Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-23
WAS AFRAID TO Be POOR
Luetgert Tells Why His Wife Might Have
Deserted Him.
THOUGHT THEIR FRIENDS WOULD LAUGH
witness Hcsitntes to Tell of His
wifc's ForebodinRs Until Urged
to DO by His
Attorney.

CHICAGO, Jan. 22.-The crowd In attend
ance at the Luetgert murder trial today was
greater even than the day before. When
Luetgert took the stand today he was APP
parently much more composed and answered
the questions propounded him by his counsel
In a firm voice. The defendant was inclined
to go into details more than his attorney,
Mr.. Harmon, desired. When asked to pay
less attention to detail Luetgert, with some
show Of anger, said that he would tell his
history thoroughly or not at all.
Tho most important feature OF Luetgerts
recital today was his explanation of the
presence OF the potash in the factory. He
said 1t had been in his place OF business
nearly two months before the day of his
wife's disappearance, that it had not been
concealed and that he was to make soft
soap out Of 1t. The prisoner also told OF his
sleeping in the factory, which he explained,
was necessary because there were many
things to which he had to attend to at
night.
When Luetgert finally reached that part
OF the story concerning the happenings on
May l, the date of his wfes disappearance,
the audience and jury paid the closest at
tentlon.
''Do you remember what transaction you
made the morning Of May IT, asked Attor-
ney Harmon.
ate breakfast early anu went u MY
Office"
what was the first thing you did that
day?"
II gave some orders. l told my men to
go to the basement to remove some barrels
of salt. / then went down and that the
three barrels Of tallow were in their place"
Continuing the witness told of buried bones
he had in the factory basement and of fat
he intended to convert into sausage. He
also told of the small meat market he con-
Quoted.
"You purchased q barrel of potash early
in March" asked Harmon "for what pur-
pose?"
"To make soft soap"
PROPOSED TO CLEAN UP.
what arrangement, If any had you
made with reference to cleaning the fac
tory?"
"One day, after the New York trip, Mr..
Charles came home and said there
chance to sell the factory. He told me to
keep it very clean as the
business people don't know any
we would call clean they would call dirty.
Well, | argued the stuff | had then for fat
could not sell. Potash WAS cheap and l
thought it was cheaper to make soap. When
1 used to work for Engel Brothers, learned
tho recipe for making soap"
Inspector schaack who sat alongside the
jury, smiled as Luetgert told Of his expe
rience in the lire of making sort soap.
when did you first see this barrel of
potash?" asked Mr. Harmon.
"The next day"
''Where did it stand?"
'It was between the ofIioe and meat mar
ket where everybody who came in coru
not help but see it,
Did you give any orders about that bar
rel?"
Yes, l told smokehouse Frank to break
it up and told him it was bad stuff that
it would burn him, and that he should cover
his face so he would not get hurt"
Now will you tell me why you delayed
fran March until two weeks before May
before making the soap?"
The men came TO socn to see the fac
tory, before it was Gle aned"
what time Saturday May /, did you re-
turn home?" asked Attorney Harmon.
"oh, can't tell the exact hour. 1t was
late in the afternoon
NOT INCLINED TO TELL.
What was said in the conversation be-
tween you and your wife while eating supper
that night"
Luetgert here hesltated for some moments
before speaking. We'll my wife made some
remarks | do not like TO repeat" he finally
answered.
Tell us all about that conversation" said
Mr.. Harmon.
"Mr. Harmon" replied Luetgert "I will
not rCCeat what my wife said that night uu
less forced to-
"Mr. Luetgert," said his senior counsel,
"you will not be forced to tell anything you
do not wish to, but your counsel | want
you to tell every word that was said between
you and your wife that evening.
my wife asked me about the manner of
forec!osing mortgages, and when I told her
she said then we will lose everything l
told her we would"
Then this is all we get for our thirty
years hard work since came to America
II told her 1t could not be helped, that |
was not afraid to work and would face
the world afresh and work hard for living
II necessary"
LOSS OF FORTUNE.
AS he told of the loss of his fortune and
his willingness to begin all over again, Luet-
gert seemed to he greatly affected. Tears
came to his eyes, his chin trembled and
Jumps rose n rs throat He said "Ny
wife was nos nfral but ;ast | coull Ncrl
and earn a living, but Tha; Will people
sly, they will laugh at US, she said.
II told her to let them laugh; that their
laughing would not take away my work.
She said If this should come 4 don't want to
live She said she wished the children
were dead About this time Louis came in
and asked for money to go to circus and his
mother told him we had no money for cir
cuaes I gave the boy 10 cents."
What happened neNt?" asked Harmon
"She said If the sheriff should come you
Will not find ME here | told her that it
was foolish TO talk that way. She said II
was not foolish; that there was nothing fool
tsh about IT, and that If things kept on as
they had for the last two months | would
not her any more. | laughed and said
she had better stay with her children. She
said always laughed at her / did not pay
much attention TO her remarks because she
had been talking like that for several
months"
How was Mrs Luetgerts mind affected
by the long sickness of your little boy
Elmer?'
at affected her a great deal and she often |
made the remark that she would rather see
the child dead than alive, She made these |
remarks in the presence OF both children"
, "Do you recollect what time of the night |
II was?"
81 don't remember exactly" Luetgert then |
told OF his going home and said; Il saw my |
vito sitting in the kitchen against the east |
wall and reading q paper think 1t was
German oaper. ! could not find the tea dnd |