The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-25
NOT PROPER EVIDENCE
WITNESSES CANNOT TESTIFY AS TO
MRS. LUETGERTS THREATS.
Strenuous Effort by Defense to Show
that the Missing Woman Was in
KenOsha May 3 and 4.

CHICAGO Sept. 24.-The testimony for
the defense in the Luetgert trial to-day was
for the most part that of witnesses who
said that they had seen Mrs. Luetgert in
the vicinity of Kenosha, Wis, within few
DAYS after the date on which it was claimed
by the state she murdered. An
effort was made to introduce evidence re-
garding threats that Mrs Luetgert is said
to have made of leaving her home. When
this was brought up the court ruled that
threats of this kind, when made not longer
than one week prior TO the disappearance
of the woman, would be admissible, but
that he could not permit testimony on this
point dating farther back than a week. The
witnesses for the defense who were to tes-
tify regarding the intent of Mrs. Luetgert
to leave her home had heard her make the
threats several months prior to May l, and
the court threw out their evidence. To-
morrow the defense will make strong eff
fort to get the judge to alter his ruling on
this point.
At the opening of court this morning Mrs.
Matte Scherer, Miss Maud Scherer and
Miss Gertrude Miller testified that Emma
Schimpke since she had testified for the
prosecution, had said in their hearing that
her evidence was entirely false. She said
the only reason she testified falsely was TO
support the evidence of her sister GOttlieba,
who had first lied.
Frank Schlebe a farmer who lives near
KenoSh a Wis., and who had known Mrs.
Luetgert for seven years, testified tnat he
met her on q country road near that town
on May 4. He said he did not recognize the
woman, but he was attracted by her worn
and generally exhausted appearance. After
ward when he learned that Ms. Luetgert
missing and read a description of the
clothing she wore when she disappeared,
he was confident that he had seen her, and
that the strange woman he had met on the
road was she.
told of seeing a strange woman at the
Northwestern depot in KenOSha at o'clock
on the morning of May 5. He positively
identified the photograph of Mrs. Luetgert
as the woman he saw at the depot. The
policeman described the woman and her at
tire.
The fact that Juror William Harley was
indicted in 1887 for conspiracy and bribery
in connection with the Cook county COM
missioners' scandal was dragged to the
front to-day. There are now no cases pend
ing against Juror Harley and he was never
nut on trial on the indictments against
him. States Attorney Deneen stated to-
night that he had known for q month all
about the former charges against Juror
Harley Had l been fully advised at the
time he was chosen L might have objected
to him. said the states attorney. Il have
spoken to eX-StateS Attorney LOngeneck-
err, who had charge of the county commits
sioner Doodle cases, and he assured me
that Juror Harley was a perfectly honest,
honorable and reliable man, and that all
the charges against him had been wiped
out. He was indicted at a time when all
men holding any kind OF a county contract
were looked on with suspicion The state
is perfectly satisfied with the make up of
the jury"
States Attorney Deneen was apparently
not disturbed by the evidence of the wit
nesses from Kenosha, Wis, who identified
the picture Of Mrs. Luetgert as that Of
strange woman they saw in the Wisconsin
town on May 3. and 5, wait until we
put on our iebuttal evidence" said the
states attorney. I'VE will show this de-
in will
Tomorrow witnesses will be called to
show Luetgerts treatment of his wife. 1t
will be sought to be shown that he was
model husband and that his home life was
pleasant, or reasonably So and that there
was no unusual pickering or quarreling be-
tween himself and his wife. Next week
the testimony of the experts in regard to
the bones found in the factory will be
heard.