The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-09
KNEW CORSET STEELS.
Sensation Sprung in Luetgert Trial
Yesterday.
CORSET MAKERS IDENTIFY STEELS
FOUND IN VAT.

Swear They Were the Product of Their
Factory-Big Sausage Maker Again
Enters the Court Room on the Broad
Grin-Newspaper Men on the Stand.
the trial of Adolph L. Luetgert for muir
dering his wife, were surprised by a
move OF, the state today. What is consid-
cred to be- one of the strongest pieces OF
evidence in the trial was introduced.
Mrs. Christine Feldt, Luetgert's one time
sweetheart, was called to the stand by
the state for the third time. Assistant
State Attorney McEwen handed her a
pocket knife, the blades of which were
stained and rusted and asked her If she
had ever seen it before. She testified
that the sausage maker had given this
knife for safe keeping on the day of his
arrest. The prosecution asserts that 1t
was with this knife that Luetgert muir
dered his wife before he placed her body
in the boiling potash where it was dis
solved. The ugly looking object was
passed around for the inspection of the
attorneys and was handed to Luetgert,
who opened and closed the blades, gazing
curiously at the weapon and scaplng the
blade with his finger as if to feel the
stains which covered it. He showed no
emotion though he knew every person
in the court room was closely Watching
and taking note of his every moves
In talking with his attorneys he ad-
kkol 1ry,sf ! se
The court opened with the usual crowd
clamoring for admission. Within the
court room, women predominated among
the spectators and the little room was
crowded to its utmost capacity.
Chicago, September. S-The alleged
wife murderer Luetgert seemed pleased
at the comments of the newspapers
today regarding his entrance into the
court room yesterday. Accordingly when
this morning he stepped into Judge
TuthiIl's court room for the 18th day OF
his trial, he repeated his smiling salute
to the jury and ignored the spectators
who evidenced their disappointment al
the slight.
The presiding judge ignored an attempt
OF the Dig SauSauge mdnuIdcGorysbo Dlu
him good morning. The first witness
called was Eugene B. Palmer, a reporter
for the Chicago Journal. Palmer testi-
fled to having held a small bottle under
the stream of pinkish matter which
flowed from the sluiceway of the vat when
the police opened the valve. Palmer was
followed by W. II. Stuart, also a Jour
nal reporter, who corroborated the testi-
mony of his confere and testified to hav.
ing delivered this same bottle Of pinkish
slime into the hands of an expert who
will be called later.
Policeman Bernard Pruss, was called
and identified two bits of steel as those
found in the ashes where the supposed
residue of the bones and other matter
which was scooped out from the vat was
dumped.
Policeman Fred Talworitz testified as tc
having found a hair pin in the same
pile of refuse. The hair pin was produced
as evidence after an objection by Attor.
ney Vincent. 4ie1
Then came the sensation of the day. J.
o. bennett and W. G.. Casey, corset man
| ufacturers, were placed on the stand In
succession and positively identified the
two alleged corset steels as having beer
the product of their factory.