The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-06-30
IEDBETfR'S BODY FOUND.
From first page.

on account OF Mrs. Ledbeter'S fear
of it's discovery. The evening of
the arrival of brother-in-law Swandt
from Sanborn, Smith says that after
the four children were put to bed,
Swandt and his wife and the guilty
pair held council over the matter
Of removing the body. Mrs. Led
better was for hauling it to the river.
but both Smith and Swandt said they
did not know the way to the river.
Mrs, Ledbeter, Smith says, then told
the men to take the body to the field
and bury it some place. The four
went to the barn, the two men doing
the digging. Twice Mrs. Ledbeter
blew the light out, the dog barking
soaring her. Smith details the man
ner of tying the body with ropes and
says that Swandt at first dragged it
some distance, stumbled and said
that Smith must help him. Smith
tells that after that they placed a
stick under the shoulders of their
burden and the men walked off at
the head while the two women fol-
lowed behind and balanced the body.
The story is too horrible to believe.
The two men dug the grave together
in the dark. After putting back the
dirt they piled cornstalks on it, that
had been left in the field to feed the
cattle. Swandt left the next morn
ing, telling Smith they had done
good job and that he would be back
again in short time, but he did not
come back.
HOW MRS. LEDBETER RECEIVED THE
NEWS.
Deputy Sheriff Phillips notified
Mrs. Ledbeter of the finding of her
husbands dead body, and she ex-
claimed, "My God! My God" and
tainted away. A lady friend was
there to care for her, Mrs.
Schwandt, her sister, who has been
stopping at the Ledbeter home for
some weeks. was very much agitat-
3D. When Mrs. Ledbeter was re-
vived she expressed a desire to view
the remains. She and her sister
were driven to the scene. The
sheet was removed and Mrs Led
better looked upon the body of her
murdered husband, although ad-
vised by Mrs. Schwandt not to do
so. That's the rig he had on the
last time l saw him." she said calm
ly. where's his hair?' she in
quired. "Was there a cap on his
head?" Not until Mrs. Ledbeter
started to leave did she give way to
apparent grief. She burst into
tears, grew historical and cried:
"Holley! Holley! | thought l would
STE Hill dS all alive.
When informed of the confession
made by Smith, and the charge that
she murdered her husband, Mrs.
Ledbeter stoutly denied the accusa-
ton. "Why would l kill him?' she
asked of the newspaper men who
had accompanied the searching par
ty to- the farm. ~''1 did not believe
he was dead until the body was
found. Why couldn't this have
been. done before?" Il do not know
what object Smith would have in
saying that l killed my husband un-
less it would be to protect himself. "
Mrs. Ledbeter stated that wher
she last saw her husband he was
dressed in wooden underclothes, 9
dark pair of pants and blue overalls.
The jumper he had on she made anc
linediit with outing flannel. She
put in bed blanketing to make il
wlrn1. -
She stated that William Schwandt
her sisters husband, was at theil
place: last September and again or
the Thursday and Friday nights pre-
ceding the Saturday that Smith sait
he saw Ledbeter while planting corn
He left the house before sever
o'clock in the morning and walked
to the junction to catch the train OF
the Northwestern road going west
Mrs. Ledbeter stated that he
husband and Sehwandt were not OF
very good terms. When Schwand
was at her home he did not advanc
any theory asisto Ledbeter's disap
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