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

that. She had never seen or heard of
his trying to commit suicide that
night.
Did you believe that suicide story
that Smith told your" asked the at
torney.
/ Il didn't know what to think" re-
piled the witness
did you talk it over with him in
bed that night?''
NO, sir.''
'Why didn't your"
81 don't know"
The witness said that it had never
occurred to her before that her hus-
band might take his own life. She
did not believe nor disbelieve Smiths
story. She did not talk it over with
anyone before May 5. Ledbeter was
feeling better before May 5, but she
did not talk it over with him. She
did not thing much about it, and did
not talk it over with Smith again
She slept with her husband every
night, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
after Smiths story. When Smith claim
ed to have sat up all Sunday night
with club for fear Ledbeter might
kill her and the children, she did not
think anything about it one way OF
the other. He might have sat there
all night, in the room off from hel
bedroom, and she not know it.
Didn't you think that the story
was false?"
81 did not know what to think"
Saw No Tobacco Stains.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ledbeter had occupied
the bedroom down stairs ever since
they moved there.
''What were those stains on the
walls of that room?" asked the state
The defense objected, and the state
upheld the objection. The witness tes
titled that she never saw any stains
OIL the wall there, but would not tes-
tify that there were not any there.
The Reappearance Story.
Smith told of the temperance story
on the Saturday following the day
Schwandt was on the farm. Mrs
Schwandt was present when Smith
came running up, pale. Smith had
been planting corn that morning. The
witness said that in a way she believed
the temperance story. Smith had told
it at noon, and she had talked it over
with her sister soon after dinner.
'What did you do about ?"
''What did l do about it,"
| yes
81 don't know what you mean
'Well. your husband had been gone
since May ), and no word received
from him, and all were searching fol
him. What did you do when Smith
said that he had seen him."
Il went and looked at the tracks"
! The witness said that she had a
telephone but did not call or notify the
neighbors or the officers Saturdays OIL
Sunday She was excited about the re-
appearance, but that he would como
back.
! SO you expected your husband te
come back on May % and %, die
your"
| eyes, SIR
The witness said that she talked
with Matt Borgmeier on Monday
When she told it to the officers, they
had told her to keep still about it
She did not hear Deputy Sheriff
Klugherz tell her that the story was
a liza fabrication.
"You always got along with your
husband all right during your ifteer
years of married life-you had never
known of his trying to commit suicid,
before?"
''No, sir"
"And you had no reason to doubt
that he would return, if he was alive
as Smith had reported, had your"
"Well, l didn't know
| When p. A. Ledbeter arrived first ant
was inquiring for Smith, she had not
looked to see whether she could see
Smith on the field. The grain was
hauled via Borgmeier's, and not across
III
Donahue that he could not drive across
the ravine. She had said that peopl,
did not generally drive that way. The
Iwitness denied saying some things just
the way the states witnesses had said
but inferentially admitted saying then
lin substance. She did not tell Matt
Sanger, when there to search, that i
he wanted ladder he could get his
own ladder. She did not tell him that
as referring to him. The deceased wa,
quite a heavy chewer of tobacco, ant
she might have said to Mr.. Borgmeiel
that he chewed so much as to make
ihim weak minded He chewcd even
ings, and used the stove to spit into
She knew that he did not 20 to bee
with tobacco III his mouth. Their,
might have been tobacco conversation
with j. j. Tiffany, but not like h,
swore to.
! The witness said that when sht
told Volts that she expected that he
husband would come back, she believed
it. She could not recall anyone thai
she had ever told the story of til,
temperance to except to Mr.
Klugherz, Mrs. Schwandt, Mr.. Borg
meier and Sheriff Schuelley The stat,
Erecalled that Sheriff Schueller was a.