Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-25


to Induce the Judge to Change
His Ruling Yesterday Evidence
Mostly Devoted to Strengthening
the Testimony That Mrs. Luet-
CERT Was Seen in Wise ons1n
After May 1-Statem ents by At
torneys.
Chicago, September 24.-The testl-
mony for the defense in the Luetgert
trial to-day was for the most part
that of witnesses who said that they
ha dseen Mrs Luetgert in the vicinity
of eKnosha. Wis, within few days
after the date on which it has been
claimed by the State that she was
murdered.
An effort was made to introduce evil
dence regarding threats that Mrs.
Luetgert is said to have made OF leav-
ing her home When this question
was first 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 dat
ing back further than a week. The
witnesses for the defense who were to
testify regarding the intent of Mrs.
I.uetger1 to leave her home had heard
her make the threats several months
prior f., May /, and the court threw
on. this evidence. Tomorrow the de-
fsnse will make strong effort to set
the court to alter his ruling on this
Asubject.
The fact that Juror VIM. Harley
vas indicted in 1887 for conspiracy
I'D bribery in connection with the
(ok county commissioner scandal,
|asdraggedto the front to-day. There
Ire now no cases pending against
Juror Harley and he was never put
on trial on the indictments against
him. States Attorney Deneen stated
tonight that he had known for a
month all about the former charges
against Juror Harley
Had l Jeen fully advised at the
ime he was chosen, l might have OBJ
ected to him." said the States attor-
Y1ey. Il have spokenu to ex-State' S
attorney Longnecker, who had charge
)f the county commissioner Doodle
eases. and he assured me that Juror
Harley was perfectly honest, hon
5rable and reliable man and that all
h echarges against him had been
Wiped out. He was indicted at time
when all men holding any kind of a
county contract were looked upon with
suspicion. The State is perfectly sat
isfied with the makeup of the jury"
Gtate's Attorney Deneen was appar-
emily not disturbed by the evidence
of the witnesses from Kenosha, Wis,
who identified the picture of Mrs.
Luetgert as that of a strange woman
they saw in the Wisconsin town on
May 3, and 5.
wait until we put on our rebuttal
evidence said the States attorney.
I'VE will show this defense up in a
way that will be surprising"
Tomorrow witnesses will be called
to show Luetgert's treatment of his
wife. 1t will be sought to be shown
that he was model husband and that
his home life was pleasant, or reason
ably SO, and that there was no unusual
pickering or quarreling between him
self and his wife Next week the tes-
timony of the experts in regard to the
bones found in the factory will be
heard.
The defensa this morning de-
voted itself to Strengthening the
story that Mrs. Luetgert, who, accord
Ihg to the theory of the prosecution
was murdered May /, had been seen
In and around Kenosha, Wis, on May
3, 4Iand 5. Two witnesses, one OF
whom had known Mrs. Luetgert for
seven years, positively identified a
photograph of Mrs Luetgert as the
picture of the woman they saw at
Kenosha on the dates mentioned.
Mrs. Matte Scherer Miss Maud
5cherer and Miss Gertrude Miller tes-
lifted this morning that Emma
Schimpke, since she had testified for
The prosecution, had said in their hear
ing 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.
Franks Schlebe, farmer, who lives
near Kenosha, Wis, and who had
known Mrs Luetgert for seven years
testined that he met her on a country
road near that town on May 4. He said
he did not recognize the woman, from
her worn and generally exhausted ap-
pearance. Afterward, when he learned
that Mrs Luetgert was missing, and
read a description of the clothing she
wore when she disappeared, he was
confident he had seen her and that the
strange woman he met on the road
\ was she.
Policeman William Smith, of Keno
Zla, told of seeing a strange woman al
Northwestern depot in Kenosha, al
b o'clock on the morning of May 5
positively identified the photograph
Mrs. Luetgert as the woman he
w at the depot. The policeman de-
ribbed the. woman and her attire.
Some time ago Judge Tuthill ruled
that no evidence tending to show
threats to leave her home by Mrs
Luetgert prior to a week previous &c
her disappearance would be admitted
When the defense began putting on
witnesses to-day who testified to hear.
ing the woman make threats to leave
during last February and March, this
evidence was objected to by the State
and the objection was sustained The
defense had no other evidence and court
was adjourned until o'clock to-mor-
row morning.