The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-02

it would~ he traced to me, and that
that was no way. She promised to
marry me if she killed him. She
told about a ring that she had ear
ried for five years, and said that
whenever Ledbeter died the man that
gave it to her was going to marry
her | did not know who it was. ]
asked her whether she was going to
throw me over, and she said she would
not.
Peter Lloyd testified that he had
known Ledbeter for thirty years. The
body at the undertaking room was
Ledbeters.
Matt Borgmeier testified that Smith
had testified correctly in regard to
his part in the search for Ledbeter.
He had said that he thought it queer
that they would alarm the neighbors
within fifteen minutes after the time
that Ledbeter was expected to break
fast. Witness, on being summoned.
had gone at once to Ledbeteris and
saw Smith standing at the end of the
barn, near the chicken coop. He
seemed to be sweating and kind of
excited. / asked what was the matter.
and he said he did not know. that
they could not find Ledbeter. He said
that Ledbeter had been gone only a
short time, fifteen or twenty minutes.
suggested that he might be in the
pasture, but Smith said that he had
been there. | asked why they were
alarmed, and Smith said that he did
not like to say much but Ledbeter
had been acting queerly lately and
they feared he was ont of his head
or had killed himself / said that
was funny, as the day before he seem
ed all right. Smith said that the pre-
vious Sunday Ledbetar had the gun
loaded and a string tied to the trig-
ger to put his foot in. and he (Smith)
had snatched the gun away from him.
broke it in two and took the shells
out. | asked him whether he could do
1T, for | thought Ledbeter the better
man of the two. Smith replied that
I the scare gave him strength and that
anyway he got it away from him. |
asked whether anything had happened
since, and Smith said that while milk
ing that morning the COW had kicked
the milk over, and Ledbeter became
raving mad and kicked the COW, and
perhaps the excitement had unsettled
his mind. We then looked through
10 h1 MrC / Cd I
saw Ledbeter 90 from the horse barn
INTO the COW barn, and waited break
fast. She went out so soon that he
must have heard her calling. as she
ran down to the barn and pasture.
She did not see him after Smith came
to the house. Smith took me first
into the feedway and gave me a fork
to search with. [ put my hand down
INTO the managers under the hay, and
he SAID here, Mr.. Borgmeier, is a
fork. | was then standing right over
Ledbeter's body. ! struck the tines
down and struck the stones. | am
sure the body was not in the field at
that time, as the leaves were not vet
v.
person could see for a long way wheth
er the ground was disturbed. | sug-
gested to Sheriff Donahue that he
search the house. He did this on the
Saturday following the disappearance
and searched the house and barn. At
that time | mad no suspicion that he
was murdered
This concluded the evidence, the
Jurors saying that they had heard
enough. The verdict of the jury was
unanimous. The verdict was published
in last evenings Free Press.
Created Sensation at Redwood Falls.
Redwood Falls, June 3O.-The lat
est developments in the Ledbeter muir
der at Mankato have created quite a
sensation in this city, as it is but a
little over Il year since they left here.
they having resided near this place for
several years. He first worked what
was known as the Pike farm. for
eight or ten years, but became dis
satisfied and left for northern Wiscon-
SIN, where he remained for about "A
year, when he returned and bought a
place Just out of town, putting up a
line house and other improvements.
MIR. Ledbeter, although somewhat
gloomy in disposition, was considered
a good citizen although his wife did
not bear the best of reputation, having
been connected with one or two scan
dals while here.
AT the time of the Sunday revival
meetings she was a convert. but her
professions did not save her from cri
tIcIsm for peculiar conduct. and the
citizens did not take readily to her
version OF the disappearance of her
husband
Dr. Brand, of this city. whom Smith
states Mrs. Ledbeter bought chloroform
of, when asked in regard to the mat
ter today, stated that he had no recoI-
lection of the matter.
TIE First Complete Statement.
The first complete statement con
corning the murder of Ledbeter was
obtained from Smith Sunday evening
by representative of The Free Press,
who interviewed the fellow i'm the
county Jail shortly after the dead
body was found in the potato patch
on the Ledbeter farm. This statement
appeared i'll the special edition of The
Free Press isSuod AIo,,J,u