The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-29
THE LUETCERT TRIAL
The Battle Between Experts in
Chicago's Celebrated Case.
DOCToR's GRUEsoME TESTIMONY.

Explains the Destruction OF Human
Bodies by Potash in Order to Com
bat the ProsecutionTheory-
Witness WHO ''snw Mrs. Luetgert."
Chicago Sept. 29.-The battle between
the experts has begun, and from now
on there will be denlals thrown at the
evidence Of the medical men and
chemists who testified for the state in
the Luetgert case. The defense put its
first witness in the expert line on the
stand yesterday, and he will be fol-
lowed by long string Of others. Yes
terday's witness was DR.. B. l.. Reise.
wh0 boiled two bodies in caust!c potash
in the vat In Luetgert's sausage fac
tory and obtained results different from
those who performed the same expert
ment in behalf of the state. Another
witness OF the day was Armandale OPP
dyke. a peddler, who testified that long
after the murder Is said to have been
committed he saw Mrs. Luetgert in the
neighborhood of GAINESVILLE, Wis. He
said that there was no chance Of his
being mistaken, and he Identified a
photograph Of her in the most positive
manner. Two girls were placed upon
the stand to impeach the testimony Of
Emma schmpke, who said that she
saw Luetgert and his wife enter the
factory on the night in which the nlur-
der Is said to have been committed.
There Is strong probability that Mary
Siemmering will be called upon to
answer a charge of perjury.
Dr. Reise told of experiments he had
made in dlsintegrating human bodies
with 10 per cent solution of caustic
soda, or potash. DR.. Reise first expert
mented in the middle vat--the one the
body of Mrs. Luetgert is alleged to
have been placed in. He said that the
first experiment was made with the
body Of a woman five feet two inches
tall. and weighing 90 pounds. The
crude potash was emptied into the vat
in the manner Luetgert is alleged to
have placed the potash in the same re-
ceptacle on May !, and the steam was
turned on. In Il few minutes the body
was put into The vat, the steam turned
on and the vat covered with gunny
sacks. The boiling process was con-
tinued for several hours. with the re-
suit that very little Of the flesh was
left The physician described the color
of the liquid in The vat, which resen-
bled. he said, vinegar. On the surface
of this liquid was a fatty substance the
goth part Of an inch deep.
The expert said that the teeth Of the
subject extending from the gums were
not Injured, but the roots of these teeth
which had been covered with flesh were
crumbled and In some instances brittle.
The skull, femurs and the large bones
of the arms still remained intact-or
nearly SO. The hair almost entirely
disappeared. Into the vat at the be-
ginning of the experiment was thrown
two gold finger rings. 1t was found
that the solution had not effected the
rings. DR.. Rese also testified that he
had experimental with halrpins and a
corset. the latter from Mrs. LuatEert's
wardrobe. Different kinds of hair pins
were used. Those which were japanned
came out Of the test minus the japan.
Bone, celluloid and rubber hair pins
were tested. and II was found that thay
were utterly destroyed by the solution.
A hard rubber button was placed in
the liquid, but 1t was not destroyed.
The second experiment, with tho
body of man. was much the same.
with the exception that the vat was
left uncovered. The process did not
require much longer despite this fact.
The effect Of DR.. Rcise's testimony,
which in fact bore out to consider
able degree the claims OF the prosecu-
tion. was to establish one important
point that the defense has kept in view
from the beginning. Frank Odorfsky
and Frank Bialk testified that the floor
Of the basement near the middle vat
was covered with grease that had fow-
ed from the vat DR.. Relse testified
that the residue from both of the
bodies boiled in the vat was very little.
The fat did not amount to over a Goth
part Of an inch, the physician said.
Ex-Judge Vincent declared this state.
ment substantiated the story OF the de-
fense that Luetgert was making soap
In the vat, and that the grease in the
soap boiled over,