The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-03

mony Of the Brother and SON of the Muir.
dered Woman.
Chicago, August 30.-The trial of
Adolph Leutgert, the sausage maker,
for the alleged murder of his wife on
May LIST, began in earnest today. Two
witnesses were examined-Diedrich
BickneZ, brother Of Mrs. Luetgert, and
Louis Luetgert, the 12-year-old son Of
the accused.
Contrary to the expectation OF the
state, the jury will be asked by the
defense to witness an experiment in the
vat in the basement Of the sausage fac
tory. This is to be the result of an
experiment conducted by L~uetgert's
attorneys Saturday and yesterday. The
body Of a man, of about Mrs. Luet-
gert's age and weight, VIC met his
death by violence Thursday, was taken
to the factory, at COL Diversey avenue,
and immersed in a solution of caustic
potash. The result exceeded their ex-
pectations. The experts related that
after boiling the body in a Is per cent.
solution of potash for the same length
of time, three and one-half hours and
under the same circumstances as the
state alleges Luetgert disintegrated the
body Of his wife, the complete skele-
ton of the cadaver remained intact and
that the solution had had but little ef-
feet on the clothing. AS a result OF
the test, the defense will, 1t is SAID,
ask Judge Tuthill to remove his court
and jury to the basement of the big
sausage factory and witness another
experiment, which the defense claims
will completely disprove the states
theory of disintegration.
Luetgert was calm and confident
looking when brought into court and
he had apparently been greatly re-
freshed by Sundays respite from the
daily court ordeal.
District States Attorney McEwan
formally opened the case for the state.
On the wall close to the jury box were
hung large maps Of the Luetgert sau-
sage factory, the Luetgert home and
all the surroundings of the place where
it is charged the prisoner killed his
wife and then destroyed her body.
The attorney for the state began with
the disappearance of Mrs. Luetgert on
May list, and next described the visit
on May 4th Of Diedrich Bicknez,
brother Of Mrs. Luetgert, when he call
ed and discovered that she had disap-
peared. He dwelt on the apparent in
difference Of the husband, his state
ment that he had not Informed the po-
lice. but had hired two detectives, and
his invitation to Bicknez to call again
in about a week, when he would tell
him if anything had been discovered
concerning the whereabouts Of his sis
ter.
Attorney McEwan told the jury that
Luetgert's statement that he had hired
two detectives to search for his wife
would be proven false. Mr.. McEwan
said it is the theory of the state that
Mrs. Luetgert accompanied her nus
band into the factory between 1890 and
IL o'clock. About 1920 o'clock her lit
tie son Louis returned from the circus
and saw her sitting in the kitchen. The
conversation of the boy with his
mother was interrupted by Luetgert,
who came in and ordered the boy to
go to bed. Before going to sleep the
boy heard his father descending the
back stairs toward the factory, where
he a slept for years. Mr.. McEwan
said that it is the theory Of the state
that Mrs. Luetgert descended the
stirs at the same time and went to
the factory. The boy did not hear her
steps because she wore house slippers
which made no noise. Luetgert and
his wife were seen in the alley in the
rear of the house a few minutes later.
They were seen going through a gate
which led to no place except to the
factory. The attorney for the state
then detailed the movements of Luet-
CERT in the factory, the turning on of
the steam to the vat, the sending of
Waterman Bialk shortly after 10
o'clock to a drug store and Bialk's sub
sequent errand to this drug store, all
of which kept him out of the factory
for an hour and a half. He was away
when Mrs. Luetgert was last seen alive
in the alley.
The alleged motive and operating
reason which actuated Luetgert, ac-
cording to the theory of the state, was
described. Mr.. McEwan said Luetgert
despised his wife. He had treated her
with violence, as the evidence of the
state will show. He had no affection
for her, and lived alone in the factory.
There. the attorney said, he had been
visited by other ONE Judge Vim
cent objected to this statement, but
Judge Tuthill overruled the objection.
Mr.. McEwan sale a witness will testify
that he saw Luetgert choke his wife
in the chicken house back Of his resi-
dence. She said: You need not kill
me as you did that man, for I have no
money" This caused Luetgert to say
that she would not be allowed to be-
tray him.. Judge Vincent objected to
this statement as foreign to the case
AOFA ~
ruled by the court.
When Mr.. McEwan concluded, At
torney Vincent announced that no
opening address wou1d be made at
present for the defense.
When the afternoon session began
the first witness called was Diedrich
Bicknez, brother of Mrs. Luetgert. He
told the jury of his visit to the house
of Luetgert May 4th to see his sister.
There he met the sausage maker and
talked with him for some time before
he was informed that Mrs. Luetgert
a disappeared. Bicknez said that
Luetgert told him he did not know
what had become of his wife. He had
last seen her at s o'clock the Satur-
day evening previous. Luetgert said
he did not believe she had gone away
with some other man, but thought she
had ~andere away. The witness said
he asked the prisoner what he had
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