The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-31
LUETGERTS LIFE
IN The BALANCE
The Chicago Sausage Maker Must An
SRer For His Wiie'S Death.
THE STATE THEORIES
As to How the Crime Was Committed
and the Cause.
HIS SON PRODUCED A SENSATION
Said His Mother Was in His Room After He Re-
tired-Jury to Witness Process by Which
Prosecution Claims The Defendant
Disintegrated Her Body.
THE STATE THEORIES
HIS SON PRODUCED A SENSATION

Chicago, Aug. 30.-The trial of Ado1ph
Luetgert, the sausage maker, for The al
legged murder of his wife on NAV e1s-
gan in earnest today Two witnesses
were examined today, Dietrich Bickre -s,
brother of Mrs Luetgert, and Louis Luet-
gert the 12-ysar-cld son of the accused.
The testimony of Bickness tended in tae
main TO show the alleged indifference of
Lnstgert to the fate of his wife ard the
alleged disinclinaltion to report the mat
ter of her disappearance to the police de-
partment.
Louis Luetgert, who is a remarkably
bright lad for his age, produced some
thing of sensation in concluding his
testimony, and it is believed caused
counsel for the prosecution to r.gret
having placed him on the stand. The
boy testified that his mother oame ITO his
bedroom after he had retired ami some
time after he heard his father deseend
the back stairs going to THE factory.
Contrary to the expectation of the state
the jury will be asked by the defense to
witness an experiment in THE vat in the
basement of the sausage factory. This
is to be the result of an experime nj con-
dlneusd by Luetgert's attorneys Saturday
and yesterday The body of man of
about Mrs. Lustgerts age and weight
who met his Gcath by violence Thursday
was taken to the factory, at Col Univer:i-
of caustic potash. The result exceeded
their expectations. The experts related
that after boiling the body in 15 per
cent. solution of the potash for the same
length of time, thrse and one-half hours.
ami under the same circums tame IS as the
state alleges Luetgert disintegrated the
body of his wife, the complete skeleton of
the cadaver remained intact ami that the
solution had had but little effect upon the
clothing. As result of the test the de-
fense, 1t is said, will ask Ito remove his
court ard jury to the basement of the big
sausage factory for few hours and wit
ness another experiment which the de-
fense claims will completely disprove the
states theory of disintegration. Mu:t-
CERT was calm and confident looking when
brought into court and he has apparent
ny been graatly refreshed by Sundays re-
spite from the daily court room ordeal.
District States Attorney McEwan for
mally opened the case for the state, and
on the wall close to the jury box were
hung large maps of the Luetgert sausage
factory, the Luetgert home and oil the
surroundings of the pace where 1t is
charged the prisoner killed his wife ard
then destroyed her body.
The attorney for the state began with
the Disappearance of Mrs. Lu=tg.rt on
May 1, and next described the visit, on
May 4, of DHedrlch Bickness. brother of
Mrs. Luetgert, when he called to see his
sister, and discovered that she had dis
appeared. He dwelt on the apparent |
Indifference of the husband, his state
ment that he had not informed the po-
lice, but had hired two detectives, and
his anvftation to Bdckness to call again
in about week, when he would tell him
If anything had been discovered con- |
cetning the Whereabouts of his sister.
Attorney McEwan told the jury that |
Luetgert's statement that he had hired |
two detectives to search for his wife |
would be proven false. Mr.. McEwan
said it was the theory of the state that |
Mrs Luetgert accompanied her husband
into the faotory between 1890 and II |
o'clock. About 1880 Louis returned rom |