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

VOur SUrenOIH.' NOlHilS S1SS ~ SOON
for the stomach and bowels. At drug
gists' aud dealers, % cents.
} Smith the first Saturday in July, at
the iaiI Witness had asked Smith
to tell the honest truth about the Led
better murder. Smith had replied,
"Well, sheriff, 1 will tell YOU" Later
in the day, Smith said:
"Yes. sheriff, win tell you the
truth. I killed Ledbeter. Mrs. Led
better and the Schwandts had nothing
to do with it, Ledbeter and l had
a quarrel in the barn and L Killed
him.
Witness had asked Smith why he
did not tell it before. Smith had said
/ that he was awfu1fy sorry for the
, children. Witness had remarked that
he ought to consider whether Mrs.
Iedbeter was the proper person to
. have charge of the children if she
7 knew of the crime or helped bury
= the BODY. "Your are right, sheriff,
| Mrs. Ledbeter killed him, and l am
going to stick to it."
Witness thought that Smith had SAID
that he killed Ledbeter with an axe
= while he was sitsing down: :,
Cross examined. the witness said
: that this was before the preliminary
hearing.
p. 4. Ledbeter was recalled and tes-
tilted to the conversation with Smith,
when the latter had told of the al
), legged plot to kill 1edbeter by throw
E ing him from a ladder. The witness
said that Smith had showed him a
l ladder. and this was brought into
court and witness identified it. Two
G long scant1ngs were also introduced
t in evidence, after being identified by
}. the witness.
r The box of clothing was introduced
e without objection, unopened. The state
d reoffered exhibit F, drawing OF the
: end of the barn, showing the ladder
5 subject to the erasure of the ladder
d markings and subject to correction. An
o objection by the defense was over
S ruled.
:. Frank Watts, a rural mail carrier
+ told of a conversation with Smith IN
n the county jail. Witness had asked
: how Smith could take part in such an
: awful crime. Smith had replied that
he had been having such relations FOL
d so long that he couldn't get out. The
+ language had indicated illicit relations
n Cross examined, the witness sale
n that Smith had told him that Mrs
g Ledbeter had done the killing and that
he had merely assisted in the burial
n Witness question to him had no ref
t erence to the actual killing. Smith
t had said that Mrs. Ledbeter had want
ed him to buy poison, and that he hat
; told her that if she wanted to get rlt
Il of her husband she ought to procure
/ a divorce and not kill him. Smitl
: had said that he had stood by whel
y Mrs. edbeter gave her husband an
e other blow while he was gasping
II Smith had said that he helped bur,
the remains on account of the intiu
q pnce that she had with him on accoun
e of the intimate relations that ha
II l existed between them.
Conversation Between the Two.
ID Frank Franciscus, city editor of Tn
If Daily Review told of a conversation tina
le he overheard in part between Frank Smlt
a and Mrs Ledbeter at the county jai
o the latter part of July. Smith ha
gone to the door and attracted atten
It ton by saying "hist, hist"
ID The following is the verbatim test
J. mony of Mr.. Franciscus:
j. Q. Your name is Frank Franciscus
IL A. Yes, sir.
@. Where do you live?
Is A. Mankato Mimi.
ID Q. How long have you lived here
in Mr.. Franciscus?
3 A. Past ten years.
" Q. What is your business?
ID A. Newspaper business.
t. Q. What do you mean by newspa
m per business?
ID "A. City editor of The Daily Review
k, @. Were you working in that capa
ut city during the months of June, Jul
ne and August, this year?
ell A. Yes, sir.
,e O. You know the defendant, Fran
e. Smith?
A. Yes, sir.
id Q. Were you present in the count
Or jail in July last, in the latter part {
,e that month when the defendant Fran
10 Smith carried on a conversation wit
ne Mrs. Ledbeter in the Jail?
ID A. Yes, sir.
f. Q. Did you overhear some of tn
50 conversation between them?
j. @. Did you take notes of what yo
h heard of the conversation at that tim
in writing?
: A. I took down what I heard
I shorthand.
@. Are you shorthand writer.
A. Yes, sir
@. Can you give the conversatio
you heard between them without re
freshing your memory from you
notes?
A. I can give the exact conversatio
if l am permitted to use my short
hand notes.
I O. Can you give the substance MOI
\ nearly accurate by refreshing you
4 memory from the notes without reat
ing them?
j A. Yes, sir.
@. You may refer to your note
then, Mr.. Franciscus, to refresh you
4 memory and state the talk you hear
between them.
Mr.. Schaub: Is that all the CONVEX
j sation that was had between them?
A. All that I overheard.
@. Was it not all the conversatio
4 then, what you overheard?
i Mr.. Peterson: He doesn't know tina
Il Mr. Scboub. hid thav COW fhino