The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-24
search. He gets his information in the
Had Circulated Petition.

saloons"
Had Circulated Petition.
/ The witness, having said that he hat
told all that he knew about the case
was cross examined warmly.
"You have had good deal of feel
ing in this case, haven't your" Ee was
asked.
81 don't know what you mean," hl
replied.
"You have taken good deal of in
terest in it, haven't your"
'Only to tell the truth"
"You had enough interest in the de-
PENDANT to have Mr.. Geddes write a pc
tition asking the court not to admit
her to bail, did you not?"
"There was petition prepared"
"And brought it to teh court?"
"Yes."
81 spent half day circulating it."
"You thought that the court was not
capable of taking care of its own bust
ness without your assistance, didn't
your"
mo, sir"
"You wanted it to know what you
thought, didn't you?"
"Yes, SIR"
"And Mr.. Geddes sent you and Mrs
Borgemeier to the court to talk it
over, didn't he?" ~,
mo. sir"
"You went to Judge Cray and talked
with him about it, didn't you? And
he told you that you had done. wrong
didn't he?"
80, sir"
"Mr. Geddes wrote this petition for
you, didn't he?"
Il don't know who prepared it,"
P. A. Ledbeter was recalled by the
defense for further eros examination
He had noticed only two doors in the
basement of barn on the east side The
barn yard was wet and dirty, and there
may have been fence there. The dog
was tied considerable greater distance
from the door of the chicken coop than
to that of the horse barn. but could
go as far as the chicken coop door
There was ladder from the horse barn
to the floor above. where grain and
machinery were left. A door Partition
ed off the COW barn from the horse
barn.
Sorry She Married Ledbeter.
Mrs. Lena Dauk, wife of Philip Dauk,
said that she lives a mile and a quar-
ter east from the Ledbeter farm She
had a talk with Mrs. Ledbeter a year
ago last fall at Sibley park, and she
said that she was sorry that she had
ever married Mr.. Ledbeter, as he never
cared to go with her when she wanted
to 60 anywhere, but that she did not
mind it so much now. She said that
that he was older than She Last spring
Mr.. Ledbeter was sent for by her hus-
band to help in butchering and Mrs
Ledbeter came, also. She had said that
her husband was old and getting feeble
and childish and hard to get along
with. Witness had said that she could
not see it. She had never seem him
talked very much. He appeared as usu
al at the time of the second CONVEX
sation. The Sunday after the disap
pearance of Mr.. Ledbeter. Mrs. Led
better and her sister, Mrs. Goldie
Schwandt, were at the witness house
and Mrs. Ledbeter had said that she
had driven around the road trying tC
find way to the river, but could not
Mrs. Ledbeter had asked way to the
river, but the Dauk's did not know OF
one.
| Cross examined the witness said that
Mr.. and Mrs. Ledbeter always treated
each other well and got along well OF
their frequent visits to her house
While Smith was in Iowa, he had writ
ten to Mr.. Ledbeter for money, an(
Mr.. Ledbeter had said that he would
not send any if it was not for thu
fact that he had fallen and hurt his
back and could not do all of the worl
alone. Mr.. Ledbeter had said that i
Smith wanted to come back, let hin
bum it back Mrs. Ledbeter said thai
she did not care now because her hus
band did not go with her to places
was because she went by herself whel
she wanted to go.
Opposed to Searchers.
George Hussey of Pemberton, former
| ly a farmer, but now stock buyer
said that he had known the defendant
! for twenty five years. He was at mrs
Ledbeter's house June &c, when Mrs
Ledbeter, Frank Smith, Chief Pond ant
Free Press reporter when present
and heard conversation between
Smith and Mrs. Ledbeter. Smith hat
talked of the false graves and Mrs
Ledbeter had denied that she tolC
him to dig one good one rather thar
two or three small holes, and hat
stamped her foot and called him liar
Have you any more stunts to foo
the people with?" was asked of Smith
II don't know what you mean by
Stunts but wish you had key O.
beer on tap" Smith had replied.
The witness had been in the Medt
search party June 26, and had returned
the next morning with the searchers
He had gone up to the house witt
Jimmy Atcherson, and Mrs. Ledbete
was angry, and the following converse