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

This morning the defense began to
put on evidence. The spectators were
fewer than heretofore when court
opened at nine o'clock, but during the
, forenoon others struggled in.
Mrs Ledbeter's children and two sis
/ tiers and William Schwandt sat around
her in the court room when her de-
Tense was taken up.
County Surveyor Brooks was the
first witness called, and was examined
for some time identifying and testify
ing to blue prints of plats and draw
ing that he had made of the Ledbeter
promises, including the rooms, barn.
barnyard, and entire farm, showing the
objects of interest, such as ravines
driveways, etc. He described the prem
Uses and position of fields and other
objects. He judged that the ravine to
be crossed in going from the barn to
the field where the body of Mr.. Led
better was found is twenty-five to
thirty feet deep, and there was a
bridge over the. creek. A creek ran
between the house and barn, with a
small bridge over it. The first exhibit
was map of the farm, the second
was plat of the first floor of the
house, the third was a plat of the
second floor of the house. and the
nprth was plat of the basement and
frst floor of the barn. The opening
in the first floor of the barn was four
ct and five inches square, and a
movable ladder was under it. The in
'ications were that the dimensions
were not the same May as when
he made his measurements, as there
were fresh saw marks on the boards
4 timbers. The state objected to
plat No. 4 because it did not show
ccurately the opening as it was May
5. The defense said that it would
show that the hole was smaller before
t had enlarged it. The court over
led the objection, with the under
,nding that the measurements of the
| hole were to be for reference and as
indicating a fact.
Cross examined, the witness stated
hat there was fence running from
the barn easterly from between the
loor to the COW part and the door
in this fence, close to the barn. The
witness was cross examined at much
length, and distances from place to
| place were brought out.
j. R. Snow was put on to identify
some photographs that he took the lat
ter part of July on the Ledbeter prem
ises. The first showed a part of the
east wall of the basement of the barn
with the door to the horse barn, but
not the fence between the doors lead
ing to the horse and cow parts of the
| barn. The second was picture of the
house and trees, taken from point
on the road toward Mankato. The third
was a picture taken east of the house
| showing the north part of the house
and the space between the house and
| barn. The fourth was an inside view
of the kitchen, looking toward the
north window. This was ruled out by
the court on the ground that it was
conceded that it did not purport to
represent the condition May and s.
| The fifth was view from the north
window toward the barn, showing the
horse barn door. Similar objections to
this and the first three pictures were
overruled. The sixth picture was one
of the alley along the east wall, IN
| hoc af ha
horse barn door. 1t was admitted. The
seventh was a picture of the same
alley taken from the northerly end OF
the barn. 1t was admitted The eighth
| was a picture of the feed alley, going
east and west, taken from point in
the alley. 1t was admitted.
The court thought that the pictures
did not throw much light on the case
May Visit the Farm.
The defense proposed, and finally
asked, that the jury be taken to the
Ledbeter premises to view them for
itself. The state said that it would
consent, provided the usual precautions
were taken. The court said that it
would take the matter up later.
The last picture was a view of the
interior of the basement of the barn
from the horse barn door, and was adj
mitted
The court said that he saw no OBJ
] lection to the jury going to the farm,
under proper safeguards. He thought
that it was q pity that it was not