The San Francisco call., 1897-09-28
TRIES TO AID
HIS PARTNER
William Charles TeSti-
fieS for the Defense
of Luetgert.
Tells How the Caustic Potash
Was Bought to Cleanse
the Factory.
Attendance at the Murder Trial of
the Sausage Maker Breaks
All Chicago Records.

CHICAGO, ILL, Sept. 27.-The leading
event OF the day in the trial of A. L. Luet-
CERT was the testimony of William
Charles, Luetgerts business partner. He
explained why, as he claimed, the caustic
potash in which the body of Mrs. Louise
Luetgert is alleged to have been dissolved
was bought. According 10 Charles story
the potash was purchased as the principal
ingredient OF quantity of soft soap to be
used in cleaning up the big factory pre-
paratory to its sale to an English syndi-
cate. The witness said be suggested this
method of putting the factory in shape
himse and that Luetgert, acting upon
the suggestion, ordered a barrel of caustic
potash sent to the factory in March last
This was about the time the defense
claims the negotiations were pending be-
tween Luetgert and DaVey, the mysterious
Englishman, who is said to have repre-
sented the syndicate and who borrowed
some hing like $4,000 from Luetgert.
Charles also offered an explanation of
the apparently barr loaded door to the
basement stairway by telling abou!
chase for rats, in which a small dog was
an active participant. He said that the
factory had been infested by ats for some
time and that an effort had been made to
get rid OF them. The evening of April 30
he and Luetgert, with others, were in the
Basement. when q terrier which belonged
to the witness got after a rat. Charles,
Luetgert and the others moved boxes.
barrels and other obstacles to aid the dog
IN his chase, and the boxes and barrels
were hurled in pile against the door.
r
tonal, he said. Charles says that besides
caustic potash, two or three barrels of tai
low, a quantity of grease and some
Clipped bone, which was to be ased in
making the soft soap. was delivered at the
factory. He said that he aided Odorofski
and Levandowski, the two laborers en-
ployed in the factory, to place some of the
stuff in the middle vat. He also saw
Frank BiaIk in the factory at the time.
The caustic potash was put in the vat
and Luetgert said he would see to turnin
on the steam and boiling the stuff.
Charles said he met Luetgert in saloon
opposite the factory on the evening OF the
night Mrs. Lletgert disappeared. and
LUetgert said he was going over 10 the fac
tory to turn on the steam. Al o clock
the same night Charles said he went 10
the basement of the factory a1d found
Luetgert there and the steam turned on.
The mixture boiled over once or twice
and spiashed upon the floor, he said. The
following day he visited the factory base
ment and saw the mixture IN the vat. The
ALLOW was in one portion OF the vat, and
the grease or lard had collected in another
part of the vat by itself. Luetgert again
turned on steam in the mixture, the wit
ness said.
On cross-examinalion by States Attor-
ney Deneen Charles denied he had doc
tored" the books of the concern so as to
show yearly profit of $4,000. This line
of cross-examlnation was objected to by
the defense, but the court permitted it
for time, the evidence being a complete
denial by Charles He acknowledged it
was he who introduced Promoter Davey
to Luetgert but he said he was deceived
by the man as we'll as LueIgert.
Frank Dittler told OF seeing Mrs. Luet-
CERT wrlngIng her hands on one occasion.
1t was during the latter part of April and
the witness declared Mrs. Luetgert scid the
business was broken up and everything
was gone and that she was going away
also. Later the witness said Mr.Luetg ert
promised 10 attend the wedding OF his
daughter in June and make the pros
pective bride a present.
The crush around the criminal court
building to-day was something fearful. A
num- Der of extra policemen had to be
placed On duty to assist the court bailiff in
keeping back the throng that clamorcd
for adm ssion and they had their hands
full. 1t was oEly WITH the greatest diff
Guilty that those having business in the
courtroom could gain admission and
many who had tickets emitting them to
enter the courtroom were compelled to
turn awsy because of inability 10 force
their way through the crowd.
No criminal trial that has teen held in
Cook County has excited so much interest
as the present case. The anarchist case
was the record breaker until the trial of
The sausage-maker began, but it is in the
second place now. Among the spectators
to-day was an Esquimau from Alaska,
whose home is near The Klondike He is
in Chicago exhibiting Klondike dogs
The trial will probably last for another
month.