Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-24
A. |. LUETGERT,
The Chicago Sausage Manufacturer,
Before the Court, Charged With
Numbering His Wife---May Take a
Long Time tOTet Jury.

Chicago. August 23-After two pre-
umfnary hearings and three months
confinement in the county Jail, Adolph
L. Luetgert, the rich sausage maker,
was put on trial, charged with the
murder of his wife, before Judge Tut
hill in the Criminal Court to-day.
The big sausage maker has declared
to his attorneys, ex-Judge William A.
Vincent and Albert Phalen, that he
desired no further delay. Both the
State and defense prophesy that LOCO
veniremen will be examined, and that
a week will pass before twelve men
who are acceptable to both sides are
found. Then the trial will begin IN
earnest.
The theory of the State Is that Luet-
CERT induced his wife to accompany
him to his sleeping apartment in the
factory office and there strangled her.
Then he is thought to have taken her
body to the basement and to have i'm
mersed it in vat filled with a solution
OF caustic potash heated to the boiling
point. What remained Of the body af-
ter this process, it is alleged was
gathered together and thrown into the
furnace Of one Of the factory boilers.
The fire had been kept up under one
Of the boilers upon express orders
given by Luetgert to his watchman,
Frank Bialk.
The State has made several expert
ments in support of its theory.
Luetgert's attorneys will also ex-
pertinent with crude potash. With the
results they hope to successfully COM
bat the testimony to be introduced by
the State regarding the disintegration
of a cadaver in solution similar to
that found in tn vat in the sausage fac
tory in which Mrs. Luetgert's remains
were alleged to have been destroyed.
The cadaver used by the State say
the attorneys for the defense, was sew
eral DAYS old. In IL there was not the
resisting power Of nerves and muscles
which body from which life has just
passed would offer to the action OF the
solution. Acting upon this belief, the
defense has employed experts TO con-
duct experiments with a fresh body
and the defense processes the utmost
confidence that the results will utterly
disprove the theory Of the prosecution.
While the trial Is in progress the detec-
tives all over the country and Germany
will he searching for Mrs Leutgert,
who has been reported to have been
seen in various places since her hus-
bands arrest. All Of these have been
run down by the police, who claim
, to have proved they had little founda-
ton. Nevertheless, ii is said the de-
fense hopes by the reiteration Of such
stories 10 raise the question Of doubt
in the minds Of the jurymen.
Long before the case was called for
trial the corridors OF the Criminal
Court building were packed with peo-
pie anxious 10 get into the court room
and special detail OF police was nee
essary to keep them in order. When
the case was called the court room was
filed 10 suffOcation. a remarkable fea-
ture being the number Of women pres
ent. Luetgert himself sat close 10 his
+ attorneys. unusually pale. The cool
| ness which has characterized the sau-
sage maker ever since his arrest de-
, serted him and he showed numistaka-
! BILE signs Of nervousness. He was
dressed neatly in black. Immediately
after the court was called 10 order
States Attorney Deneen arose and an
nounced that the prosecution was
ready 10 proceed with the trial. The at
/ torneys for the defense made similar
announcement, no application for a
change OF venue being made. A con-
troversy then arose as 70 the manner
Of drawing jury. the prosecution con-
tending that IL should be drawn under
the new jury commission law. After
some discussion this was agreed 10,