The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-24
Three witnesses Say They Saw and
Date of Her Supposed Murder
IN KENosHA, WIS, Mays AND 4
WHILE THE STATE SAYS SHE WAS
KILLED ON THE NIGHT OF MAX 1.
Rosa GIeich Goes on the stand and
SNvears Emma and GOttIeiba
Schimpke Are Naughty Falsifiers.

| Luetgert murder trial were the most re-
markable that have occurred within three
weeks. In the face of the sensational cir
| cumstantal evidence that has been pro-
duced to prove that Mrs. Louise Luetgert
met death in her husbands sausage factory
on May l. three witnesses testified to-day
that they saw the woman alive on May 8
and A. One of these witnesses talked to
her and believed from a description and a
photograph of Mrs. Luetgert that the wom-
an he saw was Mrs Luetgert. This witness
was Matt j. Sholey, a barkeeper at the Ho-
| tel Maple Kenosha, Wis. He said he saw
a strange woman at the Hotel Maple on the
| evening of May g. He talked with her near
| ly ten minutes. She asked to be directed
| to the farm of one Mueller in the neighbour
| hood, but as no one seemed to know of such
a person the woman left. The following
day Sholey again saw the woman. He de-
scribed her general appearance and her
| clothing and identified photograph of Mrs.
| Luetgert as the woman he saw.
On cross-examination by States Attor
| ney Deenen, Witness Sholey at first fixed
| the weight of the woman he saw at 1870 or
| 140 pounds. Then he hestated-said he had
! got mi Ied up-and remarked that the wom-
an weighed lis to 11S pounds, which was
| about Mrs. Luetgerts weight This hesita-
| ton and correction was made much of by
the prosecution, which intimated that it in
dictated that Sholey had forgotten the
weight that had been probably told him at
first
Policeman Henry Feldshaw, of Kenosha
Wis, testified that he saw strange wom-
an in the police station of his town on May
3. The witness said he afterward saw the
woman at the Hotel Maple and the follow
ing day at the railway station. He de-
scrbed the woman as blonde and said she
wore a sailor hat and slippers. One of the
slippers she had worn was found in the
police station after she had left The wit
ness identified the picture of Mrs. Luetgert
as closely resembling the woman he saw
William G. Gunsten, clerk in the Grant
| Hotel, Kenosha, identified the photograph
as the picture of the woman he in his
| hotel on May g. He said she came into the
hotel and remained ten minutes and left
| He described the woman and corroborated
the evidence of the other witnesses.
dsLAWYER VINCENT MAKES CHARGES.
The trial opened to-day with a sensation
al intimation by ex-Judge Vincent that the
police were inumidating the witnesses for
the defense. Ex-Judge Vincent soon after
court opened asked that the jury be ex-
cluded while he made a statement to the
| court. Alter TIE JURY Ilstu ISllicQ, SA-J uO5C
Vincent, with indignation in his tones and
force in his declaration, said: IF the court
please, there is strong reason to believe
that the police are interfering with Witness
es for the defense and trying to intimidate
them. 1 do not say absolutely that this is
true, but the indications point almost di-
rectly to that conclusion. / desire an order
of court prohibiting such action on the part
| of the police or the prosecution.
"Why not make the injunction cover both
sides?" suggested States Attorney Deenen.
THE court does not require instructions
| from any of the attorneys engaged, sharp
ly responded Judge Tuthnl.
| Il will make the charge that witnesses
| for the defense have been interfered with
! and harassed by the police" said Attorney
| Phalen of the defense
IF that is true there should be an inves-
tigation," remarked States Attorney Deem
en- IF any witness for the defense has
| been intimidated it has been done without
knowledge of the state and we do not APP
Il will say now for the benefit of the po-
lice" said Judge Tuthill, with severity in
his tones, that II | hear Of any interior
case, / will deal with the offender and my
dealing will not be gentle. This defendant
has rights here and they Will be protected "
| why not order an Investigation quer-
led States Attorney Deenen.
"Mr Deenen, this court will make the
| order it deems proper. That will do" said
the judge.
ROSA GLEICHS TESTIMONY.
When the Jury was recalled Rosa Gleich
was placed on the witness stand for cross
examination. This witness was called yes
terday to impeach the evidence Of Emma
| Schimpke, given on the direct examination
by the prosecution. She stated that she
was with Emma Schimpke on the night of
May l until II o'clock and remained with
the Schimpke girl until the latter entered
her home. She denied emphatcally that
either of them had seen Luetgert and his
wife leave the latter's residence and go to
the sausage factory as described. She
denied also that Gottlieba Schimpke who
testified that she also saw Luetgert and his
wife, was with Emma and herself that
night. Furthermore. the witness said that
Emma Schimpke, since she had testified in
the case, had admitted to the witness, in
| the presence of others, that she had LIED.
| According to the witness, Emma SchimpSe
said she lied because GOttlieba, her weak
| hinder sister. had got her into the Luetgert
case and she would not testify on Iuetgert S
side. The witness also stated that Emma
Schimpke tried to get her to tell the same
story Emma had told to save the latters
reputation.
State Attorney Deenen went at this wit
ness with one of the most remarkable cross
| examinations ever heard in the Criminal
| Court. His questions were fired at her with
! the rapidity of a repeating rifle worked
to the limit of its speed. The witness was
| quickwitted and replied promptly for a
| while, but she was not as resourceful as
| the lawyer and after half an hour she be-
came confused and her face bazed with ex-
element Then she began to contradict
herself as to important particulars and
made corrections which weakened her evil
dence-
Harry Fielder corroborated Rosa Gleich s
story and asserted that the mother of the
Schimpke girl compelled the latter to tell
the story she did Then the Wisconsin wit
nesses took the stand and told the stories
outlined above
Emma Schimpke came to the courtroom
in the afternoon to hear Rosa Gleich inn
peach her evidence given on Wednesday.
She was fighting mad when she heard her
self made out falsfier. Attorney Phalen
discovered her presence in the room and
called her TO the witness stand. When
asked if she had not told Rosa Gleich she
had lied the witness stand the witness
replied: Il don't remember.
did you not tell Harry Fielder you lied
when you said you saw Mr.. and Mrs. Luet-
CERT May II?
Il don't remember.
did you not tell Rosa Gleich you did not
see Mr.. and Mrs. Luetgert the night of
May / 2"
Il may have said So
Mrs. Matte Scherrer. the last witness Of
the day. testified positively that Emma
Schimpke told her that the testimony the
Schimpke girl had given on the witness
stand was untrue
Late in the afternoon the witness Sholey.
who had testified that he saw Mrs. Luet-
CERT In Kenosha and that she was a woman
weighing 140 pounds announced that he de-
stand and delivered himself of the follow
| Ing. sWhen / said the woman wefghad III