The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-09

Mrs. Grace Ledbeter has a past. The
woman who is accused of the cold
blooded murder of her husband, Holley
}. Ledbeter, has been living dual
life, if all the stories told of hel
are true. She is, according to her own
story, told few years ago, guilty OF
infidelity. She has tempered with and
violated one of Gods most sacred laws
She has been the siren that almost de-
stroyed one happy home, and the light
of her wanton eye has led men to the
shores OF sin. With face as false
as summer day and heart as black
as night, she brazenly betrayed the con-
fidence of a most indulgent husband and
made his honest name byword. She
made food for the idle gossips and her
scandalous and heartless conduct was
the cause OF flood of talk in the town
where she once lived-Redwood Falls.
The woman's shameful career has not
been forgotten in that beautiful city.
The people there are deeply interested
in the Ledbeter murder and they are
equally as anxious that the guilty par
ties shall be brought to justice-that
the severe punishment due them snail
be melted out quickly and surely. Red
wood Falls is aroused over the awful
act which ended the life of an honest
and upright man--one who had never
wronged anyone in thought, word or
deed. Above all he was a loving hus-
band and a kind father He was, how
ever, victim of misplaced confidence.
On Farm Near Redwood Falls.
Shortly after their marriage, Mr..
and Mrs. Ledbeter settled down on a
farm of several hundred acres about five
miles out from Redwood Falls. Here they
lived for thirteen years. MIR. Ledbeter
titled the soil and accumulated con-
siderable of the worlds goods. He was
a Woodworking man. If there was one
thing that he understood more than any
other it was how to work" He gave
no time to frivoity and little to the
common pleasures of life. Yet he did
not stand in the way of his young
wife enjoying herself, nor did he ques-
ton some of her actions that appeared
to other people as being rather pecu
liar-in view of the fact that she was
a married woman and a mother as
well. Mrs. Ledbeter was in those
days rather pretty woman and pos
sessed a fine form. She was vivacious
and her husband was much older than
she. 1t is common talk in Redwood
that many nights found her away from
husband and children. While they slept
soundly she would be out riding with
gentleman friend until one or two
o'clock in the morning. Folks were
shocked at her unwifely conduct, and
were amazed that her husband did not
put stop to these frequent past-mid
night drives which were creating
scandal. People declared that Mr.. Led
better did not know of these clandestine
drives and they made the horrible sug-
gestion that she drugged him O. nights
to make him sleep soundly so that her
entrance into the nome at the early
morning hours would not disturb him.
That is the talk one hears in Red
wood Falls to this day.
The Words of a Friend.
There was one lady in Redwood Falls
who was much disturbed by Mrs. Led
beter's disgraceful conduct. she was a
Christian woman and sought to save
the erring wife from her own folly. She
talked with Mrs. Ledbeter kindly and
advised her to mend her ways. This
good woman pointed out the path to
low if she continued the practice of
meeting other men at hours when she
should be at home with her husband
and babies. But Mrs Ledbeter did not
heed this timely and friendly advice, and
thereafter Stunned the very one who
would nave protected her against moral
degradation and the violation of her
marriage VOWS. 1t is claimed that the
hired man who was employed on the
Ledbeter farm several years after this
episode escaped Mrs. Ledbeter's snares
by just simply quitting his job.
During these years Mrs. Ledbeter
drove bay horse that was fleet of
foot. Everybody knew when Mrs. Led
better was in town." said one resident
of Redwood Falls to The Free Press
man. "She would drive into the city
several times a day, and the way she
would make that horse step over the
ground was a caution. She attracted
considerable attention by her dress and
mannerisms. She made the boys who
stood on the street corners daily take
notice"
To Wisconsin and Back Again.
After living about thirteen years on
the farm, tine Ledbeters sold out and
moved to Wisconsin. They remained
there about year and then returned
to Redwood Falls. Mr.. Ledbeter pur-
chased an eighty acre tract, large
part of which was in the city limits.
Hereon he erected handsome and sub
stantial house, equipped it with mod
conveniences, expanding i'll all about
$4,000 on land and the dwelling. It
was one of the most comfortable homes
in Redwood Falls. The house is op-
posite the Chicago and Northwestern
passenger depot and is the center of
interest just at present.