The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-03
Manifested by Luetgert Regard
ing His Wife's Disappearance
Is Brought Out in the Testi-
mOny of Captain Schuettler.
MADE NO INQUIRIES
While the Officers We're Drag
ging the River
And Searching the Clay Hills
Near the Factory.

sons striving to be present at the 14ueI-
gert trial today was so great that a new
method of handling the crowds had to
be adopted. The third floor of the big
gray stone building in which the court
room is situated was abandoned as
stopping place for the passenger ele-
vators Stops were made at the sec
ond and fourth floors and guards sta
toned in the stairways between those
floors and the third or court room floor
turned back everybody who was not in
some way connected with the case.
A feature of the trial was the testi-
mony of Police Captain Herman Schlu-
ettler- 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
detailed the conversation between Luet-
gert and Watchman Bialk in the lat
ter'S house, May 16, when Klinger was
concealed under the bed. This was
simply a corrobOration of the testimony
of Bialk-
Captain Schluettler said he was first
informed of the disappearance of Mrs.
Luetgert on May by Diederich Bick-
They gave a description of the missing
woman. That night he detailed Officer
George Smith to make inquiries in the
neighborhood of the factory regarding
Mrs. Luetgert. The next day officers
Deane and Qualey were detailed to in
vestigate the case. Shortly after that,
the captain said, he and Lieutenant
Hutchinson visited Luetgert at his
home. The witness told the sausage
maker that they had heard of the dis
appearance of his wife and called to see
what they could do for him.
Luetgert was asked to tell his theory
of his wife's disappearance, and he told
the officers he believed she was insane
and had wandered away. He said she
had been acting strangely for some
time. The witness asked Luetgert why
he had not notified the police: instead
of keeping silent. Luetgert said he felt
it was a disgrace to him and his chill
dren that his wife had become insane
and did not like to tell about it. He
said he had last seen her shortly after
10 O'Clock on the night of her disappear
ance, before he went to the factory for
the night.
r. Captain Schluettler said that Luetgert
gave him the name of friends of the
missing woman, and he sent officers to
visit all of them and make inquiries
Search was made for Mrs. Harris in
Cleveland avenue, who was not found,
and visits were made to Wheaton, Ell
gin, Kankakee and other places. The
police dragged the river and searched
the clay hills in the vicinity of the fac
tory. Luetgert, the witness said, took
part in any of these attempts to find
his wife, and failed to inquire whether
any information regarding her had been
found. Once he called at the Sheffield
avenue police station to complain of
newspaper article intimating that his
wife had not died a natural death, but
while a the station he did not inquire
whether the police had found any trace
of the wife which was missing.
The witness then told of the visit of
himself, Inspector Shaack and a pum-
Der of officers to the sausage factory,
the examination of the smoke house and
the watts and the finding of the rings in
the middle vat. The witness said the
rings were found by OLIVER Deane, who
was in the vat examining the bottom
Both of the rings were covered with the
reddish substance which was in the vat
The rings, one plain wedding ring
and the other guard ring were put in
evidence.
Attorney Phalen began the cross-ex-
animation of Captain Schluettler and
asked him to tell the jury all the police
had done to ascertain whether Mrs. Lu-
etgert had been seen at Kenosha or in
that neighborhood The captain said
the police had received letters, most of
them anonymous stating that Mrs Lu-
etgert had been seen wandering near
KenOsha and he sent two officers there
to investigate. The officers discovered
no trace of Mrs. Luetgert. Attorney
about tips he had himself taken in the
interest of the Luetgert case and the
captain said he had gone to New York
to investigate a rumOr that Mrs. Luet-
CERT had been there May g. Chief of
Police Ripley, the witness said, had
received message from the New YORK
police that a man whose name was
Grattey had met Mrs. Luetgert before |
her marriage to the sausage maker and
had met her on Broadway. The cap
tain said he had not gone to New York
to find out whether Mrs. Luetgert had
been there or not. He did not believe |
she was alive, May 8, but he went to
find out something about Grattey, so |
that if he appeared a witness in the |
case to give perjured testimony his |
testimony could be met
Judge Vincent asked to have the |
statement as to the object of the cap |
tain's visit to New York stricken out, |
but the court said the defense had call |
ed it out.
Capt Schuettler was asked about the |
visit fAttoEney Vincent to the East |
Chicago avenue police station on the |
day of Luetgert's arrest but the state |
put in an objection. Mr.. Vincent stated |
to the court that he expected to prove |
by Luetgert that when he was arrested |
Inspector Setback refused to permit |
any person to- see him until the next |
day The attorney said he was not al |
lowed to see him and was compelled to |
begin habeas corpus proceedings. |
Judge TuthiII refused to admit any evil |
dence, regarding these matters. '-Inspec-
tor Schaak is not on trial here said |
the court
lice Lieutenant George Hutchinson was |
called. This witness corroborated the /
testimony of Captain Schuettler to |
the visit made by him and Schuettler on /
Nav 8 to Luetgert at the latter'S home |
to secure from him statement regard |
ing the disappearance of his wife. He |
said Luetgert stated he had hired no |
detectives to look for his wife, although |
he had previously told Bicknese that he |
had engaged two private detectives
officer Walter S. Dean of the Sheffield |
station introduced the subject of the