.
CERT and his wife enter the factory on
the night of May /. but he stuck stoutly
to his story that he had seen the two
people enter the factory shortly after
| 10 o'clock on the night of May l.
| The reading of the love letters which
had been written by Luetgert to Mrs.
Feldt was great fun for the crowd in
the court room, and it was very en-
bamassing for the defendant, as in sew
eral of them he had spoken in a slight
ing manner of the lawyers who are now
conducting his defense, saying that they
were greedy" and not able to handle
a trial of such Importance.
He laid particular stress upon the in
competency of Judge Vincent, who is
now the leading counsel for the defense.
| When these portions of the letters were
read the lawyers laughed, and nobody
enjoyed them more than Judge Vincent,
| but it was not pleasant for Luetgert,
who twisted around in his chair mopped
his face with his handkerchief, and was
very uncomfortable generally.
| The defense made a strong fight
| -
and when the court decided that they
were proper evidence the defense asked
| that they be read in German, as they
might lose some of their original mean
ing by being read in English. This the
court overruled and the letters went
before the jury as the translator made
them out. he, however, swearing that
the translation was entirely correct.
While the Assistant States At
torney McEwan read the epistles the
jury listened carefully The reader was
was careful to place due emphasis on
each endearing word or phrase, and
fully emphasized all reference to the fact
that the big sausage manufacturer was
anxious for the time to come when he
would be free to wed the object Of his af-
| fections.
| When those portions of the letters
containing a reference to Luetgert's
trouble in engaging an attorney were
read aloud they evidently embarrassed
the prisoner. Luetgert's leading attor-
ney, ex-Judge Vincent, smiled, but the
prisoner visibly WINGED when the SEN
tence was heard in which Attorney Vim
cent was termed greedy" The letter
continued to state that Luetgert in
tended to release Attorney Vincent, as
he did not consider him able to handle
so important a case.
| In another, Luetgert wrote to the eff
, feet that on the first day of the trial
There would be great surprise to the
police and State An attorney of world
wide fame would be engaged and when
the dogs of police" saw who it was they
would quail with fear. This, as yet, un-
known lawyer, Luetgert continued, was
to supersede Attorney Vincent and then
the case would be properly conducted.
Attorney Vincent shook with silent
laughter several times during these and
similar references. He seemed to regard
the matter as huge joke.
| After the letters were all read, the
recipient, Mrs. Christine Feldt, mid
dle-aged widow, was called to the wit
ness chair for the purpose of finishing
her testimony for the State. Assistant
States Attorney McEwan proceeded
with the direct examination, which dealt
| largely with the financial relations be-
tween Luetgert and Mrs. Feldt. She ad-
mitted having received funds from
Luetgert prior to his arrest and said
she had withdrawn money at his de-
mand from a safety deposit vault for
his use. The sums she had withdrawn
footed up $4,000, the entire amount re-
ceived. She asserted ignorance of how
the money was used by the prisoner,
but admitted that portions had been
retained on his order for the care of the
children. She asserted that she refused
to lend Luetgert her own money upon
requests which she had received from
him in letters.