Adolph Luetgert
Encyclopedia
Adolph Louis Luetgert was a German-American charged with murdering his wife and dissolving her body in acid in one of his sausage vats at the A.L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Company in 1897.
Luetgert, born in Gütersloh
, Westphalia
(now Germany
), moved to Chicago, Illinois in the 1870s. He married his wife Louisa Bicknese on January 18, 1878. Luetgert ran the successful A.L. Luetgert Sausage
& Packing Company and was considered the “sausage king” of Chicago until being accused of murder
ing his wife and being sentenced to life in prison on February 9, 1898 where he died about a year and a half later.
After the news of the trial became public, rumors spread that Luetgert had actually turned his wife into sausage and sold the “sausage” to unknowing consumers. Although this has been proven to be false as her body was dissolved and burned, the legend persists to this day. Another common legend about the murder is that the ghost of Louisa Luetgert haunts the old factory grounds and the couple’s former home in Chicago.
His parents, Christian Heinrich Lütgert and Margreta Sophia Severin, had ten other children besides Adolph; eight other sons and two daughters. Adolph was the third born in the family, and he also had a twin named Heinrich Friedrich "Fritz" Luetgert, who died before Adolph around 1894 or 1895. While Adolph was growing up, his father dealt with animal hides and tallow wool as well a dabbling into real estate a bit.
Adolph’s schooling lasted from about the age of seven until the age of fourteen and after those seven years of schooling, Adolph became an apprentice for Ferdinand Knabel whom taught him about the tanning business. During the time of the apprenticeship, Adolph continued to live in Westphalia however as an apprentice he lived with his boss instead of his family. After working for Knabel for two and a half years, Luetgert began to travel around Germany, working wherever he could. At the age of nineteen, Luetgert traveled to London, England where he stayed for about six months but left because he was unable to find a job other than scrubbing restaurant floors.
Luetgert arrived in New York and after a short time there he went to Quincy, Illinois
to meet up with some friends of his brother who were living there. He stayed in Quincy for about four months before moving to Chicago in search of a job at a tannery. He found a job at Union Hide and Leather Company. He did not have a steady job or constant pay at the tannery, so he began to also take on random jobs such as moving houses. From 1867 to 1868, Luetgert got a job at another tannery called Engle, Crossley & Co. He then worked at another tannery called Craig, Clark & Company, but later returned to work at the Engle Brother’s Tannery until 1872.
Luetgert then started his own business with the four thousand dollars he had saved. Initially, he went into the liquor business before starting his sausage company in 1879.
He married his first wife, Caroline Roepke, sometime between 1870 and 1872. She died on November 17, 1877. He married his second wife Louise Bicknese, two months after Caroline’s death, on January 18, 1878. Luetgert had six children—two with Caroline and four with Louise. Only three of his children survived past the age of 2.
During their investigation, the police came to know that the couple had a history of domestic violence
and that the couple fought on a regular basis. According to a source, Luetgert had financial difficulties
so he started courting a rich widow who he planned to marry once he got rid of his wife. The police continued their investigation and discovered that on the night of May 1, 1897, the night Louisa disappeared, she was seen entering the factory with her husband at 10:30pm. A watchman from the sausage plant confirmed the story, saying that Mr. Luetgert gave him an errand to run and told him that he could take the rest of the night off.
The police also made a shocking discovery; they came across bills that stated that Luetgert bought arsenic
and potash
the day before the murder. Due to all the accumulated evidence the detective was convinced that Luetgert had killed his wife, boiled her in acid and then disposed of her in a factory furnace.
The officers then started searching in the furnace where they found burned foul sausages and human residue. There, they also found two of Louisa’s rings, including one that had the initials “LL” engraved on it. Bone fragments identified by a forensic anthropologist included metatarsal bones, toe phalanx
, rib and head of a human female. Due to the overwhelming evidence, Luetgert, still claiming his innocence, was arrested and put on trial.
and a U.S. Senator for Illinois. The trial revolved around the disappearance of Louise Luetgert, Adolph’s wife, on May 1, 1897. The prosecution had used bones and a ring found in one of the grinders in Luetgert’s sausage factory as its main evidence. The ring was inscribed with the initials L.L., presumably standing for Louise Luetgert. The defense argued Louise Luetgert had left her house on May 1, 1897 and also cited many claims of people that they had seen her around the United States following the beginning of the trial. During the trial, observers thought that Luetgert seemed unconcerned and overly confident that he would be found innocent. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, so the case was retried.
Luetgert’s second trial began in January 1898 at the same courthouse. The prosecution then used George Amos Dorsey
, an anthropologist at the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago, to prove that the bones found were human bones. This time, the jury came to a unanimous decision, that Luetgert was guilty. Luetgert was convicted and sentenced life in prison. Luetgert died in prison on July 7, 1899.
This case was one of the first trials widely covered by the media. Newspapers from Chicago would report on it daily and some of them would try to eavesdrop on the jury deliberation. At the time, the case was called the celebrity case
and is credited with putting murder trials in the media. This case also was one of the first to use forensic experts to solve a crime.
Today, the factory still stands on the south side of the 1700 block of West Diversey Parkway; however, it has been converted into condominiums similar to the other town homes and condominiums which now are beside it.
Luetgert, born in Gütersloh
Gütersloh
Gütersloh is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 96,320 people.- Geography :...
, Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
(now Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), moved to Chicago, Illinois in the 1870s. He married his wife Louisa Bicknese on January 18, 1878. Luetgert ran the successful A.L. Luetgert Sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
& Packing Company and was considered the “sausage king” of Chicago until being accused of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ing his wife and being sentenced to life in prison on February 9, 1898 where he died about a year and a half later.
After the news of the trial became public, rumors spread that Luetgert had actually turned his wife into sausage and sold the “sausage” to unknowing consumers. Although this has been proven to be false as her body was dissolved and burned, the legend persists to this day. Another common legend about the murder is that the ghost of Louisa Luetgert haunts the old factory grounds and the couple’s former home in Chicago.
Early life
Adolph Louis Luetgert, born on December 27, 1845, was originally named Adolph Ludwig Lütgert. He was born in a town called Gütersloh, located in the province Westphalia, which is now a part of Germany.His parents, Christian Heinrich Lütgert and Margreta Sophia Severin, had ten other children besides Adolph; eight other sons and two daughters. Adolph was the third born in the family, and he also had a twin named Heinrich Friedrich "Fritz" Luetgert, who died before Adolph around 1894 or 1895. While Adolph was growing up, his father dealt with animal hides and tallow wool as well a dabbling into real estate a bit.
Adolph’s schooling lasted from about the age of seven until the age of fourteen and after those seven years of schooling, Adolph became an apprentice for Ferdinand Knabel whom taught him about the tanning business. During the time of the apprenticeship, Adolph continued to live in Westphalia however as an apprentice he lived with his boss instead of his family. After working for Knabel for two and a half years, Luetgert began to travel around Germany, working wherever he could. At the age of nineteen, Luetgert traveled to London, England where he stayed for about six months but left because he was unable to find a job other than scrubbing restaurant floors.
Life in America
Adolph Luetgert came to New York in around 1865 or 1866 when he was about twenty years old. Like many others, he had heard that thousands of his countrymen were going to America with very little money. With about thirty dollars to his name, Luetgert boarded a ship bound for the United States.Luetgert arrived in New York and after a short time there he went to Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
to meet up with some friends of his brother who were living there. He stayed in Quincy for about four months before moving to Chicago in search of a job at a tannery. He found a job at Union Hide and Leather Company. He did not have a steady job or constant pay at the tannery, so he began to also take on random jobs such as moving houses. From 1867 to 1868, Luetgert got a job at another tannery called Engle, Crossley & Co. He then worked at another tannery called Craig, Clark & Company, but later returned to work at the Engle Brother’s Tannery until 1872.
Luetgert then started his own business with the four thousand dollars he had saved. Initially, he went into the liquor business before starting his sausage company in 1879.
He married his first wife, Caroline Roepke, sometime between 1870 and 1872. She died on November 17, 1877. He married his second wife Louise Bicknese, two months after Caroline’s death, on January 18, 1878. Luetgert had six children—two with Caroline and four with Louise. Only three of his children survived past the age of 2.
Murder and police investigation
Louisa disappeared on May 1, 1897. Adolph told his children that their mother had gone to visit her sister on the previous night but never came back. After a few days, Louisa’s brother, Diedrich Bicknese went to the police to report her disappearance. Luetgert then claimed to the police that she ran away with another man.During their investigation, the police came to know that the couple had a history of domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
and that the couple fought on a regular basis. According to a source, Luetgert had financial difficulties
Panic of 1896
The Panic of 1896 was an acute economic depression in the United States that was less serious than other panics of the era precipitated by a drop in silver reserves and market concerns on the effects it would have on the gold standard. Deflation of commodities prices drove the stock market to new...
so he started courting a rich widow who he planned to marry once he got rid of his wife. The police continued their investigation and discovered that on the night of May 1, 1897, the night Louisa disappeared, she was seen entering the factory with her husband at 10:30pm. A watchman from the sausage plant confirmed the story, saying that Mr. Luetgert gave him an errand to run and told him that he could take the rest of the night off.
The police also made a shocking discovery; they came across bills that stated that Luetgert bought arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
and potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
the day before the murder. Due to all the accumulated evidence the detective was convinced that Luetgert had killed his wife, boiled her in acid and then disposed of her in a factory furnace.
The officers then started searching in the furnace where they found burned foul sausages and human residue. There, they also found two of Louisa’s rings, including one that had the initials “LL” engraved on it. Bone fragments identified by a forensic anthropologist included metatarsal bones, toe phalanx
Phalanx bones
In anatomy, phalanx bones are those that form the fingers and toes. In primates such as humans and monkeys, the thumb and big toe have two phalanges, while the other fingers and toes consist of three. Phalanges are classified as long bones.The phalanges do not have individual names...
, rib and head of a human female. Due to the overwhelming evidence, Luetgert, still claiming his innocence, was arrested and put on trial.
Trial
Adolph Luetgert’s murder trial began in the end of August in 1897 and took place in the Cook County Courthouse. The Judge was Richard Tuthill. Luetgert was defended by William Vincent. Luetgert was prosecuted by Charles Deneen, who would later be elected Governor of IllinoisGovernor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
and a U.S. Senator for Illinois. The trial revolved around the disappearance of Louise Luetgert, Adolph’s wife, on May 1, 1897. The prosecution had used bones and a ring found in one of the grinders in Luetgert’s sausage factory as its main evidence. The ring was inscribed with the initials L.L., presumably standing for Louise Luetgert. The defense argued Louise Luetgert had left her house on May 1, 1897 and also cited many claims of people that they had seen her around the United States following the beginning of the trial. During the trial, observers thought that Luetgert seemed unconcerned and overly confident that he would be found innocent. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, so the case was retried.
Luetgert’s second trial began in January 1898 at the same courthouse. The prosecution then used George Amos Dorsey
George Amos Dorsey
George Amos Dorsey was an U.S. ethnographer of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a special focus on the Mandan tribe.Dorsey was born in Hebron, Ohio, to Edwin Jackson and Mary Emma Dorsey....
, an anthropologist at the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago, to prove that the bones found were human bones. This time, the jury came to a unanimous decision, that Luetgert was guilty. Luetgert was convicted and sentenced life in prison. Luetgert died in prison on July 7, 1899.
This case was one of the first trials widely covered by the media. Newspapers from Chicago would report on it daily and some of them would try to eavesdrop on the jury deliberation. At the time, the case was called the celebrity case
Trial of the century
Trial of the century is an idiomatic phrase used to describe certain well-known court cases, especially of the 20th century. It is often used popularly as a rhetorical device to attach importance to a trial and as such is not an objective observation but is the opinion of whoever uses it. As...
and is credited with putting murder trials in the media. This case also was one of the first to use forensic experts to solve a crime.
Myths about Mrs. Luetgert
There were many “sightings” of Mrs. Luetgert after the trial began. She was sighted in 12 different states but never found. One of the most famous myths was that she was seen boarding a ship in New York bound for Europe. When Adolph heard this he said that he thought she was definitely fleeing the country. The sightings of Louise Leutgert however, never became global.The factory
Some claim that the Luetgert factory burned to the ground in 1902, but the research of Robert Loerzel shows that the factory still stands, although a fire actually occurred on June 26, 1904. The fire only burned the inside of the building, destroying things such as the sausage vats, while leaving the external structure still standing.Today, the factory still stands on the south side of the 1700 block of West Diversey Parkway; however, it has been converted into condominiums similar to the other town homes and condominiums which now are beside it.