The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-09-30
THE LUETGERT TRIAL.
Several witnesses In the Case Were
Examined Yesterday.

Chicago, Sept. 27.-The leading event
of the day in the trial OF a. l.; Luet-
CERT was the evidence of william
Carries, Luetgert's business partner. lie
explained why, as he claimed, the caus-
tic potash in which the body OF Mrs.
Louise Luetgert is alleged by the prose
cution to have been dissolved, was
boueht. According to Charles story
the potash was purchased as the prin-
cipal ingredient of quantity OF sort
coap, to be used in cleaning up the Dig
factory preparatory to sale to an Eng
lish syndicate. The witness said he
suggested this method of putting the
factory in shape himself and that Ltet-
CERT, acting upon the suggestion, oruer-
ed barrel of caustic potash weignlng
375 pounds sent to the factory In March
last This was about the time the pros
ecution claims the negotiations were
reached between Luetgert and Davey,
the mysterious Englishman, who Is
said to have represented the syndicate
and borrowed something like S2o,OOO.
Mr.. Charles also offered an explana-
ton of the apparently barricaded door
TO the basement stairway by telling
about n chase for rats, in which small
dog was an active participant. He said
that the factory had been infested by
rats for some time and that an effort
had been made to get rid OF them. Inc
evening of April 80 he and Luetgert,
with others, were in the basement When
n terrier got after rat. Charles, Luet-
CERT and the others moved the boxes,
barrels and other obstacles to aid the
dog in his chase. and the boxes and
barrels were hurled in pile against
the door. The barricade of the door
was unintentional, he said. 1t just hap
pened that articles were thrown there
without thought of the door at all.
Never before at criminal trials in Chi
cago. the anarchist trial not excepted,
has there been more widespread interest
than has been aroused by the Luetgert
trial. A.,
States Attorney Lehman expressed the
belief today that at least three, and pos
sibly four, weeks more would be re.
auired to complete the presentation OF
the case.
Mary Siemmering. the servant girl,
whose cross-eXamnatiOn was in progress
Saturday. was recalled. Her cross
examination was not severe.
Jacob Melber of Wheaton, ILL.,, testi-
fled that on May 6 he saw a woman at
the depot in Wheaton at > O'Clock in the
morning whose description resembled
that of Mrs. Luetgert. She inquired the
way to Elmhurst.
Mrs Augusta Koch, .neighbor or
the Luetgerts, who knew Mrs. Luetgert
well. was called to the stand. Mrs.
Koch said she had known Mrs. Luetgert
for eleven years and had lived near her
most of this time. She saw and talked
with her the last week in April. Mrs.
Iuetgert was depressed and talked about
going away. She told the witness. ac-
cording to the statement of the latter,
that Luetgert had been swindled by a
man who had promised to pay him big
sum for an interest in the sausage fac
tory. Luetgert had let the man have a
large amount of money and the man had
run away. This evidence was in sup
port of the statement of eX-Judge Vim
cent at the opening of the trial to the
effect that a promoter had swindled
Luetgert out of $4,000 and that this
was the beginning of the troubles of
the sausage maker. Other witnesses
testified along this line later in the day.
William Charles, Luetgerts partner
testified this afternoon that the caustic
soda taken to the basement of the saul
sage factory in March was brought there
for the purpose of cleaning up the es-
tablishmcnt. Several barrels of tai
low and barrel of Clipped bones were
empted into the middle vat to make soft
soap, according to the witness. Luet-
CERT told him on the night of April 30
he was going to make soft soap that |
night. The barricaded door he ex-
planned away by saying that dog got |
after rat and the boxes were piled up |
in front of the door Internationally |
while an effort was being made to aid |
the dog to catch the rat. |