The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-31

this offer. Mrs. Mary Toole is a
daughter of Patrick McTighe. In the
witness answer to the question, They
say that if we had buried him deeper
| in the barn he would never have been
found" to which she had answered
I''yes," she had thought that the ''we''
referred to Bill Garner. Pat McTighe
and Smith The witness claimed that
she did not hear some of Smiths ques-
tions in the conversation, and denied
some answers credited to her in the
conversation. one of which was where
she was said to have asked Smith to
turn over the $1,000 to her. She had
had a number of conversations with
Smith at the Jail.
The witness thought that Mr.. Led
better had $40 or $50 when he disap-
peared. She had asked her lawyers
| to 90 out and search for Ledbeter's
cap and pocketbook. The witness did
not hear Smith say: THAT was a
hell of game anyway, wasn't it?
! and she did not answer yes" She
had some candy that her brother-in-
law, Mr.. Westinghouse, had brought
her. She had thrown him several
pieces of candy ito keep him good ma
tured, and so he would tell the truth
and not tell lies about her." She
had understood him to say that he
would like to open her cell and let
her out and she had replied that she
would be out soon, anyway. She did
not remember saying that she was
afraid to get out for fear the people
would kill her. Smith asked her if
her father was going to move on the
farm, and she had said that he could
not. There was nothing said that her
father would move to the farm if
they had not buried Ledbeter in the
barn. The witness also denied other
parts of the conversation that were
against her.
As to the conversation testified to
by Mr.. Richter, she denied the essen
tial features of it, and said that she
never called Schwandt Bill, but VIII.
She was not asked if Goldie was all
right, and had not replied, eyes, but
damn that Bill-we are going to sue
him.
The evening recess was taken at this
point.
This Forenoon.
| Mrs. Ledbeter took the stand again
this morning. She denied telling George
Hussey that if there was any foul
play, Smith could not have done it.
She denied saying to Mrs. Borgmeier
that Schwandt would have to pay for
this, when referring to the disappear
ance of her husband. She first saw
the barley pail the middle of the
forenoon. She did not tell Mrs. Miller
that Mr.. Ledbeter came to the house
to get pail. When she had told
Mrs. Miller that 1T would be laid
on the woman, anyway" she had
meant that the Ledbeters would blame
her for the disappearance of her hus-
band. She denied telling anybody
that she was afraid McTighe would
kidnap her hired man. She denied tell
ing Mrs. Miller that Smith was poor
man and could stay as a member of
her family as long as he wanted. She
did not tell George Pond that it was
impossible for Smith to have killed
Ledbeter the morning of May 5. She
denied telling Sheriff Schueller that
her husband had not acted queerly,
but the same as usual, but had told
him that her husband had acted mel
ancholy. When she said to Watts that
she and Goldie had decided to stick
together, she had meant that they
would always stick together. She did
not remember the conversation testified
to by Mr.. Tiffany of Redwood county
in regard to Ledbeter chewing tobacco
i'll his sleep. She denied telling d. L.
Crimmins that her husband went to
bed with the nasty stuff" i'll his
mouth.
Defendant Denies Killing.
The witness said that Smith told
her, in the Jail, that Bill Garner and
Tom McTighe had dug the grave in the
feed alley the night of the disap-
| pearance. The witness said that she did
not xii lher husband, or know anything
about it, or have part in any plan to
affect his death. She did not learn
of it until afterwards, and knew of nc
threats except what Smith had told
her that Garner had said-about Nc
Tighe offering 800 to get him out of
the way. There was litigation pend
| ing between Mr.. Ledbeter and Patrick
McTighe in the summer of 1908 and
there was litigation pending between
Smith and McTighe at the time of
Ledbeter's disappearance.
Cross Examination Begins.
| The cross examination of Mrs. Led
better began at $3.50 a. M. and was
| thorough. The witness said that May
! and 5 were fine days. The leaves
on the trees were not sufficient to
obstruct her vision. She could see her
husband blowing in the field. She could
see Schafer's house from there. The
pasture had few trees in it. The leaves
were not very far out, and she could
look through the brush except where ii
/ was the thickest. She said that she
would solemnly swear that from her
east porch she could not see the spot