The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-27
YLAYED A TRUMP CARD
Mary Siemering Takes the Stand
for luetgert.
WITNESS COMMANDS ADMIRATION.

Says Mrs. Luetgert Threatened To Go
Away from Home and That Luetgert
Was Good To His Wife-Prisoner to Tes-
tify in His Own Behalf
Chicago. Sept. 27-Luetgerts attor-
neys played what is generally believed
their trump card saturday They put
Mary Siemering on the stand and with
| absolutely no effort obtained from her
story that pictured the prisoner as
| kind and indulgent husband and father
! whose domestic relations were all but
! ideal. There was no doubt about the
woman being a witness for the defense,
| and she was an effective one-uutn the
state began the cross examination. A
member Of the Luetgert household for
| four years, Miss Siemering used all her
| knowledge Of its affairs to show that
the wife undoubtedly had left home
while demented and that the husband
was innocent Of the murder charged
against him. The blind loyalty she man
| ifested to the prisoner while on the
stand indirectly corroborated the evil
dence furnished by the state to show
that the two were fast friends. Every
answer she gave betrayed her anxiety
TO shield Luetgert.
More Jealous Than Counsel.
At times she was more jealous even
| than counsel for the defense. and her
replies, while not responsive to the
| questions, endeavored to add to the
protecting wall she was trying TO build
| around the sausage-maker. Her cross
! examination by the state was one Of
the most interesting features Of the fa-
nous trial. 1t was conducted by AS
sstant States Attorney McEwen,
whom she accused Of intimidation In
her direct testimony He was not long
| I'm entangling the woman in her own
| words. Game to the last, she denied
| point-blank statements that she made
before the grand jury and in the pres
| ence of Mr.. McEwen and the police
officers. The statements were injuri-
| Gus to Luetgert. and she repudiated
them with a quiet desperation that
brought about admiration for her nerve
even by persons who claimed she was
committing perjury. The state says ii
( will impeach the woman's testimony in
! many particulars. and her brave stand
| for Luetgert may not only go for
! naught but even injure his defense.
Glad She Is Loyal to Him.
! Luetgert kept his eyes on the witness
J constantly during the three hours she
J was on the stand. He seemed at first
curious to know just how far she would
go for his sake. IT was not long. how
ever, before he became satisfied that she
! was still his friend. and it was not diff
[ ficult to see that her fiedelity raised
! his spirits. When Mary Siemering told
| OF his wife's peculiar actions. her
/ - n. l.. l..zs.
! packing dresses. the day before she dis
( appeared, the prisoners eyes flashed
! under his bushy brows and he leaned
/ forward eagerly to catch every word.
( When she told of his kindness to the
children and his generosity TO his wife,
/ Luetgert Strengthened up In his chair
as though he received new life. and well
( he might. for it was the first kind word
| he had received from the witness stand
| since the trial began four weeks ago
( He had become accustomed to hearing
nothing but dark insinuations from that
! quarter and the words of praise sounded
| pleasant to his ears.
Women Interested In Witness,
To the crowd that filled the court
room almost to suffocation the proceed
! ings were the most interesting of the
[ trial. The women were especially in
| terested in Mary Siemering's story. and
not a few expressed admiration for her
| fidelity 10 Luetgert. A trace of the
domineering hired girl cropped out when
J the witness told of Mrs. Luetgerts
! breaking a cup one day. Mary said she
| scolded her mistress for breaking so
many new cups, to which Mrs Luet-
[ CERT answered that she didn't care. AS
[ sistant States Attorney McEwen prob
ably will take the stand later as wit
! ness to refute the testimony given by
Miss Semering that he intimidated her
and also to prove that she did make
| the various statements she has denied
under oath. Court adjourned for the
| day before her cross-examination was
| finished. She will go on the stand Mon
| dav Iuetgert is expected TO testify