The Portland daily press., 1897-09-01
THE LEUGERT TRIAL.
Evidence in the Great Chicago Muir.
der Case.
LOOKS BAD FOR ACCUSED SAU-
SAGE MAKER.

A Woman Who Saw Smoke Issuing from
1 the Chimney of Leutgerts Factory the
Night Mrs. Leutgert Disappeared-A
Watchman Who Saw Two Barrels of
Caustic Soda Taken Into the Building
the Same Night.
Chicago, August 31.-Three witnesses
were placed on the stand by the prosecu-
tion in the Luetgert trial today. Probably
the most important witness Of the three
was Frank Bialk, night watchman at
the Luetgert sausage factory. Bialk,
who is German GA years old, was a
trusted employe of the defendant with
whom he worked several years. His
testimony which he gave in German, bore
directly on the movements of the defen-
dant during the night of May L. He also
related how two barrels which it is al.
legged contained eaustic potash. were
stored on one of the upper floors of the
factory and were shortly before May /
taken out of the basement where the bar.
rels were emptied into the vat and dis.
solved by steam. The other witnesses
were Charles P. Melander, photography
er who identified several views of the
Luetgert factory and Mrs. Agatha Tosch,
the wife of a saloon keeper. Mrs. Tosch
was frequently in charge of her husband s
saloon and had several conversations
with Luetgert regarding the disappear
anee of his wife. She had been regarded
as one of the states most important wit.
nesses, being one of the few who saw
smoke issuing from the factory the night
Mrs. Luetgert disappeared She swore
that Luetgert had urged her not to say
anything about the smoke as it might
get him in trouble.
Before the taking of testimony began
today, attorneys for the defense asked
the court to compel the state to set forth
4 by what means, according to the theory
of the prosecution, the life of Mrs. Luet-
CERT was taken before her body was placed
into the vat. The Indictment contained
IL counts, but did not state the manner
of Mrs. Luetgert's death. The court de.
cided that the state was not bound to
specify the means of death.
Mrs. Tosoh, in her testimony showed
a decidedly hostile spirit toward Luet,
CERT, and in number of details she i'm
proved on the story she told to Justice
Keiston and in Judge Gibbons's court
in the habeas corpus proceedings.
She said Mrs. Luntgert once had an
attack of throat trouble and Luetgert told
the witness in a conversation that if he
had delayed minute longer in calling
the doctor the drafted BEAST meaning
: his wife, swould have been dead -
In her previous testimony Mrs. ToscE
did not use these words. She said that
in her conversation with him on May IL
she asked him what caused the smoke
from the factory furnace on the morning
on May 2, and he asked her not to say
anything about the smoke. In her form.
er testimony she said Luetgert once told
her he sometimes became SO angry at
his wife that he could take hold of hel
and indicating by gesture, crush her.
This morning she swore he said he could
crush her, using the word crush in the
German and not merely indicating it by
a gesture. asss
The witness said Luetgert told her he
had great deal of trouble with his wife
and had ceased to live with her. She had
objected to the presence of Mary Simmer.
/ ing, the servant, in the house, but Luet-
CERT told the witness. that If his wife
turned Mary away he would take he1
into the factory with him.,
| Mrs Tosch was subjected to a severe
cross examination during which Judge
Vincent asked here if she did not say to
Luetgert on May 10 that if he knew his
wife as we'll as she Mrs. Tosch knew
her, he would let her go and not worry
about her. She declared she did not make
this statement. 1t was then asked if she
did not suggest to Luetgert that he could
come to her house with the two children
to live and she would be a mother to the
children. Her answer was an emphatic
no
Frank Bialk, an old ywatchman, who
was employed at the sausage factory,
was the next witness. Bialk told about
the arrival at the factory in March last
of several barrels which were stored Oh
| one of the upper floors, and shortly be-
fore May l removed to the basement
| These are the barrels which it is alleged
contained caustic potash and the witness
| said the stuff was emptied into the mid
| die vat in the basement shortly before
May and dissolved by steam.
A recess was taken at this point.
| Watchman Bialk, continuing his testi-
mony, said there was steam under one
of the two boilers in the furnace room
when he arrived at the factory at 6 p. m.
May 1. Luetgert turned the steam into
the vat In the basement and instructed
him to keep up steam during the night
as he would need it in the basement.
At quarter past nine Iuetgert sent
him to a drug store to purchase patent
nerve medicine. He was gone more than
half an hour and gave the bottle to Luet-
CERT through the gate to the sausage max
er's office which was Locked. At 10
o'clock he was again sent to The same
drug store, but the second trip consumed
more time He returned with bottle of
mineral water which Luegert had direct
ed him to purchase. He did not see Luet-
CERT again that night. The sausage max
er was in the basement where the vat was
and the door between him and the boiler
room where the witness remained, was
locked. About 8 o'clock in the morning
the steam to the vat was turned off.
Bialk left the factory at z O'Clock Sunday
morning and before leaving went to the
office where he saw Luetgert sitting with
his feet on a table. He did not know
whether Luetgert was asleep or not The
next evening when he returned to work
he found the vat running over. A hose
was pouring cold water into it. Beside
the vat on the floor was a Shiny sub
stance. Near the vat was a chair from
the office. The witness said three large
doors which had been removed from the
smoke house were beside the vat as
though they had been used to cover the
vat while it's contents were boiling.
| Bialk said that after the factory was
col i In lao. y ~