The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-18

| sha. were quoted as corroborating Mr..
Bohmrich, and the description Of the
woman tailed in every detail with that
Of Mrs Luetgert-
| IDENTIFIED IN MANY PLACES.
| The Kenosha story was the most con-
vincing one Of several that developed
about that time. In others which came
from Indiana and surrounding Illinois
towns there was nothing like the detail
that made the Wisconsin story 50 strong.
| There was also an alleged letter from
| Mrs. Luetgert to Alderman Schiake, but
Inspector Schaak and the states attor-
ney maintained that there could be no
| doubt about the fate of the woman, and
| said the people who thought they saw
| her after the first Of May were certainly
mistaken
But there was another fact to shake
the confidence CT the public in the theory
OF the authorities, and this was that the
chemists who were interviewed on the
subject and who had not yet started
their analysis OF the fluids winch had
been turned over to them, stted IN an
off-hand way, but none the less certain
| ", that there was no solution like that
described in the theory Of the police, IN
| which a human body could be disinte-
grated in the two or three hours which
Luetgert was believed to have spent at
the vat N the basement of the factory
In ti1e face of all these statements the
authorities stiTl held 10 their theory that
Luelgert had prepared chemical solu-
ton that would dispose OF a human body
~. VII HI cro wy
they felt confident their view Of the SUD-
ject would receive confirmation when the
chemists reports were finally made.
The preliminary hearing was had be-
fore Justice KerSten, who, on May -
when the case was called at the East
Chicago avenue station. found the crowd
Of spectators so immense that ne was
obliged to adjourn to one Of the branch
criminal courts.
WANTED PROOF OF DEATH.
At the outset Of the hearing Luetgert's
lawyer, William A. Vincent, objected 10
the examination of witnesses before
proof was offered that a crime had been
committed, but the court held that the
fact that a warrant had been issued
plainly showed that the court had been
satisfied Of the corpus deficit. Paren-
thet.cally it may be stated for the benefit
Of the lay reader, that in all criminal
cases it is considered essential before a
prosecution may be commenced that the
state shall show to the satisfaction or
the court that crime has actually been
committed, and the representatives of
the accused man have all along contend
l,4~ fat1 I'D ~
any tangible evidence that Mrs. Luet-
CERT was murdered.
After Louis Lustgert had described
how he had left his mother at 10 o'clock
Saturday night, Mrs. Wilhelmtna Muel-
Ter, Mrs Luetgerts sister, Mrs. TOsch
and Miss Ida Harris identified the rings
in the possession Of the police as having
belonged to Mrs. Luetgert- Miss Harris
stated that on one occasion, when talk
ing with Mrs Luetgert about her rings
she removed her wedding ring and
showed il to the witness. 1t was marked
81. L." on the inside and also bore the
usual "1sk" mark.
The sensation Of the preliminary hear
ing came. however, on May, IS. when the
former night Waterman, Frank Bialk,
was placed on the stand. After stating
that he had worked for Luetgert as
Waterman and night boiler tender, he
testified that about April q ne had as
sisted Luetgert in filling one Of the watts.
at the factory with the chemical which,
lad been broken UP by Frank Oberow-
sky. He did not know where the stuff
came from. He was left by Lue;gert 10
Oh tor t1ad
been added had boiled and the chemical
entirely dissolved In order to accom-
plish this. the steam ras turned on for
about five hours, from 9 O'Clock until
in the morning. He never had seen any
similar solution used in the factory.
ON THE NIGHT OF MAY l.
Nothing SPECIAL occurred until the
night Of May 1 at about 9 O'Clock when
he saw his employer in the office. About
a quarter before 10 he was sent by Luet-
CERT to a drug store five blocks away
to make a small purchase. When he re-
turned he found the door ordinarily used
closed and locked. 50 he used the elevator
to get into the basement. and Luetgert
who met him at the elevator. took the
bottle. which contained a nerve tonic,
and sent the fireman back 10 the boiler
room. Again at 1890 O'Clock the witness
was sent 10 the drug store, which kept
him away from the factory for about
twenty minutes. Later he saw Luetgert
in the basement twice. and swore that
that he was there as late as O'Clock n
the morning
The witness, however. could not say
ceived instructions 70 bank the fire I'M
der the boiler and leave IL When ne
the next morning he found that
the furnace had been raked. and la
borer named Ffegei. who was employed
about the stables told him that on Sun
day morning he had been asked by Luet-
CERT TO help rake out the furnace to get
some Goals for a salamander 20 be used
in treating a sick horse.
Sunday evening when Bialk visited |
the factory. he found a garden nose, |
which he had never seen in the factory
before, attached TO hydrant with the
other end IN the vat which he had helped
Luetgert 20 fill. The receptacle had over |
flowed and the water was running into |
the sewer Bialk shut off the water. |
He then went on TO describe how he had /
accompanied the police when they made |
their examination Of the basement, how
the officers had scrubbed out The cen
.ral val, and mad searched for sorSf evil
ience that IL had once contained Mrs.
Luetge.t's body. Later in the examina-
ten he told how, a the suggestion %
the police. ne had sent word 10 Lue-gcrc
that ne vas III, and Luetgert had called
10 see him g, his house. He explained
mat ne hai gone 70 bed. and TIA, 4 Po-
ice officer, who spoke several foreign
was concealed beneath his
Yei