Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-09-03
COILS TIGHTEN.
Damaging Evidence Given in the
Lcutgert Trial.
STRONG CASE AGAINST ACCUSED.
Mrs. Tosch Tells of Suspicious Ac.
lions, and Waterman DtnllS Mar
rates Doings of the Prisoner
on the Fatal Night.

to contide his business and marital
troubles, took the stand for the prose-
cution Tuesday, when the famous MUIR
der case was resumed, and gave dam
aging testimony against the prisoner.
According to her evidence, the day after
Mrs. Luetgert disappeared Mrs. Tosch
had long conversation with the sau-
sage maker, who, she asserts, was pale
and laboring under excitement he vain
IL endeavored to suppress. In the
course of their talk she boldly told
him she believed him guilty of maxi
ing away with his wife and that he
thereupon manifested much excitement
and begged her to help him, as he was
in great trouble. Mrs. Tosch dilated
OH Luetgert's disturbed condition Of
mind as much as the rules of evidence
would permit, and finally swore that
the man, in the extremity of his dis
tress, declared he was tempted to shoot
himself and escape the trouble that
hung over his head. Before she left the
stand Mrs. Tosch also testified to the
hatred felt by Luetgert for his wife
and his significant threats to crush her.
Waterman Bialk, who was the next
important witness, said there was
steam under one of the boilers in the
furnace room when he arrived at the
factory at sin p. H. May /. 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. At 9:15 Luetgert sent him
to drug store to purchase patent
nerve medicine. He was gone over half
an hour and gave the bottle to Luet-
CERT through the gate to the office,
which was locked. At ten o'clock he
was again sent to the drug store for
some mineral water. After giving the
mineral water to Luetgert through the
gate he did not see him again that
night. Continuing, he said Luetgert
was in the basement where the vat was
located, and the door between him and
the boiler room, where the witness was
at work. remained locked. About three
o'clock in the morning the steam to the
| vat was turned off. Bialk left the fac.
tory at seven o'clock Sunday morning
and before leaving he went to the office
where he saw Luetgert sitting with his
feet on the table. He did not know
whether he was asleep or not. The next
evening when he returned to work he
found the vat running over. The hose
was pouring cold water into it. Beside
the vat on the floor was Shiny sub
stance. Near the vat was chair from
the Office.
Bialk said that after the factory was
seized by the sheriff he learned that
Mrs. Luetgert was missing. He sale
that on Sunday evening at nine O'Clock
he saw Luetgert in his Office and asked
him if he wanted the steam turned int
the vat that night. Luetgert, he said
turned pale and said NO" Bialk the1
told of his visit to the factory with tn,
| police officers. Officer Dean discovered
two rings in the vat, and, the witnes.
said, the officers carried away will
them the bones found in the vat an,
smokehouse. On May is Officer Klinge
was concealed under the bed in tn
house of the witness when Luetger
came there to see Bialk. Luetger
asked the witness what the officer
found In the factory. and Bialk sal
they had found nothing. "That 1
good" said Luetgert. The latter ad
vised him not to tell the police any
thing, and said he would start the fac
tory in short time and give witnes
and his son employment. Court at thi
point adjourned, with Bialk's testimon
unfinished.
Before the taking of testimony bega;
attorneys for the defense asked tn
court to compel the state to set fort
by what means, according to the theor
of the prosecution, the life of Mrs. Lue,
CERT was taken before her body wa
placed in the vat The Indictment col
tanned 12 counts. but did not state til
manner of Mrs. Luetgert's death. TIL
court decided that the state was nc
bound to specify the means of death.
Injunction Granted