The record-union., 1897-10-20
LUETGERT'S LIFE IN BALANCE.
JURY HAS NOT YET REACHED
A VERDICT.
Not Believed That an Agreement
Will be Reached-The Jury
Locked Up.

CHICAGO, Oct. 19.-Another night
of suspense is ahead of the defendant
in the Luetgert case. At 9 o'clock the
jury had gone to bed on cots which were
placed in the courtroom, and it was an
nounced by Judge Tuthill that even
though by one chance in a million the
jurors should wake up and agree upon
a verdict, there would be no announce
ment, and the courtroom would under
no circumstances be opened until 10
o'clock tomorrow.
States Attorney Deneen remained in
his office until all hone of a verdict to-
night had been abandoned, and then he
closed up his rooms and went home.
He is still hopeful of a verdict, but
naturally looks upon a disagreement as
the most likely outcome.
There were runors of all kinds afioat
during the evening. all of them being
to the effect that the friends of Luet-
gert on the jury were weakening. 1t
was known during the day that the
vote stood to 4 and tonight the
rumors were that it was 10 for the
death penalty and 2 for acquittal. 4
later story is that it stood IL for hang
ing and ] for acquittal. Juror Harley
is admitted to be the stout friend of
Luetgert, and he it is who is leading the
fight for accuittal.
Over in the jail Luetgert was, during
the evening, anxiously awaiting word
from the jury room. He tried as usual
to keep up an appearance of indiffer-
ence, and as usual, made a failure of It.
IF they don't agree" he said, Il can. set
bail, and I viii be out of this. l can
give bail for million dollars if they
want that much. My wife is living
somewhere, but I must admit she is
having a lot of fun with me at present.
There is one thing sure" the prisoner
said with great positiveness, there will
be no conviction in this case. It will
be either an acquittal or a disagree
ment''
Asked where he obtained his inforna-
ton, he smiled and said: "Oh, know;
you go long. ] won't be convicted,
though, You can bet on that
AT 10 o'clock the Criminal Court
building was dark as a pocket. The
crowd which had hung around its en-
trance during the earlier part Of the
evening had disappeared. A solitary
bailin sat at the foot of the stairs lead
ing to the second story. Another sat
at the upper end of the flight, two more
were the door of the courtroom, an5
two more We're inside keeping watch
over the sleeping jurymen.
The opinion around the Criminal Court
tonight was that all chances of a YER
dict had disappeared, and that the re-
suit is practically certain to be a dis
agreement. 1t is considered possible,
and even probable, that the State will
have nine or ten of the jurymen, and the
defense the remainder. The chances
tonight, however, seem to favor a iss-
agreement of S for conviction and for
acquittal.
Just before retiring for the night the
jury took another ballot, the vote
standing nine for conviction and three
for acquittal The four jurors who
have been standing out for acquittal are
BehmiIler, Barber. Holmabird and Har-
ley. The two latter are still for ac-
quittal. but either Behmiller or Barber
has come over to the State.
There is much feeling against Har-
ley among the jurors who favor the
death penalty They say he will not
argue the case in any way. but sticks
stolidly for Luetgert.