The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
Result of His Experiments with Two
Bodies Which He Boiled In a So
luton of Caustic Potash.
STORY TOLD BY A PEDDLER
WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN MRS.
LUETGERT In WISCONSIN.
Nebraska Judge Who Also Saw the
Missing WOman-The Sausage Max
er to Testify on Thursday.

| the experts has begun, and from now on
there will be denials thrown at the evidence
Of the medical and chemical wise men who
| testified for the state in the Luetgert case.
| The defense put it's first witness in the ex-
| pert line On the stand to-day, and he will
| be followed by long string of others. The
| witness to-day was DR.. B. l.. Riez, who
boiled two bodies in caustic potash in the
vat in Luetgerts sausage factory and OBJ
| tanned results different from those who
boiled bodies in caustic potash in behalf of
the state Another witness of the day was
| Armadale Opdyke, a peddler, who testified
| that long after the murder is said to have
| been committed he saw Mrs Luetgert in
| the neighborhood Of GAINESVILLE Wis. He
said that there was no chance of his be-
| ing mistaken, and he identified the photo
graph of her which he was show in the
court in the most positive manner. Two
girls were placed on the stand to impeach
the testimony of Emma Schimpke, who said
that she saw Luetgert and his wife enter
the factory the night on which the
murder is said to have been committed.
| There is a strong probability that Mary
| Siemmering will be called on to answer a
| charge of perjury In her testimony she
gave evidence rejecting on the manner in
which she had been treated by Inspector
| Schaak and Assistant States Attorney Nc
Even before the trial, and as she gaze
sworn evidence on the witness stand di-
! rectly contrary to the sworn evidence she
gave at the preliminary hearing the assist
ant states attorney says that he will bring
a charge of perjury against her. Luetgert
will probably go on the witness stand in
| his own behalf Thursday.
The court proceedings opened to-day with
| On ha witty or nd IF
Dr. Clarence Rutherford the Luetgert fam
| lily physician. He testified as to Mrs. Luet-
| gert's physical condition, stating that she
| was in fairly good health Attorney Phalen
| inquired as to the WomanS mental condi-
| ton. States Attorney Deenen objected TO
| the question unless the witness was quail
| hed an expert mental diseases. DIR.
| Rutherford could not do this, and after
| stating ne visited the Luetgert family twice
| each month and never saw any unpleasant
| ness in the family he was released from
| the witness stand.
| SAW TWO WOMEN BY A LAKE.
| An interesting witness was Armadale
| Opdyke, fruit vender from near James
vile. Wis. He said that May he was
| in the vicinity of Lake Zurich, near James
vile, with a horse and wagon. On the
night of May 8 he camped out, sleeping
| In his wagon. In small grove near him
| he saw two women. They were lying on
the ground ard said they were going to ree
main there during the night. OpdyBe said
| he carried an armful of hay from his wag-
| on to the women and they made a bed Of
| it. The witness positively and uncondi-
| toEally identified a photograph of Mrs.
| Luetgert as one of the women he in
| the woods near Lake Zurich the night OF
| May 8. Opdyke said he could not be mis-
| taken He was absolutely sure that one of
| the women was Mrs Luetgert. On cross
| examination he acknowledged that his
| Identification was based purely on the re-
semblance of Mrs. Luetgerts picture to
Maggie Shaughnessy, of 124S North Robey
| street. was put on the witness stand to
strengthen the Impeachment evidence
against Emma Schimpke. Witness was
| with Emma Schimpke and Rosa Gleich at
a dance in Westig Hail. opposite Luetgert S
said she saw Luetgert in the bar room of
the place, and that she and Emma
| Schimpke left the hall about o'clock and
went home. Consequently Emma Schimpke
could not have seen Luetgert and his wife
| at ii o'clock.
Marcus lehman added the weight of his
| testimony to that of others who have told
how Mrs. Luetgert had frequently said she
was going away from home because Luet-
CERT had failed On April %, the witness
away.
DR.. Bernard L. Riez was next called to
the stand to tell of experiments he had
| made in disintegrating human bodies with a
| ash. DR.. Riez first experimental in the
| middle vat-the one the body of Mrs. Luet-
| CERT is alleged to have been disintegrated
| in. He said that the first experiment was
! made with the body of a woman five feet
| two inches tall and weighing ninety pounds.
| The crude potash was EN- lied into the vat
| In the manner Luetgert is alleged to have
| placed the potash in the same receptacle
| on May /, and the steam was turned on.
| In few minutes the body put in the
| vat, then the steam was turned on, and the
| vat was covered with gunny sacks. The
boiling process was continued for several
hours, with the result that very little of
| the flesh was left. The physician described
the color Of the liquid in the vat which re-
sembled, he said. vinegar. On the surface
of this liquid was a fatty substance. the
! twentieth part of an inch deep.
EFFECT ON BONES. ETC.
| The expert said that the teeth of the sub
| ject extending from the gums were not in
! jured, but the roots of these teeth which
had been covered by flesh were crumbled
and in some instances brittle. The skull
femurs and the large bones of the arms
still remained intact, or nearly so. The hair
almost entirely disappeared Into the vat
| at the beginning of the experiment was
| thrown two gold finger rings. The doctor
said he, had some difficulty in getting them
out of the vat, as the alkali water burned
| his hands. 1t was found that the solution
| had not affected the rings. DR.. Riez also
testified that he had experimental with hair
| pins and corset-the latter one from Mrs.
| Luetgerts wardrobe. Different kinds Of
hair pins were used Those which were
| Japanned came out of the test minus the
| Japan. Bone celuloid and rubber hair pins
were tested and it was found that they were
| utterly destroyed by the solution. A hard
rubber button was placed in the liquid but
| it was not destroyed. This was owing the
| expert explained, to it's structure. The sec
! ond experiment with the body of a man
. was much the same with the exception
that the vat left uncovered. The pro-
! cess did not require much longer despite
this fact
The effect of this testimony which, in
fact, bore out to a considerable degree the
claims of the prosecution, was to establish
| an important point the defense has kept in
| view from the beginning. Frank Od0rofski
| and Frank Bialk testified that the floor of
| the basement near the middle vat was COW
| cred from grease which had flowed from the
| vat. DR.. RieZ testified that the residue from
| both of the bodies boiled in the vat was
| very little. The fat did not amount to over
| a twentieth part of an inch the physician
| said. EX-Judge Vincent declared this state
| ment substantiated the story of the defense
| that Luetgert was making soap in the vat
| and that the grease in the soap boiled over
| and flowed on the floor.
| Ida Larson, who was at the dance in Di-
| versey Hall opposite Luetgerts factory, on
| the night of May l. was called to the stand
| TO impeach Emma Schimpke relative to the
| latter's seeing Luetgert and his wife walk
| ing toward the factory at II o'clock that
| night She declared that Emma Schimpke
| was not at the hall or near it at II O'Clock
| She added also that Buetgert bought beer
for some of the girls who were dancing that
| night.
| TELLS STARTLING TALE.