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Adolph Luetgert
Adolph Louis Luetgert (December 27, 1845 – July 7, 1899) was a German-American businessman in Chicago, Illinois, convicted of murdering his second wife Louisa Bicknese in 1897 and dissolving her body in a sausage vat filled with lye at his A. L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Company.
Luetgert, born in Gütersloh, Westphalia (now Germany), moved to Chicago in the 1870s. He married Louisa Bicknese on January 18, 1878, some months after his first wife died. They had four children together. Luetgert had founded his own business, the successful A. L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Company, and was considered the "sausage king" of Chicago.
Prosecuted by State's Attorney Charles S. Deneen, later a two-term governor of Illinois, Luetgert was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on February 9, 1898. He died in prison a year and a half later.
After the trial was publicized, rumors spread that Luetgert had ground up his wife's remains as sausage and sold this "sausage" to unknowing consumers. Sales of sausage in Chicago dropped off for a while. The tale was later proved false, as her body was shown to have been dissolved and the remains mostly burned, but the legend persists to this day. Another common legend related to the murder is that the ghost of Louisa Luetgert haunts the old factory grounds and the couple's former home in Chicago.
Adolph Louis Luetgert, born on December 27, 1845, was originally named Adolph Ludwig Lütgert. He was born in Gütersloh, located in the province of Westphalia, which is now a part of Germany. His parents, Christian Heinrich Lütgert and Margreta Sophia Severin, had a total of sixteen children; twelve other sons and two daughters.[clarification needed] Adolph was the fourth born in the family. He had a twin brother named Heinrich Friedrich "Fritz" Luetgert, who died in 1894 or 1895. While Adolph Luetgert and his twin were growing up, their father dealt with animal hides and tallow wool, as well as dabbling in real estate.
Luetgert's schooling lasted from about the age of seven until the age of fourteen, as was typical of the time for tradesmen's sons. He worked as an apprentice under Ferdinand Knabel, who taught him the tanning business. During his apprenticeship, Luetgert continued to live in Westphalia, and 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. He left because he was unable to find a job other than scrubbing restaurant floors.
Luetgert immigrated to New York City around 1865 or 1866, when he was about twenty years old. He had heard that thousands of his countrymen were going to America with very little money but were able to find work. With about thirty dollars to his name, Luetgert boarded a ship bound for the United States.
After a short time in New York, Luetgert traveled to Quincy, Illinois, to join some friends of his eldest brother Henry, who were living there. He stayed in Quincy for about four months before moving to Chicago in search of a job at a tannery, which he found at Union Hide and Leather Company. Luetgert did not have a steady job or constant pay at the tannery, so he began also to take on random jobs such as working as a moving man. From 1867 to 1868, Luetgert worked at another tannery called Engle, Crossley & Co. He next worked at a tannery called Craig, Clark & Company, but returned to the Engle tannery, working there until 1872. He had saved four thousand dollars and started his own business, initially dealing in liquor before starting his eponymous sausage company in 1879.
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Adolph Luetgert
Adolph Louis Luetgert (December 27, 1845 – July 7, 1899) was a German-American businessman in Chicago, Illinois, convicted of murdering his second wife Louisa Bicknese in 1897 and dissolving her body in a sausage vat filled with lye at his A. L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Company.
Luetgert, born in Gütersloh, Westphalia (now Germany), moved to Chicago in the 1870s. He married Louisa Bicknese on January 18, 1878, some months after his first wife died. They had four children together. Luetgert had founded his own business, the successful A. L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Company, and was considered the "sausage king" of Chicago.
Prosecuted by State's Attorney Charles S. Deneen, later a two-term governor of Illinois, Luetgert was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on February 9, 1898. He died in prison a year and a half later.
After the trial was publicized, rumors spread that Luetgert had ground up his wife's remains as sausage and sold this "sausage" to unknowing consumers. Sales of sausage in Chicago dropped off for a while. The tale was later proved false, as her body was shown to have been dissolved and the remains mostly burned, but the legend persists to this day. Another common legend related to the murder is that the ghost of Louisa Luetgert haunts the old factory grounds and the couple's former home in Chicago.
Adolph Louis Luetgert, born on December 27, 1845, was originally named Adolph Ludwig Lütgert. He was born in Gütersloh, located in the province of Westphalia, which is now a part of Germany. His parents, Christian Heinrich Lütgert and Margreta Sophia Severin, had a total of sixteen children; twelve other sons and two daughters.[clarification needed] Adolph was the fourth born in the family. He had a twin brother named Heinrich Friedrich "Fritz" Luetgert, who died in 1894 or 1895. While Adolph Luetgert and his twin were growing up, their father dealt with animal hides and tallow wool, as well as dabbling in real estate.
Luetgert's schooling lasted from about the age of seven until the age of fourteen, as was typical of the time for tradesmen's sons. He worked as an apprentice under Ferdinand Knabel, who taught him the tanning business. During his apprenticeship, Luetgert continued to live in Westphalia, and 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. He left because he was unable to find a job other than scrubbing restaurant floors.
Luetgert immigrated to New York City around 1865 or 1866, when he was about twenty years old. He had heard that thousands of his countrymen were going to America with very little money but were able to find work. With about thirty dollars to his name, Luetgert boarded a ship bound for the United States.
After a short time in New York, Luetgert traveled to Quincy, Illinois, to join some friends of his eldest brother Henry, who were living there. He stayed in Quincy for about four months before moving to Chicago in search of a job at a tannery, which he found at Union Hide and Leather Company. Luetgert did not have a steady job or constant pay at the tannery, so he began also to take on random jobs such as working as a moving man. From 1867 to 1868, Luetgert worked at another tannery called Engle, Crossley & Co. He next worked at a tannery called Craig, Clark & Company, but returned to the Engle tannery, working there until 1872. He had saved four thousand dollars and started his own business, initially dealing in liquor before starting his eponymous sausage company in 1879.