The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-09
SURPRISE FOR THE DEFENSE
KNIFE WAS GIVEN TO THE WOMAN
THE DAY OF LUETGERT'S ARREST.
Corset Steels Identified by Manufac-
turers-Expert Testimony That Did
Not Help the Prosecution.

the trial was introduced. Mrs. Christine
Feldt, Luetgert's one-time sweetheart, was
called to the stand by the State for the
third time Assistant States Attorney Nc
Even handed her an ugly-appearing pocket
knife, the blades of which were stained and
rusted, and asked her if she had ever seen
it before. She testified that the big sau-
sage manufacturer had given her this knife
for safe keeping on the day of his arrest.
The prosecution asserts that it was with
this knife Luetgert murdered his wife be-
fcce placing her body in the boiling potash,
where it was dissolved. The ugly-looking
object was passed around for the inspec-
tion of the attorneys and was handed to
Luetgert, who opened and closed the blades,
gazing curiously at the weapon and scrap
ing the blade with his finger as if to feel
the stains. He evidenced no emotion,
though he knew that every person in the
courtroom, including court, jury and spec
tators, were closely watching and taking
note of his every action. In talking with
his attorneys he admitted the knife was his
property
Luetgert seemed pleased at the comments
of the papers to-day regarding his entrance
into the courtroom yesterday. Accordingly
when this morning he stepped into Judge
TuthiIs courtroom for the thirteenth day
of his trial he repeated his smiling salute
to the jury and ignored the spectators, who
evidenced their disappointment at the
slight The prisoner attempted to catch the
eye of the presiding judge, but the latter
dignitary completely ignored the attempt
of the big sausage maker to bid him good
morning. Luetgert held a familiar CONVEX
sation of minutes length with the news
paper reporters near his seat and then set
tied down to a consultation with his at
seemed
good spirits despite the damaging evidence
heard during yesterdays session The spec
tators continue to be mostly of the fair
sex and the crowds are growing larger
daily. A greater crowd than ever before
congregated to-day at the huge stone en-
trance of the Criminal Court building, and
score of bailiffs and many of Inspector
Schaack's officers We're required to keep
open a paSsageway.
REPORTERS TESTIFY.
The first witness called was Eugene B.
Palmer, reporter for the Journal. Palmer
testified to having held small bottle UNI
der the stream of pinkish matter which
flowed from the sluiceway of the vat when
the police opened the valve. Palmer was
followed by w. H. Stuart, also a Journal
reporter, who corroberated the testimony
of his confrere and also testified to having
delivered this same bottle of pinkish slime
into the hands of an expert who will be
called later in the case.
Policeman Bernard Preuss was called and
identified two bits of steel as the pieces he
found in the ashes where the supposed
residue of bones and other material which
was ScoOped from the vat was dumped
Policeman Fred TalerwitZ testified as to
having found hairpin in the same pile of
refuse, and the hairpin was produced as
evidence after an objection by Attorney
Vincent to the effect that it was improper
to introduce as evidence any and every OBJ
ject, which. owing to its similarity to OBJ
R0IIld
never be identified as having been property
of Mrs. LUetgert.
Next came one of the sensations of the
day. ]. II. Odenbrett and w. J. Cady,
corset makers, were placed on the stand in
succession and positively identified the two
alleged corset SteelS as having been the
product of their factory. Certain marks on
the two bits of metal were shown to CORE
spond with similar marks on new steels
which were produced in court. The wit
nesses each testified positively as to the
similarity and also to the fact that the new
steels We're of the pattern usually sold by
their factory. 1t was considered by the
state to be great blow to the defense and
was unexpected by the latter who hoped
to prove that the two pieces of steel were
scale bands.
Carl Klein, jr., who is employed by a
dentist described a set of false teeth which
he had sold to Mrs Luetgert. Klein seemed
to be burdened with a sense of his own i'm
portance in the case, and in the crosse
animation by Attorney Vincent, chief coun-
to the questions asked and refused to
answer several until the court ordered him
to do so. His conduct on the stand caused
considerable merriment among the lawyers
and spectators.
A FRIGHTENER GIRL.
Emma Schimpke, sister to Gottliehe
Schimpke who testified to having seen
Luetgert and his wife enter the factory on
the fateful evening, was placed on the
stand to corroborate the testimony of her
younger sister. She was a very faltering.
witness and suffered under the scathing
cross-examination to which she was sub
jected. Emma was apparently imbued with
the idea that she must testify only to those
matters which hurt the cause of the de-
Tense. Judge Tuthill administered a kindly
but firm lecture to the trembling girl From
her the defense secured the admission that
she was not sure she saw Luetgert and his
wife enter the factory. and the defense also
forced her to admit that she could not re-
member anything that happened on any
other particular night than May l. When
asked the day of the week upon which Nav
fell she hesitated and then said, "Satur-
day, wasn't it?' The defense felt that their
cause had gained perceptibly from her
testimony.
Police Sergeant Spangler, who was active
in procuring evidence for the prosecution
testified to having secured either from off.
GERS or from the factory and vicinity cor
set steels, a celluloid hairpin a half a
tooth, particles of bones, scrapings from
both the interior and exterior of the VAT in
WlllcH IL IS dllegeQ MIS-. Luetgert dis
solved and slime from the sluce and from
the vat.
Vickert Bickenese, brother of Mrs. T,uet-
CERT, identified two photographs as like
nesses of his sister. The pictures were
passed around among the ATTORNEYS and
Luetgert attentively compared the two and
consulted about them with his ATTORNEYS.
Next came Mrs. Feldt, whose evidence has
been given above, and which Consisted
merely of the Identification of the knife.
The afternoon session devoted 10 drv
expert testimony. Prof. Charles B. Gibson
to whom the newspaper men gave the fluid
they got from the vat. was examined and
testified to the finding of organic matter
IN the pinkish brown fluid which he sub
Jected to a chemical analysis. His answers
We're delivered slowly and deliberately and
were couched in technical terms it re-
quired much time TO question the witness
so that his testimony could be made clear
TO the jury. The witness asserted as his
opinion that the dissolution of the fleshv
portions of a body could be Accomplished
in the time and manner alleged by the
State, but denied that the condition of the
bones would be materially affected. The
defense considered that a point was scored
in their favor when the witness asserted
that the hair would be the first portion Of
the body TO dissolve in the caustic mixture
Attorney Vincent will request the Jury to
legged finding of hair In the vat
The last witness sworn was the son of
Waterman Bialk, who testified to having
enticed Luetgert TO his fathers room I'M
der pretense of the latters illness A de-
tective was concealed under the bed at the
time and the testimony was intended to be
merely corroboratiYe of portions Of the tes~