The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-22
Luetgert's Lawyer MakesCIaims
That Shake
Court, Jury and Spectators Al
most Off Their Feet.
MRS. LUETGERT LIVES
Says Ex-Judge Vincent in His
Plea Today.
Tells How Luetgert Was Ruin
ed by an Adventurer.

OAAiCdSCB sept zA---1AA QQSe
sprung surprise on the prosecution in
the Luetgert murder trial. in his open
ing statement today by reference to
man named Robert Davey who, he said,
was the original medium through which
all of Luetgert's trouble arose and
whose action resulted in Luetgert be-
ing arraigned before the bar of justice
today charged with murder.
"A little over year ago, Satan in
dressed and educated Englishman
nemed Robert Davey came to Luet-
CERT and was the cause of all his trou-
bic" said ex-Judge Vincent. This
man came with forged letters of intro
duction representing himself as a man
of great means. Luetgert has always
carried his heart on his sleeve,
you will seeWhen he goes on the wit
ness stand" This was the first Off
cial notice that Luetgert would testify
in his own behalf and the announce
ment was received with a show of in
terest by the prosecution and the spec
tators.
"Davey told Luetgert he could be the
sausage king of the world" went on ex-
Judge Vincent land Luetgert believed
him; for Davey was an artist in paint
ing glowing pictures of wealth and
fame. He told Luetgert he represent
ed an English syndicate and that a
company would be organized with a
capital of 100000 and bonds for an ad-
dltiOnal $4OO, GOO would be issued. The
company would be known as the A. L.
Luetgert Sausage and Packing COM
pany, Davey said, and Luetgert would
be given $500, 900 cash and 800, 900 worth
of stock Out of the cash he could pay
off $780, 600 of Indebtedness which was
covered by a mortgage on his factory.
Mrs. Luetgert was delighted over
the visions of wealth revealed by Da-
vey's picture and Luetgert, uneducated,
honest and without suspicion, was
pleased over the prospect of ranking
with the Armours, the Swifts and Mel
: son Morris in the meat world Davey
had expenses during the time he
negotiating with Luetgert whom he
had induced to close his factory pre-
paratory to the change which was to
have taken place January 1, 1897. He
called upon Luetgert for money and
got it-in all about $25,090 and finally
Davey told Luetgert the money and
bonds were in the custody of the Cont
mental Bond company of New York.
Luetgert and Judge Goodrich, to whom
Luetgert had told his story, went to
New York. But none of the bankers,
or bond companies of that city had
ever heard of Davey, and Luetgert had
been Swindled''
The attorney told Luetgert's strug-
giles after this. How his business had
been injured by the closing of the fac
tory and in addition to the loss of $25.-
600 to DaVey he lost by the failure of
E. S. Dreyer & Cos. bank. Then he
borrowed $4,000 from FOrman Bros,
bankers, placing another mortgage on
his factory. Finally the failure came
and the disaster drove Mrs. Luetgert to
man became insane, the lawyer said,
and wandered away.
The life of Luetgert was briefly
sketched- He arrived in America 80
years ago without a dollar, counsel
said, and by industry and thrift had
built up an enormous business He
made three million pounds of sausage
a year and sold it all over this; country
and Europe. Often there were 100 900
pounds of meat in the factory at one
time and the sales from the factory to
local consumers averaged $3.50 per day.
Nineteen years ago Luetgert married
Miss Louise Bicknese, the woman he is
said to have killed. She was his sec
ond wife. They had four children,
two boys and two girls, the latter are
now dead.
Ex-Judge Vincent denied that the
couple lived unhappily. He said their
lives were not a continuous honeymoon
but the couple lived happily as peo-
pie in their station usually do.
During the afternoon session the first
evidence for the defense was intro
duced.
The crowd at the criminal court
building this morning was great and
the officers experienced much trouble
preserving order Attorney Vincent
tude of his claims in the last few min
utes of the morning session. That Mrs
IuetSert is alive, he said, he would
prove by witnesses who have seen her
since May 1, and he would also prove
that the bones found in the vat were
not human, but were put there by the
police authorities.
AS for the rings, claimed to be Mrs
Luetgerts, the attorney said he would
show that they were not hers and that
she had never seen them. The attor-
ney's speech made an impression on
those in the court room, and there was
more cheerful smile on Luetgert's s
face as he 1imped back to Jail.