The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-01-28
NEVER SLEW HIS WIFE.
Adolph L. Luetgert Declares That the
Charge Is Nonsense"
TELLS A GOOD STORY FOR HIMSELF.
His Old Lawyer Gives Him Advice How to
Testify-Defense at Last Gets In
Mrs. Luetgerts Threats
Go AWAY.

to Go Away.
Chicago, Jan. 24.-"Kill my wife? No,
sir. Never in all the nineteen years
of her married life did 1 make threats
Of violence against her. / have not
seen Louise since 1 hurried down the
back stairs of my house on the night
of May l. Kill my wife? Nonsense!"
fdolph Louis Luetgert sat before the
twelve men who are to pass on his guilt
or innocence and repudlated the charge
OF wife murder, which the people of IL
linois through their agents have en-
tered against him. He shouted the
words of vindication at the top of his
voice, as If he wanted them to linger
in the cornices of the jury room and
ring again in the ears of the jurors when
the question of life or death was under
consideration. These words were said
after four hours of narrative of the
events of the day during which his wife
disappeared.
Warned Against Losing His Temper.
Among the visitors in court during
Luetgerts testimony were w. S. Forrest
and Luetgert's former attorney, w. A.
Vincent, who expressed himself as de-
lighted at the bearing of the defendant
on the witness stand. Before going on
the stand Luetgert met Vincent, and
the interview served to encourage the
defendant. Vincent was careful to tell
his former client he should not forget
that no limit could be placed on the
time he might take in answering ques-
= tions. Approaching the blunt nature of
the witness disposition the advice was
given not to jump over the table of the
prosecution and combat with Inspector
Setback or his associates should De-
neen become too insinuating. Luetgert,
unlike other witnesses, was not re-
stricted from relating conversations
with his wife prior to her disappearance
. and the concession is likely to prove
of incalculable value to his case
Synopsis of His Testimony.
Luetgerts testimony gave in the min
utest detail all his movements and OBJ
servations from the morning of May l
up to the time he reported the disap-
pearance of his wife to the police and
offered a reward for information con-
corning her, dead or alive. He described
his i'll health and the bodily and mental
condition of his wife, the closing in of
his creditors coil upon him. the last
gasp of his collapsed business and the
He told of her despair at the prospect
of want and humiliation, the scene at
the last supper they took together, her
announcement that she would not be
there to witness the disaster, his final
parting with her, his occupation in the
factory that night and the following
day, his slowness to realize that she
had actually gone away for good, the
reproaches Bicknese heaped on him for
not employing detectives, his counsel
with Attorney Goodrich and the closing
of his factory by Foreman
His Domestic Unhappiness Narrated.
Luetgert, assuming that he has testi-
fed truthfully, has explained away
every circumstance in his conduct that
the state had used in the makeup of its
'circumstantial evidence. Incidents that
seemed damaging were treated as the
daily happenings of a citizen whose
prime thought was attention to bust
y ness. He laid bare the unhappiness OF
his domestic life and told of his wife
continually blaming him for the
wretched condition of his financial af-
fairs. He told of the alleged boiling OF
his wife's body as soap making ex-
pertinent, with spoilt tallow and hog
bones instead of an attempt to hide
o. crime. This testimony did not differ
materially with that given by Charles
at the first trial.
Chicago. Jan. 26.-Luetgert completed
his personal testimony yesterday. He
stepped down from the witness stand
shortly after p. M, when States At
torney Deneen brought the cross-exam-
nation to an abrupt close. The big
defendant had anticipated another day
under fire, and the sharp that's ALL
of the prosecutor surprised him. The
details of Luetgert's life-his morals
motives and actions-were entered into
hut a.. &C thero had anv direct bearing