The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-10

Chicago. Feb. 9.-Adolph L. Luetgert
was tonight convicted of the murder
of his wife and sentenced to imprison-
ment in the penitentiary for the term
of his natural life.
Luetgert received the verdict with a
laugh.
| 1t was 1850 o'clock when word was
sent into the court room by the jury
that they had agreed upon verdict.
and were waiting to bring it into
court.
Judge Gary. whose home is within a
| few blocks of the criminal court build
ing. informed the jury. as it passed out.
that he would await their pleasure, and
at any time during the night that they
agreed upon a verdict he would return
to the court room and receive it.
NEWS OF THE VERDICT.
Quickly as possible, after the jury
had sent word of an agreement Judge
Gary FASTENED to the court room The
news of a verdict had spread like
lightning TO the street. and in a few
minutes the court room was damned
with newspaper men, policemen and
witnesses who had given evidence at
the trial and curious spectators.
At 11:15 Judge Gary entered the ROOM
and at the same instant Luetgert and
his guards entered through the door
leading from the Jail.
The big prisoner was calm, to all ap-
pearauces and did not seem nervous in
any degree He smiled at one or two
friends, but after the first glance
around the court room cOntented him.
self with watching the door through
which the jury must enter. They filed
in, passing to the seats they have Oc-
cupied during - days of the trial. Not
one of the jurors looked toward the
prisoner, who tried vainly TO catch an
eye of some one of the men who had
determined his fate.
Clerk KnOpf stepped forward, took
the verdict and then read, with a ire
NOR of excitement in his voice:
We, the jury. find the defendant
guilty as charged in the Indictment, and
fix mis- punishment at life imprison-
ment."
LUETGERT LAUGHED.
There was a hush, and all eyes turn
ed on Luetgert to see how he would
take it. He laughed. and laughed in a
did not think the verdict a serious mat
ter, comparatively speaking The
sound of the clerks voice had rot died
away when Attorney Harmon was on
his feet with request that the jury
be Dolled. This was done. each juror
affirming the verdict. Then he en-
tered q motion for a new trial. which
was entered. and viii be argued in a.
few days. Luetgert was led back to
the jail in apparently good spirits, COM
fOrted by the assurances of his law
yers that he Will get a new trial. and
that the state viii not be able to con-
vict him a second time
VERDICT SURPRISED HIM.
At first Luetgert refused to say any
thins, his one response to questions be-
ing, 4 won't talk about it." At length,
he yielded to inquiries enough to say
that the verdict was a surprise TO him.
L don't see how the evidence justified
such a verdict. but one thing is sure,
the supreme court Will give me a new
trial, and I shall be acquitted"
From the time when the prisoner was
led IN to receive the verdict until TIE
bailiffs conducted him back to his cell.
his face showed not one tremOr of
any sort of fear. He smiled repeatedly,
even when the verdict was read by
the clerk, and shook hands with his
attorneys and others who gathered
around him.
Arriving at the Jail. he retired as
usual apparently undisturbed by the
verdict.
VERDICT ON FIRST BALLOT.
The jury reached a verdict on the
first ballot. They retired at 1850 and
took their first ballot at $40. 1t was
unanimous for conviction. Some little
time was err sumed in arriving at the
punishment to be inflicted. but this
was settled by $50. and then the jurors
sat arc upd II their loom until 10 p. m,
when they announced their verdict
After the prisoner was removed,
Judge Gary expressed his thanks to the
members of the jury for the patience
with hich they had endured their long
and for the manner in
which thav had nerfnrn1e1 shcir duty.