The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-01

CHICAGO. Aug. Sl,-when the Luet-
CERT murder trial was resumed this
morning the defense asked the court to
compel the state to set forth by what
means, according to the theory of the
prosecution, the life OF Mrs, Luetgert
was taken before her body was placed in
the vat. Judge Vincent obtained the ear
OF the court at the beginning Of the pro-
ceedlngs and said the Indictment, which
contains twelve counts, does not state
the manner of Mrs Luetgerts death.
The first six counts, the attorney said,
allege that she was drowned in a vat
containing water and eaustie soda or
potash, The seventh count charges that
she was struck and knocked down by
some blunt instrument; the eighth al
leges striking and Instantly killing her;
the ninth count alleges striking with
some deadly instrument, while the tenth
charges that she was stabbed with
knife. The eleventh says she was choked
and her life thus taken, and the tweltth
and last alleges that life was taken by
some means unknown.
Judge Tuthlll decided that the state
was not bound to specify the means Of
death.
There was a greater pressure than ever
this morning for seats in the court
room and n great crowd stood on the out
side unable 10 get In. One noticeable
feature was the large number of women
who succeeded in securing seats In the
court room before the proceedings be-
gan. Women OF all ages were among the
spectators.
The first witness was Charles P. Me-
landeo, n photographer, who Identified a
dozen views OF the Luetgert factory.
There were pictures Of the building and
surroundings and flash light photographs
OF the basement and the fatal vat.
Mrs. Agatha Tosch, wife of Michael
Tosch, saloon keeper at 629 Dlversey
avenue, was called next. She was a friend
OF Mrs. Luetgert and visited the latter
occasionally at her home.
showed Hostile Spirit.
Mrs. Tosch in her testimony showed n
decidedly hostile spirit toward Luetgert,
and In number OF details she improved
on the story she told to Justice Keisten
and in Judge Gibbons court in the ha-
beas corpus proceedings. She said Mrs
Luetgert once had an attack of throa;
trouble and Luetgert told the witness In
| a conversation that II he had delayed q
minute longer In calling doctor the
"ratted beast" meaning his wife, would
have been dead. In her previous testi-
mony Mrs. Tosch did not use these
words. She said that In her conversation
with him on May Is she asked him what
caused the smoke from the factory fur.
mace on the morning Of May and he
asked her not TO say anything about the
| smoke. In her former testimony she said
Luetgert once told her he sometimes be-
came so angry at hts wife that he could
take hold OF her and, Indicating by ges-
ture, crush her. This morning she swore
he said he could crush her, using th'
word crush in the German and not mere
| ly Indicating II by gesture. The wilt
ness said Luetgert told her he had n
great deal OF trouble with his wife and
had ceased to live with her. She objected
TO the presence Of Mary Simmering, the
servant, in the house, but Luetgert told
the witness that II his wife turned Mary
away he would take her In to the factory
with him.
Mrs. Tosch was subjected TO n severe
ross-examlnation. during which she
was asked II she did not know Luetgert
was out Of the city when his wife waS
taken sick with the throat trouble. Judge
| Vincent asked her II she did not say tC
| Luetgert on May 10 that II he knew his
wife as well as she (MrS. Tosch) knew
her he would let her go and not worry
| about her. She declared she did mol
make this statement. She was then
asked II she did not suggest to Luetger'
that he could come to her house with The
two children to live and she would hi
mother TO the children. Her answer
was an emphatic no.
Frank Blalk. the old watchman who
was employed at the sausage factory
was the next witness. Blalk mot Bralk'
told about the arrival at the factory Ii
March last OF several barrels, which werr
| stored on one OF the upper floors, and
shortly before May / removed to thC
basement. Those are the barrels which
| II is alleged, contained caustlc potash
md the witness said the stun was emp.
tied into the middle vat In the basement
shortly before May and dissolved by
steam. At this point the court took re-
cesa.
watchman BlallS, continuing his teati
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 l. Luetgcrt turned the steam
into tho vat In the basement and In
rtructcd him to keep up steam during
the night As he would need II In the
basement. At quarter past LuetEort
cent him TO drug store TO purchase q
patent nerve medicine. He wag Eont
over half an hour md gave the bottle
10 I.uctgcrt through the gate TO the sau,
sage makers office, which was locked,
Looks Had for buetgcrL
After 10 o'clock he was again sent 70
the same drug store, but the second trlr
consumed more time Ho returned with
a bottle Of mineral water which Alot.
| CERT had directed him to purchase HJ
ala not see Buetgcrt ngaln that night
| Tho sausage maker was In the basement
| where the vat was, and the door between
| him and the boiler rOOm whore the wit.
] meas remained, was locked, About
ococl, IN the morning the stcam to tho
vat was turned on Blnlk lcft the fac.
tory at Z o'clock Sunday morning, and
before leaving went 10 the office. where
he saw Luclgert sitting with his feet on
q table He did not know whether Llict-
CERT was aolccp or not The noNt even
| Ing when hc returned TO work hp found
| the vat running over a hose was pour.
lng cold water Into H. Beside the vat on
| tho uopF Vynn IA ullmy substance NCut