Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-10-22

sibility.'
hill. Then turning toward the jury. the
judge said slowly:
The Jury Discharged.
"The court has kept you here an excep-
tionally long time, because the evidence
was so voluminOus and so much in detail,
that | wished to give you full time to
discuss 1t in all its aspects and to give you
selves, to see if there could be any posi-
bility of harmoniZiug your views. II is
very much to be regretted that you are
unable to agree. The case has been yer!
long and protracted.' IL is one of the most
important cases that has ever been tried
IN this country. and | was anxious that
the jury might come to some conclusion.
think il Is uselcs to keep you longer con-
fined in this matter. ] therefore enter an
order for the discharge of this jury. The
defendant win be remanded. You will ap-
ply to the clerk for your certificates"
A sigh of relief went up all over the
courtroom. that the end had at last been
reached. There was rush on the part of
the m newspaper men TO get out OF the build
store quiet. Judge Tuthill adjourned court.
HI hC Ffeu NGaIhs
Yes. sir. we will try him again" said
the probability of Luetgert being brought
before the court second time. "When we
VIII get at him, however. is something |
cannot tell you now We have had nine
weeks of this. and must have a couple of
weeks rest. After that we will look the
ground over and get our evidence together.
AT ] o'clock this afternoon counsel for
tuetgert gave States Attorney Deneen no
tice that they would tomorrow morning at
~ o clock make formal application before
oner to bail Judge Tuthill win be asked
10 nX the amount of bail at $1,000 but
Luetgert Will enter court prepared to fur
nish bond for $4,000 if necessary. States
Attorney Deneen was not prepared to say
whether or not he would resist the appli-
cation.
The admission of a prisoner to bail is
discretionary with the court he said.
After the application is made in court. |
may express my views upon the matter if
the court desires to hear them"
Review of the Famous Case.
The Luetgert trial has been one of the
most noted cases in criminal history
Adolph Louis Luetgert.. who had been Il
wealthy manufacturer of sausage, and who
had recently failed in business. losing much
of his fortune. was arrested May Il. charged
with the murder of his wife. Louise. Mrs
i-uetsert disappeared from her North side
home May ]. but the fact was not reported
to the police until her brother started an in
vestgation a week later
According to the story of the prosecution
the murder of Mrs. I.uetgert by her hus-
bend was horrible one. 1t was asserted
by the state that the saus8 gemaker, haV-
ing tired of his wife and desiring 10 MARI v
Mrs. Christine Feldt. a wealthy widow. had
enticed the missing woman TO the basement
OF his factory on the night of May l and
tEen, after u terrible struggle, killed neg
with a club. After the murder, accnrdin,
to the prosecution, Luetgert placed the
bCdy of his wife in one of the huge sau.
sage watts with quantity of Caustic pot
ash and boiled the body until it had almost
entirely disappeared. sitting by the vat
throughout the night, alone and on guard.
Soon after the police took charge of the
case the sausage vat was drained and sew
were found. Upon this evidence the state
based its case. Over the identification OF
the bones a desperate battle of expert
opinion was waged, the identificationS
that the bones were those of a woman of
about Mrs. Luetgert's size to the assertion
that they were plainly all that was left
Of a pet dog of the Luetgert family
The expert testimony alone cost the state
$5,OCO, and the entire cost of the trial to
the prosecution is estimated between sl5.OOt
and $4,000.
Luetgert's defense was that his wife had
left home while temporarily insane. The
use of the caustic potash in the sausage
vat was explained as an experiment in
Soapmaking, and much testimony was in
troduced to show that the rings found had
that the bones were not human. The prose
cution was conducted by States Attorney
Deneen and Assistant States Attorney Nc
Even. and the defendant was represented
by ex-Judge Vincent and Andrew PhaIen
The trial. which consumed eight weeks was
marked by intense interest and dramatic
incidents. the courtroom being packed
daily to the standing room limit.