The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-31
the barn floors and explained them.
Ordered Trees Cut.

/ Ordered Trees Cut.
| The witness said that the part OF
| the basement of the barn nearest the
/ house was used as a horse, barn, and
next north was the COW barn, with a
feed alley running between to the
opening at the southwest corner of the
barn, in the first floor, with ladder
leading to it, to 90 up to where the
| grain bins were. There was door
leading out doors from the horse barn
and one from the COW barn, on the
easterly side. The milking was done
in the COW barn. The only changes
made on the place after Mr.. Ledbeter
disappeared were the cutting of few
trees and trimming up of Others and
the moving of garden fence. The
witness had ordered the cutting and
trimming, so as to make it pleasanter,
and to see towards the road and to-
wards Schafer's. The cutting and trim
ming was done on the west side of the
house. There was a creek and wet
manure east of the barn. A fence ran
to the barn between the COW and horse
barn doors, with a gate close up to the
barn. The hogs We're turned out be-
You'd the fence, and out from the COW
barn. pile of manure, six or seven
feet deep, was near the horse barn.
The chicken coop was near the horse
barn door, and some in the barn Prior
to the disappearance of Mr.. Ledbeter
the bull dog was kept tied near the
chicken coop door, with chain sew
eral feet long. The dog had barrel
to lie in, between the barn and chicken
coop. the animal was tied there be-
cause chicken thieves had taken 400
to so chickens during the time the
family resided there. The dog was
kept tied there after the disappear
ance also.
Husband Appeared Melancholy.
During last spring, the witness said
that Mr.. Ledbeter appeared melancholy
and was not cheerful, as he usually
was. This condition was due to his
debts and the fear that he would lose
both of his farms. He had been that
way for two or three months. Imme-
didately prior to his disappearance he
had received an offer for the purchase
of his farm. 1t was made within a
week of his disappearance, and was for
the trading of the farm for farm in
the west and house and lot at Eagle
Lake, with cash difference. The offer
was open when Mr.. Ledbeter disap-
peared. and he was about to decide
what he would do about it. He was
coming to Mankato May 5, to decide
what to do. He had about made up
his mind to accept the offer. The
matter was discussed by the family,
and Smith knew of it.
Alleged Suicide Incident.
The witness, on the Sunday before
the disappearance, went to neigh
boris between two and three p. m,
with the four children, and got back
between 0 and 10 p. m. Mr.. Led
returned, and the former unhtched the
team. Smith had told the witness that
Mr.. Ledbeter had tried to shoot him
self, that he had found Mr.. Ledbeter
with a string tied to the trigger and
about to shoot himself and he had
taken the gun from him; that Led
better had told him not to tell the wit
ness. The shotgun was not in its us
llal place as the witness had found on
investigation, and she had found it
loaded and removed the shells from it
and hid them. The gun had not been
loaded before then. Smith had said that
he sat up all that night with a club
to defend the witness and the children
from Ledbeter if he should have tried
to kill them. She did not speak to her
husband about the matter, because
after that he appeared brighter.
Day Before Disappearance.
/ The witness and children were at
home May A. The children were at
tending school. The witness did her
ironing that day, and Mr.. Ledbeter
was working on the potato patch.
After the disappearance Smith, the
witness and the children planted po-
tatoes there. The corn was planted
a week or so after the disappearance
! The evening of May 4, the family and
hired man We're at home. All did not
eat at once, as the children were play
ing around the yard. There were five
horses and three cows to care for and
Mr.. Ledbeter did part of the chores in
the evening, and Smith MIXED. Mr.
! Ledbeter MIXED mornings. Mr.. Led
/ better came in at the usual time, and
with his wife ran the milk through the
separator. Smith got pail of water
after supper and went to his room at
the northeast corner of the second
floor. The children went to bed after
Smith went up. undressing in thei,
rooms. The witness and husband re-
tired about nine o'clock or little aft.
erwards, undressing in the bedroom
The witness slept on the side of the
bed toward the wall. The bed was
headed toward the west, and was neal
the wall Mr.. Ledbeter went to sleeI
first The witness was unwell at that
time, and was very tired that even
ing.
Morning of Disappearance.