The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-31
CONSERVATION.
Luetgert's 12-Year-Old Son
Louis Gives Testimony
That Completely Upsets the
States Calculations.
MOTHER In HIS ROOM
Long After the Hour of Her
Supposed Murder.
He Talked With Her and Rec
ognized Her Voice.

Chicago, Aug. 31.-The trial of AdoIph
Luetgert, the sausage maker, for the al
legged murder of his wife on May 1, last,
is on in earnest. Diedrich Bicknuesse,
brother of Mrs. Luetgert, and Louis
Luetgert, the 12-year-old-son of the ac-
cused were examined. The testimony
of Bicknesse tended in the main to show
the alleged Indifference of Luetgert to
the fate of his wife and the alleged in
disposition to report the matter of her
disappearance to the police department.
Louis Luetgert, who is a remarkably
bright lad, for his age, produced some
thing of a sensat ton in concluding his
testimony, and it is believed, caused
counsel for the prosecution to regret
having placed him on the stand. The
boy has already been examined twice as
to his knowing of his mothers diSap-
pearance and in neither case did he re-
fer to having heard his father about
the house after he had been sent to
bed. Yesterday he recounted how he
had gone to a circus on the evening of
his mothers disappearance. He return
ed about 1890 and found his mother, to
whom he described what he had seen at
the circus. While engaged in his con-
VerSatiOn, he said, his father entered
the room and ordered him to bed. Later,
he said, he heard his father descending
the rear stairway in the direction of the
sausage factory.
This portion of his testimony was
liminary and the habeaS corpus hear
ings. But he continued by saying that
after he had been asleep for long
time he was suddenly awakened by
hearing a rustling of skirts in his bed
room. He called out rs that you faith
er?" but his mothers voice replied, mo.
il is me-
The lad declared that he was sure
that it was his mothers voice which
replied to his query, and he soon went
TO sleep. The states attorney asked
II Isa6 fnI1 hi art orf
his testimony before, and he replied
that no one asked him if he had seen
his mother after retiring.
Luetgert was calm and confident look
ing when brought into court and he had
apparently been greatly refreshed by
Sundays respite from the daily court
room deal. Assistant Attorney McEw-
an, formally opened the case for the
state
On the wall near the jury box were
hung large maps of the Luetgert sau-
sage factory the Luetgert home and all
the surroundingings of the place, where
it is charged the prisoner killed his wife
and then destroyed her body. The at
torney for the state began with the dis
appearance of Mrs. Luetgert on May /,
and next described the visit on May 4,
of Diedrich, BickneSse, brother of Mrs.
I.uetgert, When he called to see his sis
ter and discovered that she had disap-
peared. He dwelt ON the apparent in
difference of the husband, his state
ment that he had not informed the po-
lice, but had hired two detectives and
his invitation to Bicknesse to call again
in about a week, when he would tell
him if anything had been discovered
concerning the whereabouts of his sis
ter.
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 is the theory of
the state that Mrs. Luetgert accompa-
MED her husband into the factory be-
tween 1920 and IL o'clock. About 1920
her little son Louis returned from the
circus and saw her sitting in the kitch-
en-. The conversation of the boy with
his mother was interrupted by Luetgert
who came in and ordered the boy to
bed.
Before going to sleep the boy heard
his father descending the back stairs
toward the factory, where he had slept
for years. Mr.. McEwan said it is the
theory of the state that Mrs. Luetgert
descended the stairs at the same time
and went to the factory. The boy did
not hear her steps because she ware
house slippers which made no noise.
Luetgert and his wife were soon in the
alley in the rear of the house a few
minutes later. They were soon going
through gate that led to no place ex-
cept the factory.
The attorney for the state then de-
tailed the movements of the Luetgerts
in the factory, the turning on of the
steam to the vat, the sending of Watch
man Bialk shortly after 10 o'clock to a
drug store and Bialk's subsequent err
rand to the drug store, all of which
kept him out of the factory for an
hour and a half. He was away when
Mrs. Luetgert was last seen alive in
the alley.
The alleged motive and operating
reason which actuated Iuetgert, ac-
cording to the theory of the state, was
then described Mr.. McEwan said Luet-
CERT despised his wife. He had treated
her with violence as the evidence for
the state will show. He had no affec-
ton for her and lived alone in the fac
tory. There, the attorney said, he had
been visited by other women. Judge
Vincent objected to this statement, but
Mr.. McEwan said witness would tes-
tify that he saw Luetgert choke his
wife in the chicken house back of his
residence She said: You need not
kill me as you did that man; for 1 have
no money.
This caused Luetgert to say that she
would not be allowed to bury him.
Judge Vincent objected to this state
ment as foreign to the case and not
proper evidence, but was overruled by
the court. When Mr.. McEwan concIud-
ed, Attorney Vincent announced the
present for the defense. The
first witness was then called. w H
Haaf of the city map department tes-
titled to the correctness of drawings be-
ing used by the prosecution.
When the afternoon session began the
first witness called was Diedrich Bick-
neSe. brother of Mrs Luetgert He
told the jury of his visit to the house
of Luetgert, May 4, to see his sister
There he met the sausage maker and
talked with him for some time before
he was informed that Mrs Luetgert
had disappeared. Bicknese said Luet-
CERT told him he did not know what
become of his wife Ea b1d