The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-10
LUETGERT LAUGHS At IT
Jury Finds a Verdict of Guilty
On the First Ballot.
IT DOESN'T ALARM HIM
The Punishment Is Fixed at Imprison-
ment for Life-The Prisoner Treats
the Result Lightly and Says
He'll Get New Trial

Chicago, Feb. 9.-Adolph L. Luetgert
was to-day convicted of the murder of
his wife and sentenced to Imprisonment
in the penitentlary for the term of his
natural life. Luetgert received the
verdict with laugh. 1t was 10: %
o'clock when word was sent in the
court room that they had agreed upon
a 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 ii passed out
that he would await their pleasure.
and at any time during the night that
they agreed upon q verdict he would
return to the court room to receive it,.
As 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 light
ming to the street and in few minutes
the court room was jammed with news
paper men, policemen. witnesses who
mad given evidence at the trial, and
curious spectators.
At HE'S 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 APP
pearances, and did not seem nervous
IN any degree. He smiled at one or
two friends, but after the arst glance
around the court room be contented
himself with watching the door
through which the jury must enter.
They filed in, passing to the seats
they have occupied during Y 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
tremor of excitement in his voice:
I'VE, the jury. find the defendant
guilty as charged in the indictment,
and fix his punishment at life impris-
onment."
There was "A hush. and all eyes
turned on Luetgert to see how he
would take it. He laughed, and
laughed i'm manner that showed
plainly that he did not think the YER
dict a serious matter, comparatively
speaking. The sound of the clerks
voice had not died away when Attor-
ney Harmon was on his feet with
request that the jury be polled. This
was done, each juror affirming the
verdict. Then he entered a motion for
new trial. which was entered and
will be argued in few days. Luet-
CERT was led back to jail in apparently
good spirits, comforted by the assur-
ance or ms lawyers lnaL ne would get
new trial and that the state would
not be able to convict him a second
time.
At first Luetgert refused to say any
thing. his one response to questions be-
ing, II won't talk about it," At length
he yielded to inquiries enough to say
that the verdict was a surprise to him.
Il don't see how the evidence justified
such a verdict. But one thing is sure,
the supreme court will give me new
trial and / shall be acquitted"
From the time when the prisoner was
led in to hear the verdict until the bail
ifs conducted him back to his cell, his
face showed not one tremor or any sort
of fear. He smiled repeatedly even
when the verdict was read by the clerk
and shook hands with his attorney and
others who gathered around him.
After arriving at the jail he retired as
usual, apparently undisturbed by the
verdict. The jury reached a verdict on
The first ballot. They retired at 4;50 and
took their first ballot at 5:l0 1t was
unanimous for conviction. Some little
time was consumed in arriving at the
punishment to be inflicted. but this was
settled by $50 and then the jurors sat
around in their room. After the prisoner
was removed Judge Gary expressed his
thanks to the members of the jury for
the patience with which they endured
their long confinement and for the man.
ner in which they had performed their
dDtY