The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-23
Smith REPEATS
Continued From Page One.

1WH Ill nETEAI1
Continued From Pas. One.
went to work for P. McTighe, chop
ping wood at dollar cord ant
hoard themselves. Worked for hin
that winter. Was arrested by Sheriff
Donahne for stealing harness, but no
tried or convicted. Worked for Led
better until his death and for Mrs. Led
better until the day he was arrested
Did not hear her discharge me tina
day. Was in Iowa week each tim,
on two trips made while working fo
Ledbeter. Visited acquaintance Their,
both times. Ny testimony in my sui
against Pat McTighe, in June, in thi.
court, that went to Iowa to visit
my father, was untrue ] have M
father. was with Bill Garner al
one time in Pat McTigne's barn, but
! testified in June that l did moi
do so. l gave Mrs. Ledbeter 8
cheek for $765 in accordance with al
agreement made with Mr.. Ledbeter fol
a loan. l claimed that / had $SOt
in bank. This was not true. Led
better was hard up and wanted t.
borrow this money. / told Mrs. Led
better that | had no money, and she
told me to make out tine check tt
her and she would attend to it. A
German shoemaker on North Front
street whose name | do not know drew
the check on check found at the
Clifton house, and drew it on the
First National bank. | don't know
any reason for fooling Mr.. Ledbeter
Don't know that Mr.. and Mrs. Led.
better went to the bank together tc
draw the money.
Witness said that he told Bill Garner
that he and Mrs Iedbeter stole wheat
from Ledbeter. Two parties who ties.
titled that they saw me in McTighe's
barn in March lied. l was there, but
they did not see me. told Jokes
standing on the side of the grave
when the searching party was looking
for I.edbeter. Testified an untruth in
the McTighe case about seeing Led.
better the morning of May S. l was
told to deny the truth to the very
last moment. William Schwandt had
nothing whatever, to do with the kill.
ing, but he ought to be punished for
his part in the case.
Witness said that Ledbeter's face
was lying upward, on the bed, and
was on pillow, that was at the
edge of the bed. There was blood
all over his head. /. put the ak in
the barn, overhead, but could not find
it when / went to look for it. /
did not do the heavy work in the
killing. 1t was Mrs. Ledbeter who
did it. Cannot tell what color stock
ings ] put on the body. I was in an,
other room, crying, when Mrs. Led
better came out of the room, and said
/ could not stand it. used to cry
when the sheriff came to look over
the premises, and told how sorry |
felt that he had gone away. l did
not wear duck coat when handling
the body, and if there is blood upon
it I do not know how it got there.
When we took the body into the barn
we laid it down. just inside the door
way, beside the horses The hole was
not dug until after the body was
brought there. Two windows were
covered with hay and one with a
blanket. 1 slept in the house every
night after Ledbeter's death. The cot
was placed in the barn by Mrs. Led
better to make people believe that I
slept there. / shot at the chicken
coop without seeing anyone. I prowled
around at night on the premises under
Mrs. Ledbeter's instructions. Ledbeter's
right eye was gone, 1 think. When
we buried him in the barn one hand
and the feet stuck up. The hole was
not long enough to bury him, and /
could not entirely cover him.
Mrs. Ledbeter did not tell me to
leave one day, when 1 went to Matt
Borgmeier's, and he, was not home. On
the afternoon of July l. / sent for
County Attorney Plymat and told him
that ,Ledbeter was not killed in the
house, but was killed in the barn by
another man, and that Mrs. Ledbeter
had nothing to do with it. l also
told w. r. Geddes this. Did not tell
it to, Baxter. said that blood was
gotten on a corner in the barn and
that 1 whitfield off the corners.
cut off one shaving. told that
Garner dug the hole. I told Mr.. Klu-
ghertz this same story, and G. G. Phil
lips and Attorneys Geddes and Plymat
were present. I was out of my head
at the time. Mrs. Ledbeter burned up
Ledbeter's pocket book. tore the TOP
off of his cap, but don't know where
1T is. The water in the creek washed
lit away and it may be in the Mis-.
sippi river. Up to the Sunday after
my arrest I told everyone that Led
better had disappeared or run away
and on That day for the first time told
about his being killed by anyone else
Did not see Ledbeter when | told
people that he came to me in the
field. The statement made by me that
he tried to kill himself was untrue
II told many tntruths Mrs. Ledbetel
took the money from tine pocket book