The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-03
CAPT. SCHUETTLER'S STORY
RINGS OF THE MURDERED WOMAN
FOUND IN THE DEADLY VAT.
Where the Caustic Soda Was Pur-
chased-TestimOn of "SmOke
Frank" and Ham Frank

CHICAGO, Sept 2-The indifference of
Luetgert after his wife had disappeared
was the principal fact brought out against
him to-day. 1t was shown by the testi-
mony of Police Captain Herman Schuettler
that Luetgert did not show any concern re-
garding his wife and never took the trouble
to ask the police whether they had found
any trace of her or not. On one occasion
he called at the police station to protest
against an article in a daily paper, saying
that his first wife had not died a natural
DEATH The police at this time were drag
ging the river, poking into clay holes and
patrolng the lake shore in the hope or flnd-
ing some trace of the missing woman, but
Luetgert after he complained of the paper
left the station without ever asking II the
police had found any trace OF his wife
When the police first became aware of the
disappearance of Mrs. Luetgert through
her brother they asked Luetgert what the
ory he had regarding her disappearance
and he said that in his opinion she had be-
come insane and had wandered away from
home He had not reported her going
away either to the police or his neighbors,
because he said it was a disgrace to have
an insane wife, and he did not want people
to know anything about it. Captain
49,
lice did On the case before the arrest of
Luetgert they never receivd any help or
suggestions from the husband, and he never
seemed TO care whether thy found her or
not
It was definitely announced to-day that
Luetgert will be a witness in his own de-
Tense. The big sausage maker SAID the
matter had been discussed between MS at
torneys and himself and when the time
comes he will take the witness stand ana
tell the Jury about his actions on the night
of May l. Luetgert said he will explain
what he was doing in the basement or ms
factory and the experiments he was con-
Quoting there.
COURTROOM BESIEGED.
Hundreds of eager spectators equally III
vided between the two sexes kept the pail
ifs busy when the trial was resumed this
morning. For time it was impossible for
those connected with the case TO get in or
out Before the court was called to order
the doors were locked and kept so until
the crowd had been dispersed by the bail
ifs. The court opened with Frank Odoraf-
sky, Luetgert's smokehouse man, still in
the witness chair. Yesterday Odorafsky
gave his testimony in German. This morn
ing he abandoned that language for Polish,
his native tongue and a new interpreter
was necessary. His direct testimony was
concluded in q few minutes, the state snow
ing him tin box containing cauStc SODA.
This the witness said was like the stun
which he took from barrel in the snip
ping room and under the direction OF Luet-
CERT broke up and placed in the middle vat
OdOrafSky was then turned over to the
defense for cross-examinatton ana Attor-
ney Vincent questioned him first about MS
connection with the police since the arrest
of Luetgert. The witness said an ofncer
has been with him nearly all the time NC
money he said has been given him, and
no position promised him. but his wife has
received money from Inspector SchaacK.
Just a few cents, said Odoratsky, 10
keep body and soul together l am not CIV
ing my testimony for money, but Tor con-
science" Odorafsky was subjected TO Sc
we're questioning with the OBJECT OF snow
ing that there were discrepancies between
his testimony various points ana state
ments and what he had given at Luetgert
preliminary hearing and in the habeaS cor
pus proceedings before Judge GIBBONS. me
smokehouse man declared candluly that on
those former occasions he had peen exam
in'ed in German, a language when ne does
not speak. Many of the questions, ne sald,
he did not understand thoroughly, Dut had
answered to the best OF h,s apinty; 20 < an
err testimony, he answered that ne dld not
remember what he said. Odorafsky said he
s 1iy iD out of the Vat He did not scrape
out the vat or examine its bottom thor
oughly. The cross-examination came to an
end much earlier than was expected ana
Odorafsky was permitted TO go.
HAM FRANKS TESTIMONY.
Frank Lewandowsk also Pole, was
called next. He is now employed as la
borer by the Northwestern Railway. Lee
wandowski was employed in the Luetgert
factory up to May last, when the sheriff
took possession. His work was the boiling
and wrapping of hams, and to distinguish
him from the other Frank (Odorafsky), who
was called Smoke Frank" he had the
nickname of Ham Frank" Lewandow-
skis testimony was mainly corroborative
of that of Odorafsxy. He assisted the lat
ter in breaking up the caustic soda and
in putting it in the vat. When he saw
Odorafsky had burned his hands with the
stuff the witness said he covered his hands
with rags and also put a cloth over his face
to protect himself. The witness assisted
Odorafsky in cleaning the floor about the
vat on the Monday following the LIST of
Nav He said he examined the red SUBJ
stance which had come from the vat and
found it had an offensive smell. There
were two Smokehouse doors near the vat
which were wet and had this substance on
them showing that they had been used to
cover the vat There were also a number
of sacks near the vat some of them hang
ing on the vat next to the one in which
il is alleged the body of Mrs. Luetgert was
destroyed. These sacks were wet and it is
the theory of the prosecution that Luetgert
used them and the doors TO cover the vat
and increase the heat.
LeWandowski was cross-eXamined briefly
without changing his testimony and was
succeeded in the witness chair by Detective
Charles Grehenow of the police depart
ment. The detective said that in May, the
day before the arrest of Luetgert he met
the latter in the saloon of Mrs. Tosch near
the Luetgert factory. Luetgert asked him
what the police had done and what he
might expect. Witness said he might
said when he first met Luetgert the latter
asked him if he bad a warrant for him.
The witness said Luetgert shook him by
the hand and said: You are my friend. Do
what you can for me- At the conclusion
Of the officers testimony the court took
a recess.
The feature of the afternoons session
was the testimony of Police Captain Her
man Schuettler. Before the captain was
called to the witness chair the state proved
the purchase of a barrel of caustic soda
by Luetgert in March last at the store of
Lord Owen & Co. and officer Klinger de-
tailed the conversation between Luetgert
and Waterman Bialk in the latters house
May 16 when Klinger was concealed under
a bed. This was simply confederation of
the testimony of Bialk
CAPTAIN SCUETTLER'S EVIDENCE.
CAPTAIN Schuettler said he was first in
formed of the disappearance of Mrs. Luet-
CERT on May by Diedrich Bickness, her
brother. and Fred Miller. They gave him
description of the missing woman. That
night the captain said he detailed officer
George Smith to make inquiries in the
neighborhood of the factory regarding Mrs.
Luetgert The next day Officers Dean and
Qualey were detailed to investigate the
case Shortly after that, the captain said
he and Lieutenant Hutchinson visited Luet-
CERT at his home. The witness told the