The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-12
CLOSING ADDRESSES IN THE LUET-
CERT CASE THE BILL FOR
THE WEEK.
M'EWEN HAS THE FLOOR.
HE WILL CONSUME TWO DAYS IN
SUMMING UP FOR THE
STATE.
TO THE JURY BY NEXT SATURDAY.
Two Pleas VIII Be Made for Luet.
Sert's Life, and Then the Pros
ecutiOn Will Close


ments have commenced in the Luetgert
trial. and the case will be given to the
jury by the end of the present week
This at least is the expectation of the
attorneys. The defense expected today
to take most of the session of court in
offering sur-rebuttal evidence, but some
of its witnesses were>not present when
their names were called, and it was
decided that the case might as well
go on. Assistant States Attorney Nc
Even began with the opening address
for the state, and he will speak for two
days at least. He will be followed by
Attorney Phalen for the defense, and
Attorney Vincent will close in behalf
of Luetgert.- Then will come the clos
ing of the state, which will be made
by States Attorney Deneen.
Assistant States Attorney McEwen
spoke for three hours this afternoon
and had barely outlined his argument
at the hour of adjournment for the
day. He will resume the argument to-
morrow morning and will talk all day.
'"The state was conservative in it's
assertions as to what it would prove
on the witness stand some weeks ago'''
said the speaker in his opening. I'VE
told you in the simplest language we
could employ just what the evidence
would disclose, and our promises have
been fulfilled. Testimony given from
the witness stand has disclosed and
developed more than we promised you.
No stronger case under similar evil
dence was ever presented to jury.
Search the law books the world over
1
case to equal the now wQrld-famous
,Luetgert trial. The crime is one of the
most remarkable in criminal annals.
yet when the details are followed up
and linked together in a circumstantial
chain the motive and the act are ex-
tremely plain and undeniable.'
The speaker referred to the fact that
nearly six months had elapsed since
Mrs. Luetgert had disappeared from
her home. ''She still remains missing.
and will remain missing as long as the
world endures," shouted the assistant
states attorney, staring at Luetgert.
Then the case was taken up cnrono-
logically and all the incidents traced
briefly down to the date of the open
ing of the trial. This started with the
inquiry of Diedrich Bicknese for his
sister and Luetgert's Indifferent reply
that she had left hcme in temper
and would return when she got over
her mad" Finally came the notifica-
ton of the police and the subsequent
Developments All these were traced
by the speaker, who praised the police
for the excellence of their work. The
conviction of innocent men upon cir
ia al
occurred" said Assistant States At
torney McEwen. But such men died
as truly to support law and order as
the soldier and sailor killed in battle" ="
The alleged relations of Luetgert and
Mary Siemmering were touched upon
and were declared to have furnished
the motive for the crime.
CURIOUS CROWD
Despite drizzling downpour of rain
today. the crowd which reached the
criminal court building to be present
at the opening of the eighth week of
the famous Luetgert murder trial was
no less in numbers than upon other
mornings. The throng was composed of
the same Heterogeneous combination of
the morbidly curious that has packed
the court room from the beginning of
the trial.
More than a third of the members
of the crowd which poured into the big
criminal court building today were
women, and they came attired as if
for a matinee performance. The rain
drops had in some instances played
havoc with the flowers and feathers
on their hats. The injury to their
plumage did not ruff1e their tempers,
and they chatted spiritedly as they
stood in line and waited for the chief
bailiff to order the doors leading to
Judge Tuthills court room to be open
ed. When this order was finally given,
there was a rush for the court room,
which the officers in charge were un-
able to check, and in a few minutes
the room was packed, and the guards
closed the corridor doors. Then follow
ed the usual flow of original and gro
tesque profanity from those who were
shut out.
The oft-repeated cry of favoritism on
the part of the deputy sheriffs and
court bailiffs was raised, but it had
no effect, and the discontented throng
slowly sought consolation by going in
to other court rooms to listen to the
trials of less noted cases.
Luetgert expressed his pleasure over
the fact that today marked the open
ing of the last week of his trial. He
was not alone in his appreciation of
this fact. and every one connected with
the proceeding is tired of it. ut has
been a. long drawn-out and hard trial, "
said States Attorney Deneen L am
positively elated over the fact that we