The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-13
HE SCOWLED FOR HOURS
LUETGERT DID NOT LIKE ATTORNEY
MEWEN'S ARRANGEMENT.
story of the Sausage Makers Alleged
tiOn-Defense to Open To-day.

CHICAGO, Oct. 12-Assistant States At
torney McEwen finished his argument in the
Luetgert trial to-day, and will be followed
tomorrow by Attorney Phalen. who will
make the opening address for the defense.
Mr. McEwen took up the entire day with
his argument, and went over the case care
fully, connecting the details of the evil
dence for the jury, and showing how one
circumstance fitted into another. and how
the whole mass of evidence submitted by
the state furnished, in his opinion. full
and complete circumstantial chain, proving
that Luetgert had murdered his wife in or
der that his relations with his servant girl,
Mary Siemmering, might remain undis-
turbed. Throughout the entire argument
Luetgert listened to the speech of the at
torney who was asking for his life with the
greatest attention. He never took his eyes
off Mr.. McEwen for more than an instant,
and the heavy scowl that is habitual with
him deepened as the assistant states at
torney pointed out circumstance after cir
cumstance that weighed against his inno-
cence. 1t is now practically certain that
all of the arguments will be finished so
that the case will be given to the jury by
Saturday night at the latest.
Mr.. McEwen took up the subject Of sesa-
moids when he began this morning. This
soon brought him to consideration of the
evidence of DR.. w. H. ABORT chief osteo-
logical expert for the defense. Rarely is
a witness handled with the biting sarcasm
and scornful denunciation that was heaped
upon this celebrated expert. He came
upon the witness stand with all the AFRO
gance and self-assurance of a bully"
shouted the speaker, t'and left 1t as meek
and lowly as any being who ever entered
this building. He exposed to the medical
profession in open court his ignorance ana
made himself the laughing stock or experts
the world over"
The mistakes DR.. Airport is alleged to
have made in Identifying different bones
in the most cutting manner at the speaker
command. And this is the man whom the
defense asks you to believe with reference
to the Identification of bones placed before
you in evidence in this case, observed the
assistant states attorney.
During the afternoon session OF court Mr.
McEwen devoted considerable portion or
his time to the gold rings found in the mid
die vat in Luetgert's sausage factory These
he styled the ndest l.1s and shining
known to man." he said, had come forth
from that vat untarnished to fasten upon
the guilty person the responsibility for one
Of the most heinOus and cruel crimes mod
ern times had produced Then the speaker
shifted to the evidence of the bone experts
and dlSSected IL SklHfulIy, pointing out what
he considered the weakness and inconsist-
ency in the stories and identitications made
by each. Then he reviewed the circum-
stances in the case from the date OF Mrs,
Luetgert's disappearance up to the present
date. Each development was recalled and
fitted together in a logical manner. The
speaker. suddenly reached the descriptive
climax by exclaiming: There, gentlemen
of the jury you have the complete founda-
ton and structure of this case. The chain
of facts is connected. The links naturally
coil around this defendant and fix his guilt
as plainly and indisputably as it is posi-
BILE to fix guilt"
Hour after hour the assistant states at
torney continued to discuss the evidence in
the case. land to comment upon the conduct
of Luetgert and Mary Siemmering both be-
fore and after the disappearance or Mrs.
Luetgert Luetgert sat and listened to the
speech with close attention. he kept his
eyes fastened upon Assistant States Attor-
ney McEwen during the five hours the lat
ter spoke to-day. The heavy features of
the sausage maker never changed. he sat
with the deep habitual scoWl, which IS a
marked facial characteristic of his, and lis
tened to the attorney who appealed to the
jury to find him guilty. EX-Judge Vincent
was a close listener, as was also Attorney
Phalen, who occasionally made note on the
speech.
Tomorrow Attorney Phalen will open
for the defense. He will speak all day,
and possibly part of Thursday. Then ex-
Judge Vincent will speak for day and a
half in closing for the defense. states At.
torney Deneen who is a remarkably rapid
speaker, will close the case on Saturday,
speaking the entire day.