Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-09-26

Iuetgert alleged Vile murderer, SuAoi :
cd SO much pain from the injury to his
right leg this morning that Masseur
Peter j. Peel was called in to give
treatement. The massage expert sue
ceeded in relieving the pain IN the
right side of the leg of the big sausage
maker. and when court opened Luet-
CERT hobbled in with the aid OF his
crutcN in a much better humor than
he had shown during the early morn
ing hours. Luetgert processes to be
much pleased with the developments
thus far in the defense.
1--WE have something hotter coming,
said the accused man. There will be
a whole lot of things explained away
when | get on the witness stand"
States Attorney Deneen, Assistant
States Attorney Willard M. McEwen
and Inspector M. ]. Setback had con-
sultation this morning, during which
the matter of calling Fred Haines, an
ex-newspaper writer, to the witness
stand was discussed. Haines is under
conviction for forgery. Last August ne
was sentenced to the penitentlary by
Judge Nicely Afterward, through the
influence Of friends the sentence was va
Gated and the case was taken under
adyisement. Haines has acted as sort
Of confidential secretary for Luetgert in
the jail and has written number OF
letters for him. 1t is said that Haines
asserts that he wrote letters to A. w.
G. Grottey. of New York, for Luetgert,
In which Grottey was urged to come to
Chicago and testify that he saw Mrs.
Iuetgert in New York after her dlsap-
pearance. 1t is now known that Haines
told this story to States Attorney De-
neen some time ago. The prosecution
hesitates about calling Halnes to the
stand. The States Attorney is not
exactly satisfied with the statement OF
the man. 81 may call him as rebuff
tai witness if Grottey is produced by
the defense" said the States attorney
this morning. "But I do not believe
the defense will call Grottey. In that
event we will not need Haines."
Unexpectedly no reference was made
bv the court to the matter he yester-
dav took under advisement. This was
whether the defense will be allowed TO
produce witnesses to show that Mrs
Luetgert threatened to leave her home
six months prior to the date of her
disappearance. A rule on this point
is expected on Monday.
The first witness called this morn
ing was Mary Siemering, Luetgert 8
servant girl for love of whom it is al
legged he killed his wife. There was
general craning of necks and many of
the people in the crowded room arose
to get better glimpse of the young
woman as she assembled to the witness
stand. The face Of Mary Siemering
was flushed as she held up her right
hand to be sworn by Capt. Knoch, the
court clerk. She was evidently under
suppressed excitement. The young
woman was neatly attired in brown
costume and wore a small chip hat of
the same color.
Attorney Phalen conducted the di-
rect examination. Under his guidance
the witness related what she said was
the whole truth about her experience
with the Luetgert family. She said
she had lived with the Luetgerts seven
or eight years as a domestic. During
all that time the witness said Luetgert
had treated his wife kindly and there
was none of the quarreling or bicker-
ing the prosecution charged. Coming
down to May 1, the date of Mrs. Luet-
gert's disappearance, the witness said
that on the afternoon of that day Mrs.
Luetgert said to her: Mary, l am 60
ing to leave. My husbands money is
all gone, and l am going, too"
At Z o'clock Saturday evening, May
!. the witness said that Mrs. Luetgert
took from closet cloak and looking
10 ynJ ciI
patience that moths had eaten the
cloth. The witness said she went TO
her room and to bed shortly after
o'clock that night. The following
morning Mrs. Luetgert was missing,
and the little bank of one of the chill
dren was broken and the small sum of
money it had contained was gone. The
witness said that Mrs. Luetgert had
acted uueerly for some time prior to
May !, and had often whipped her
children. With some show of feeling
the witness said she was arrested on
May Is and taken to the East Chicago
avenue station, where she was kept
two days. She said the officer who ar
rested her called her liar when she
said she did not know where Mrs
Luetgert was, and at the station the
matron took all her clothing from her.
While at the station Inspector Setback
and Assistant States Attorney Nc
Even questioned her sharply, accusing
her of improper relations with Luet-
CERT, which she denied. Inspector
Setback said to me: The old man,
meaning Luetgert, will never see the
light of day again, and if you don't tell
the truth I'll punish you. Well lynch
you and Luetgert together said the
witness, "and he held up his hands
and showed me how it would be done. "
The witness with show of spirit denied
that she ever visited Luetgert in his fac
tory at night, except in the evening occas-
fonally when others were present. Even
then she said she did not go to see him
particularly, but just to take walk from
the house. She denied emphatically that
she ever went into the factory through a
window, or that Luetgert was In the habit
of kissing her when she was in his Of
fee. She declared that Mrs. Feldt was a
busybody and that her story was untrue
States Attorney Deneen went at Nary
Siemering on cross examination in live
~ manner. The rapidity Of the States