The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-14
CHARGES Or PERJURY.
Defense for Luetgert All on the
Old String Phalen's
Maybes.

CHICAGO, Oct. II, 1S97.-The little sons
of Adolph L. Luetgert, who were yester-
day removed from the side of their father
by order of Judge Tuthill, were not in
Court today when Attorney Phalen re-
sumed his address to the jury.
The absence of the children was taken
by the prosecution as confirmation Of
the assertion of the prosecution yester-
day that the little boys were brought into
Court after an absence of several weeks
simply to play upon the sympathies of
the jurors. When this scheme was balk-
ed by the order of the Court there was no
longer necessity for the presence of the
children, and today they were kept at
home. Luetgert shed tears in parting
from his children last night. 1t was the
first genuine display of emotion the sau-
sage maker has made since his arrest.
The alleged wife-murderer brushed the
tears from his cheeks with his big hands
and kissed his fair haired boys goodbye
Whatever may be the mans disposition
toward others, there can be little doubt
about his affection for the children of the
woman he is said to have murdered. The
expression upon the face of Luetgert this
morning indicated more plainly than
words could express that he had spent a
restless night.
"He is breaking down." was the COM
ment of those who knew the man well.
The strain is at last wearing out the over
taxed nerves of the prisoner and it will
not be surprising if total collapse follows
in the event of conviction. Dark rings
encircled the swollen eyes of the prisoner
this morning and his manner was sub
dued in comparison with the spirit he
displayed some weeks ago. The argu-
ments of counsel which bring up in re-
view all the details of the trials affect
Luetgert more than did the varied testi-
mony of the witnesses. All the circum-
stances and events of May and the de-
velopments since that time are marshaled
into line and paraded before the jury, re-
calling to Luetgert's mind the vast
amount of evidence which is welded into
the circumstantial chain.
Most of all Luetgert it is said, fears is
the closing speech Of States Attorney
forceful and eloquent speaker. He is re-
sourceful and his style is of the order that
electrifies and impresses jury. There Is
no tagging while he is at the oratorical
bat and the defense seems to dread the
fact that he will prepare the minds of
the jurors on Saturday for the reception
Although he was i'll when he stopped
speaking last evening, Attorney Phalen
was apparently much refreshed today and
in good voice. He resumed his argument
and made the declaration that the de-
fense had not only broken the States cir
cumstantial chain of evidence at both
ends and in the middle, but it had scat
tered the fragments to the four. winds.
He reiterated the contention that the
State had not proved corpus deficit OF
sufficient reliability for serious conSidera-
ton when human life was at stake.
For aught we know Mrs. Luetgert is
at this very moment in the enjoyment of
ity.' shouted Attorney Phalen. Then he
let his voice down to heavy whisper
and added
ssOr she may be employed in some fam
lily remote from the habitation of intel
ligent civilization in partially dement,
ed condition..
The lawyer next took up the matter of
the rings found in the middle vat in the
I4uetgert factory. These rings are con-
sidered by some people as the strongest
feature in this case" said Attorney
Phalen. I'm one sense they are-or rath..
er were, until we proved a question of
a doubt by one who had seen Mrs. Luet-
gert's rings repeatedly, that the rings
found in the vat We're never worn by ner
They were not her rings How
rather I ask the question were they ever
in that vat? Policemen say they were
and that they found them in the. obttom
Oh the VdC Wn0TciA tuC uouy VI WI
Luetgert is said to have been destroyed
by caustic potash But policemen say
many things and there were contradic-
tious upon this point which ought to raise
a reasonable doubt, 1 think, in the mind
of any fair juror. those things were in
that vat they were placed there by some
one who sought the ruin of Adolph l..
Luetgert.
Perjury on the part of the witnesses
for the State in relation to the rings was
charged in common with perjury upon
,t1, viii fa1
Ex-Judge Vincent began the closing ad-
dress on behalf of the defense at noon.
He will speak all day tomorrow. Satur-
day States Attorney Deneen will close the
"a