The herald., 1897-09-01
Went the Dead Body of
Mrs. Luetgert
STEAM KEPT UP ALL NIGHT
WHILE THE HUSBAND DIRECTED
OPERATIONS
vestimony Given at the Trial OF the
Chicago Sausage Maker Charged
With Uxoricida
Associated Press Special Wire.


CHICAGO, Aug. H.-Three witnesses
were placed on the stand by the prose-
cution in the Luetgert trial today. Prob
ably the most important witness OF the
three was Frank Bialk, night watchman
at the Luetgert sausage factory. Bialk.
who Is a German, "a years OF age, was
a trusted employe Of the defendant, for
whom he worked several years. His tes-
timony. which he gave in German, bore
directly on the movements Of the de-
fendant during the night Of May 1st.
Before the taking of testimony began
today attorneys for the defense asked
the court to compel the state to set forth
by what means according to the theory
of the prosecution, the life of Mrs. Luet-
CERT was taken and her body was placed
in the vat The indictment contained
twelve counts, but did not state the
manner of Mrs. Luetgert's death. The
court held that the indictment was not
bound to state the means of death.
Mrs. Agatha Tosch friend of Mrs
Luetgert's stated that Luetgert called
on her Sunday afternoon, May 2, pale
and excited, and she told him she thought
him guilty. He said he felt like taking
a revolver and killing himself, but for
the children.
Watchman Bialk continued his testi-
mony. He said there was steam under
one of the two boilers in the furnace
room when he arrived at the factory at
6 p. m. May 1st. Luetgert turned the
steam into the vat in the basement, and
instructed him to keep up steam during
the night, as he would need it in the
basement. A quarter past Luetgert
sent him to a drug store to purchase a
patent nerve medicine. He was gone
over half an hour and gave the bottle
to Luetgert through the gate to the sau-
sage makers Office, which was locked.
About 10 o'clock he was again sent to the
same drug store, but the second trip
consumed more time. He returned with
bottle Of mineral water which Luetgert
had directed him to purchase. He did
not see Luetgert again that night.
The sausage maker was in the base
ment where the vat was. and the door be-
tween him and the boiler room, where
the witness was, remained locked.
About 2 o'clock in the morning the steam
to the vat was turned off. Bialk left the
factory at Z o'clock Sunday morning.
and before leaving went to the office.
where he saw Luetgert sitting with his
feet on table. He did not know whether
Luetgert was asleep or not. The next
evening when he returned to work he
found the vat running over. A hose was
pouring cold water into 1t. Beside the
vat on the floor was a Shiny substance
Near the vat was chair from the Of
flee. The witness said three large doors
which had been removed from the smoke
house were beside the vat, as though
they had been used to cover the vat
while its contents were boiling. Bialk
said that after the factory was seized by
the sheriff he learned that Mrs. Luet-
gert was missing, and he was afraid tc
come in there He said that on Sunday
evening at o'clock he saw Luetgert In
his office and asked him IL he wanted
the steam turend on the vat that night
Luetgert, he said, turned pale and sank
down. At this statement of the witness
Luetgert laughed heartily.
Bialk told of his visit to the factory witt
police officers. Officer Dean discovered
two rings in the vat, and witness saic
the officers carried away with them bones
found in the vat and smokehouse. Wit.
ness said that since May 1st he had livet
part OF the time with OfficerKlinger ant
part Of the time at his home. On May
9Th Officer Klinger was concealed under
bed in the house of witness when Luet.
CERT came to see Bialk. Luetgert asked
the witness what the officers found in thu
factory and Bialk said they had discov
cred nothing.
THAT is good" said Lnetgert The lat
ter advised him not to tell the police
anything. and said that in short tint
he would start the factory and give tht
witness and his son employment.
The court adjourned for the day will