The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-23

Several hundred spectators We're L
the district court room today listen
ing to the evidence produced at tn
hearing of Mrs. Grace Ledbeter an
Mr.. and Mrs. William Schwandt
charged with the murder of Holley j
Ledbeter. Smith retold his oft re
peated story in which he insists tina
Mrs. Ledbeter struck the blow tina
killed her husband, and that she witt
the assistance of the Schwandts an'
Smith buried the body in the corr
patch.
Smith also admitted that he told thu
story which involved Garner in TIN
murder, but added that he was "out o
his head" when he related the yarn
Judge Comstock of the municipal
court presided at the hearing
The three defendants interested il
this hearing sat together. Mrs. Led
better did not remove her black vel
| in spite of the heat, and displayed
great interest in the testimony o.
Smith, particularly, drinking in every
word that he spoke.
Several relatives of the defendants
were present, including Mr.. and Mrs
Graham of GAINESVILLE, uncle and aunt
of Mrs. Ledbeter and Mrs. Schwandt
their father, c. w. Harmon of Shell
Lake, Wis, and Schwandt's brother
from Milroy, and sister from Mime
apolis.
The audience was mostly composed
of ladies, and the seating capacity was
sufficient for only small portion OF
them. The hearing in this respect re-
minded one of the Koch trials.
DR.. Beach on Stand.
DIR. w. A. Beach was the first wit.
ness called. To County Attorney Ply.
mats questions he testified as to the
autopsy over the remains Of Mr.. Led
better. He described the condition OF
the body, and the wounds found upon
it, both those on the head and the
punctures on the body, supposed to
have been made by the spears in the
hands of the searchers. There was a
depressed fracture across the frontal
eminence, from the upper jaw back
over the forehead, made by some
blunt instrument. There were six or
seven lighter blows, going through the
scalp, but not fracturing the skull.
The main blow crushed the upper max
Hilary and frontal eminence, and was
the cause of death. The minor wounds
were one above the left ear, one fur
Their back, one over the right ear and
others.
Cross examined by Mr.. Wilson, the
witness said that the fracture was a
continuous one, made by one blow, by
an instrument about four inches long
by two inches wide. This injury was
on the right side, close to the nose,
and including the eye socket, and in
cluded the frontal eminence and a por,
ton of the temple. Some of the
minor wounds were one and one -half
and two inches long and possibly an
inch wide, and were made by blunt
instruments. They could have been
made by the edge of the back of an
axe. The witness could not tell the
exact position in which the body was
when the blow was received. 1t could
have been in one of several positions
The minor injuries were not sufficient
to have caused death, but ordinarily
The greater injury would have caused
death quite quickly. There was a
chew of tobacco in tine mouth. The
stomach was not opened because it
was fiat, and seemingly the contents
except fluid had all gone out. Ordi-
narily it takes about three hours to
digest food. The stomach did not
seem to contain any solid food, but
seemed to have only fluid in it. There
did not appear to have been any flesh
wounds on the arms. If the skin had
been broken, this would have been
discovered but not mere bruises. The
minor injuries on the head would have
caused temporary insensibility.
P. A. Ledbeter of Hayward, Wis,
was called and was questioned by Mr..
Benedict. He told of the search for
The remains of his brother, the late
a. J. Ledbeter His brothers body
was found about fifty rods nearly due
north from the house on the Ledbeter
farm, in the ground. The body was
taken charge of by Coroner Kennedy.
There was nothing under the body in
The ground, unless it was a few pieces
Of corn stalks.
Cross examined, the witness said That
ne is farmer. The body was found
July dressed except for a hat or cap.
Witness could readily indentify the re-
mains. He was blind in one eye, and
,he eyeball was sunken in his head
80 that the eye was nearly shut. Think
was mis- right eye. Last saw him
! year and a half before his death,
It Hayward. / was last at his home
hree or three and one-half years ago.
On redirect, witness said that he
hought that all of the fingers were
m when the body was found.
Coroner Kennedy was called and
Questioned by County Attorney Ply-