Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-01-27

! when l told her she said: Then W.
will lose everything I told her We
| would. Then this is all we get fol
our thirty years hard work since We
came to America l told her it could
to work, and would face the world
afresh."
As he told Of the loss of his fortune
and his willingness to begin all ovel
again, Luetgert seemed to be greatly
affected. Tears came to his eyes, his
chin trembled, and Jumps rose in his
throat. MY wife said she was moi
afraid but that l could work and earn
a living" continued Luetgert, but
what will people say? They vii
laugh at u.s. she said. Il told her to
let them laugh; that their laughing
would not take away my work. Sh,
said if this should come I don't wan.
! to live She said she wished the
children were dead. About this time
Louie came in and asked for money to
go to a circus, and his mother toId
him we had no money for circuses. j
gave the boy 10 cents" what hap
pened next?" asked Mr.. Harmon.
She said: If the sheriff should come
he will not find me here I told hel
that it was foolish to talk that way
She said it was not foolish; that there
was nothing foolish about it, and tina
II things kept on as they had for the
! last two months I would not see he
any more. I laughed and said she
| had better stay with her children
She said 1 always laughed at her. /
didn't pay much attention to her re-
marks, because she had been talkine
| like that for several months" "HoW
was Mrs. Luetgert's mind affected BY
the long sickness of your little boy
Elmer, the winter before.
asked Mr.. Harmon. ct affected
her great DEAL and sh<
often made the remark that she would
rather see the child dead than alive.
DO you recollect what time Of the
night it was?' 81 don't remember
exactly"
Luetgert then told of his going home
and said: ''At home I saw my wife
sitting in the kitchen against the east
wall and reading a paper. l think it
was German paper. l could not
find the tea and asked her where it.
was. She said she did not know! but
that the girl always attended to that.
The girl was in bed. I found the tea
in the basement pantry and went up
Z
my wife"
Luetgert told next OF speaking of
Louis and CT carrying a lantern which
the witness said he always did at night
in going to the factory. In answer
to a question he said: Il turned and
left the house by the north door. Yes,
that was the last time [ saw my wife"
Luetgert had his eyes fixed on the
jury as he said this. The jury leaned
forward in their seats and paid the
closest attention to the narrative.
When questioned again whether he
knew at what time Of the night he
returned to the factory, Luetgert said
once more he did not know, not hav-
ing looked at a clock. DO you re-
member what kind of weather it
WASP" asked Mr.. Harmon. Eyes, it
was cloudy weather" At this point
court took a recess.
Luetgert's story Of his early life is
as follows: q was born in GuerterslhO,
Westphalia, in 1916. My father was
dealer in hides, tallow and wool and
l learned the tanning business when
was 13 years of age. When l was
20 years old and had $125 l went to
London, but could find nothing to do,
so | came to America, and in 1865
landed in Quincy Ill. I stayed there
,nree months and came to Chicago.
When [ got here | only had cents.
soon secured employment at the
Union Hide and Leather COM
panys works and worked there until
it shut down. | next got employment
at the Nash Packing company on the
Archer road, south of Halsted street.
The next spring | worked at tannery
on the Archer road near the Archer
road slip, owned by Eagle, Crossley d
Co. The place burned down, and then
I worked for Craig, Clark & Co. on
Goose Island. My next employment
was at some place on the ElstOn road,
and then with Engle Brothers until the
great fire. At that time | had saved
about $4,000, of which all was in real
estate except $4,000 in money and a
horse and wagon, and [ went into bus
iness for myself. My first venture was
in buying and selling liquor. When I
went into the saloon business for my
self | got married to Miss Caroline
Rabker, and we lived over the saloon.
On Nov. %, 1877, my first wife died
At the mention of his first wife Luet-
CERT grew tender, and a few drops
rolled down his cheeks. My wife
| died Nov. Is, and in the following
January | married Louise Bicknese.
and lived with her at the same place.
| In 1879 l sold the place for about S10,-
| zoe, and moved to 305 Sheffield avenue.
There l conducted the sausage business
until 1888. 1t was under the old
| ArmagedOn hall. The next year
sold out and moved to a little farm OF
60 acres, near Elgin. But my wife did
not like the farm, so | bought property
at North and Sheffield avenues an
moved back to the city, and went to
sausage making again
The most interesting part of Luet-
gert's evidence was the narration of
his dealings with Robert Davy an Eng
lish promoter. who got $4,000 or