The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-05-19
THE mURDEnEn WAS HERE.
Adolph L. Luetgert's Mysterious Visit tC
This City.

MOuudy dIleTIOOll, CLlttISGQ WIN uIuI-
dering his wife and then placing the
body in a vat and burning it up by the
use of chemicals, was in New Haven
only a short time ago. Such, however
is the case, and it is possible that his
visit to New Haven had something to
do remotely with his plans for murder
ing his wife, as his errand here was a
mysterious one.
On February last a man stopped
over night at the New Haven house
who registered as John Phillips of
New York. He only stayed at the ho-
tel one night, but during the following
two days a number of kilograms were
received in New Haven addressed to
John Phillips, care of Yale university.
The telegrams were received at the tel
egraph office in the New Haven house,
and the operator there was unable to
find the person to whom they were ad-
dressed.
On February a man arrived in New
Haven and registered at the New Ha-
ven house as A. L. Luetgert of Chica-
go. He stated that he was looking for
one John Phillips and began a thor
ough search for person of that name.
He stated that the gentleman for whom
he was searching was a friend of his
and a we'll known business man of Chi
cago, but that Phillips was not his
right name. Luetgert did not state his
reasons for being so strongly desirous
of finding Phillips, but gave the i'm
preston that the latter had left Chi
eago owing to certain financial difficult
ties or other troubles, and that he
Uuetgert) was looking him up to set
matters straight.
Luetgert stated to the night clerk at
the New Haven house that he had re-
ceived several telegrams from Phillips
in New Haven. The first announced
that he had bad cold and was in bed,
the next that he was very Ill and had
SOllt " dit, etLlu tllC last lClStS Gill
stated that he had a severe attack of
pneumonia and that a consultation of
physicians had been held.
From the New Haven house Luetgert
telephoned to the hospital asking for
information of Phillips, and receiving
none there, he went to the Yale intirm-
airy and to the police station. He did
not give his name at the station and
the officers there did not know that he
had been in town until so informed last
evening.
Luetgert also called on Dr. Foster,
who is the physician at the Yale in
firmary He talked with DR.. Foster
for long time and gave him to under
stand that Phillips was not the right
name of the man for whom he was
looking. He gave the impression that
the man represented a firm in Chicago
and had been dissipating or became de-
ranged and wandered off, and that he
(Luetgert) was looking him up as a
friend to take care of him. At least
Luetgert seemed to think his friend
was doing wrong in some way, and
that if he could find him he could set
rious in his talk, and would state moth
ing definite in regard to who the man
was, what he had done, or why he was
looking him up,
After talking with DR.. Foster Lieut.
CERT returned to the New Haven house
and late in the evening looked over the
hotel register. He finally found the
name John Phillips, New York." and
at once exclaimed, excitedly, THAT is
his signature!' He then stated that
although the name was not the right
name of the men who signed it, he was
positive that the writing was that of
the man for whom he was looking.
He finally prevailed upon the clerk to
allow him to cut the name out of the
register, and did so carefully, placing
the clipped portion in his pocketbook.
TIe then retired and arose at 4 o'clock
the next morning to leave. AS he was
going out he appeared much agitated.
He thanked the night clerk very effu-
sively for allowing him to cut out the
name, and said that he would return
and give it back, leaving his business
card, which Mr.. Moseley now has, but
nothing has been heard of Leutgert at
the hotel since.
While Leutegert was sending tele-
grams to the New Haven house, none
of which was delivered as Phillips
could not be found, telegram was
sent to Leutgert in Chicago from the
main office of the Western Union in
this city, but who sent the message the
Western Union operator here does not
know.
Luetgert endeavored to give the i'm
preston to Dr. Foster that Phillips
had taken with him when he left
Chicago money which did not belong
to him, but Or. Foster said that there
was that in Luetgert's manner which
led him to discredit any such attempted
impression. When cutting the sigma
ture from the register Luetgert stated
to the clerk that he wanted 1t to show
to friends in Chicago to prove by the
handwriting that Phillips" had been
here.
Mr.. Moseley of the New Haven house,
who has on several occasions done neat
bits of detective work and succeeded
in unraveling two or three cases that
baffled detective skill, was impressed
with Luetgert's appearance and when
he read of the horrible murder commit
ted by the Chicago man he at once re-
membered his visit to New Haven. and
Al