Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-24
LUETCERT READY FOR TRIAL
Chicago Sausage Makeris is Brought Out for
His Hearing,
JUDGE TUTHlLL CALLS TIL: FAMOUS CASE
Scientists VIII Play mn Important Fart
I'm Detcrminiug the Fate of
the Alleged Wife
Murderer.

CHICAGO, Aug. 2S.-After two preliminary
hearings and three months confinement in
tho county jail Adolph l.. Luetgert. the rich
sausage maker was put on t:ial, charged
with the murder of his wife, before Judge
Tuthill in the criminal court today. The big
sausage maker has declared to his attorneys
ex-Judge william a. Vincent and Albert
Phalen, that he desires no further delay.
Both the state and defense prophesy that
1000 veniremen will be examined and that
a week will pass before twelve men who
are acceptable to both sides are found. Then
the trial will begin in earnest,
The theory of the state is that Luetgcrt
induced his wife to accompany him to his
sleeping apartment in the factory office and
there strangled her. Then he Is thought to
have taken her body to the basement and to
have immersed ii in vat filled with a
solution of caustic potash heated to the
boiling point. What remained Of the body
after this process, 1t is alleged, was gath
cred together and th-own into the furnace
Of one of the factory boilers. The fire hGd
been kept up under one of TIE boilers on
express orders given by Luetgcrt to his
watChman, Frauk Bialk. The state has made
several experiments in support of this theory.
Luetgert's attorneys will also experiment
hope to successfully combat the testimony
to be introduced by the state regarding the
disintegraton of cadaver in solution
similar to that found in the vat of the fac
tory in which Mrs. Luetgert's remains are
alleged to have been destroyed. The Cad1ver
used by the state. say the attorneys for the
defense, was several days old. In 1t there
was not the resisting power OF nerves and
muscles which body from which life has
Just passed would offer to the action OF the
solution Acting upon this belief the de-
fense has employed experts to conduct eX-
periments with fresh body and the defense
processes the utmost confidence that the re-
suits will utterly disprove the theory of the
prosecution.
While the trial is in progress detectives
all over the country and Germany will be
searching for Mrs Luetgert who has been
reported to have been seen in various places
since her husbands arrest. All OF these
stories have been run down by the police
who say they have proven they had little
founGdtion. Nevertheless the defense ex-
poets to raise the question of doubts in the
minds of the jurymen.
Long before the case was called the corr-
dorS Of the criminal court building were
packed with people anxious to get into the
court room and a special detail of police
was necessary to keep them in order When
the case was called the court room was
filed to suffocatton. remarkable feature
being the number Of women present. Luet-
CERT sat close to his attorneys unusually
pale. The coolnesS which has characterized
him since the arrest deserted him and he
shower unmiStakable signs of nervousness.
He wac dressed neatly in black. Imme-
dtely after the court was called to order
States Attorney Deneen arose and announced
that the Prosecution was ready to proceed
with the trial. Lawyers for defense made
a similar announcement, no application for a
change OF venue being made. A controversy
then arose as to the manner of drawing the
jury the prosecution contending that it
should be drawn under the new jury commits
sion law. After some discussion ths was
agreed to. Attorney Vincent of the defence
having noted an exception for the purpose of
a test as to the constitutionality of the law.
Court then adjourned until tomorrow.