The herald., 1897-09-28
And Bought the Potash to
Make It
A GOOD EXPLANATION GIVEN
OF THE BARRICADE OF SAUSAGE
FACTORY DOORS
If Luetgert's Business Partner Is Not
Telling the Truth he Lies
Most Reasonably
Press Special Wire.

CHICAGO, Sept. 27.-The leading
event Of the day in the trial of A. L.
Luetgert was William Charles, Luet-
gert's business partner. He explained
why, as he claimed, the caustic potash
in which the body Of Mrs. Luetgert is
bought According to Charles story
the potash was purchased as the princi-
pal ingredient of quantity Of soft soap,
to be used in cleaning up the big fac
tory preparatory to its sale to an Eng
lish syndicate. The witness said he
suggested this method Of putting the
factory in shape himself, and that Luet-
CERT, acting upon the suggestion, or
dered a barrel Of caustic potash sent
to the factory in March last. This was
about the time the prosecution claims
the negotiations were pending between
Luetgert and Davey, the mysterious
Englishman, who is saic to have repre-
sented the syndicate and who borrowed
something like $4,000 from Luetgert.
Charles also offered an. explanation of
the apparent barricade by telling about
chase for rats in which small dog
was an active participant. He said the
factory had been infested by rats for
some time and that an effort had been
made to get rid of them
The evening of April 80 be ard Luet-
gert, with others. were in the basement
when a terrier which belonged to the
witness got after rat. Charles, Luet-
CERT and the others move0 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. zisIis 'slSM Ma
Charles says besides the caustic pot
ash two or three barrels of tallow, a
quantity of grease and some Clipped
bone, which was to be used in making the
soft soap, were delivered at the factory.
He said that he aided Odorfski and
Levandowski, two laborers employed in
the factory, to place some of the stuff
in the middle vat He also saw Frank
Bial out of the factory at the time. The
caustic potash was put in the vat and
Luetgert said he would see to the turn
ing irA of the steam and the boiling of
the stuff.
Charles said he met Luetgert in a
saloon opposite the factory on the eve
ming of the night Mrs. Luetgert disap-
peared and Lustgert said he was going
over to the factory to turn on the steam.
At nine o'clock the same night, Charles
said, he went to the basement of the
factory and found Luetgert there and
the stea m turned on. The mixture boiled
over once or twice and splashed upon
the floor, he said. The following day he
visited the factory basement and saw
the mixture in the vat. The tallow was
in one portion of the vat and the grease
or lard had collected in another part of
the vat by itself Lustgert again turned
on the steam in the mixture, the wit
ness said.
On cross-examination by States At
torney Deenen, Charles denied he had
"doctored" the books of the concern so
as to show yearly profit of 10000. This
line of cross examina tion was objected
to by the defense, but the court permit
ted it for time, the result being a COM
plete denial by Charles. He acknowl-
edged 1t was he who introduced Promot-
er Davis to Luetgert, but he said he was
deceived by the man as we'll as Luet-
CERT.
Frank Dittler told of seeing Mrs. Luet-
CERT wringing her hands on one occasion.
1t was during the latter part of April,
and the witness declared Mrs. Luetgert
said the business was broken up and
everything was gone and that she was
going away also. Witness said Mrs.
Luetgert promised to attend the wedding
Of her daughter in June and make the
prospective bride a present.
Mary Simmering, the servant girl ex-
amined Saturday, was recalled and
stated that when she was before the
Grand Jury she testified that Mrs. Luet-
CERT was kind and thoughtful mother
because Inspector Setback was there
ard threatened to punish her If she did
not say what she was told.
Jacob Melber of Wheaton, ILL.,, testi-
fed that he saw woman at Wheaton
depot at 5 am, May 6, who looked like
Mrs. Luetgert, but not being able to
describe Mrs. Luetgert on cross-exam-
ination he was excused.
Charles Boehnke, who worked for
Luetgert for sixteen years. said that
Mrs. Luetgert was very depressed April
2S and threatened to leave home.
Mrs. Augusta Kerch and other wit
nesses testified that in April Mrs. Luet-
CERT was very depressed on account of
her husband having been. swindled out
of a large sum Of money, and talked
of going away.