The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-17

tents of the stove and burned it up There some
blood on the carpet in Ledbeters bedroom, and his
wife got rag and water and washed it off.
- CHILDREN KNEW NOTHING OF MURDER
After that sat and talked until nearly daylight.
The children, two girls and two boys the Oldest
fourteen years old were asleep all night and knew
thought replied you done wrong, and it will
out sometime. You got into it." She
piled: IF you do what | tell you it will come
out" I Asked What do you want to do?" and
she replied: Gas as it is daylight 90 to the
barn and do the Chores and l will milk the three
cows, and you do the other chores usual" We
did this, it light enough to see, be-
tween four and five O'Clock. harnessed four horses,
ard she started breakfast a little after five O'Clock.
She then told me to go up to the timber as though
! was looking for Ledbeter, and she would telephone
to the neighbors and say that Ledbeter had disap-
peared and ask them to help search for him. If
anyone to and asked what time it was or
when he left, | was to say that he with me in
the barn ard MIXED three and after he got
through he went upstairs in the barn to get some
chicken feed, and to say. that went to breakfast
and did not see Ledbeter again. | did all of this. I
to call that breakfast ready, before going
myself.
Mrs. Ledbeter to come to the barn and say
that breakfast ready and not find Ledbeter, and
she was then to alarm the neighbors. All this was
done planned When got back from the timber,
Matt Borgmeier appeared, in response to telephone
message from Mrs. Ledbeter, and | told him what
she had told to say, and he wished to search the
barn, and l went with him through the barn and
woods. He came about $3.50 a. m. Mrs. Ledbeter
and had started to walk there foot to notify him.
She asked him to search in the woods and went
with him, and they met Mr. Borgmeier and me in the
woods. then went back with them to the buildings
and showed Schafer and Borgmeier through them
Mrs. Ledbeter telephoned to August Schroeder. the
real estate man in Mankato, and he came, and Henry
Glese and Tom McTghe also came, and searched
the woods until nearly noon In the afternoon Borg
meier, NJ Sanger, Tom McTighe and went to
Kasota and returned before dark. The shldren also
helped search
MRS. LEDBETER WAS ACTING SoRRowFUL.
Two days later big searching party went out.
Mrs Ledbeter in the meantime acting sorrowful
and as though she in distress. A week after the
murder her sister, Mrs. Golde Schwandt arrived from
Sanborn and has been with her since A week
later the sisters husband, VIM. Schwandt arrived
and remained night
In the meantime, the body of Ledbeter had begun
70 smell strongly, the hand being uncovered and Mrs.
Ledbeter became uneasy, fearing that anyone going
into the barn would discover it, After supper on
the evening that Mr.. Schwartz came, the children
and Mrs. Schwandt sang and played The child
rem were then sent to bed, and the four of us re-
manned up. | was called into the room with the rest
and the matter of the further disposition of the body
talked over.
Mrs. Ledbeter said to me- "We will 60 and help
you move the body. Take team and haul it to the
river" l replied: II don't know the way to get
there" and she asked Schwandt whether he knew
and ne said that he did not She then said: eff
you od boys & eS know the to the river take the
PARTY AT WORK IN THE BARN
Inc TOUR OF us went to the barn at about nine
O'clock ana TOOK some hay and blankets and stopped
the windows up and then dug the body out. Schwandt
and did the digging, the women looking on. The
dog was tied outside and started to bark occasionally
and we feared that people coming about to
watch our movements, and twice Mrs. Ledbeter blew
the light out We waited until about eleven o'clock
when the dog had quoted down for some time and
then we pulled the body out of the hole We couldn't
hardly get it out the space so small and the
rain had run in and filled the hole soaking it up
We took wire stretcher and used a rope, which he
tied around the body, and finally in this way, by
attaching the wire stretcher overhead got him out
We took horse blanket and wrapped him up in it,
and took long halter rope and tied around the
blanket, and Mrs. Ledbeter blew out the light and
we dragged the body through the doorway into the
cowbarn and then took it outside. Sclwandt wanted
me to get horse as it would take too long to carry
him, but said NO. He said to get wheelbarrow
but said that it was not in good repair and not
strong enough. He then said that would carry
the body. lie said that he enough to carry