The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-17
suggested to tell it SO to shield him


the search for his brother. When he
went there, Mrs. Ledbeter had d.
reeted him to Smith, and her direction
took him two and half miles, when
there was a straight way not very far.
Smith, before the body was found,
had mentioned about the deceased's
deal with the Schwandts. He had said
that Ledbeter had traded land for
goods and placed the goods in charge
of Schwandt, and more goods were or
dered, on sixty and ninety DAYS time
and there was nothing realized out of
the stock, and that the deceased con-
sidered that there had been crooked
work going on. Smith had mentioned
this as a motive. He said that Mrs.
Ledbeter had insisted that Schwandt
have charge of the goods, when her
husband did not want him, and had
said that he was going with her sis
ter and would soon get married.
The noon recess was taken here.
Purpose of the Defense.
the purpose of the defense to try
to throw the crime as much as pos
sible upon other shoulders is mani
tested in the lines of questioning on
cross examination. Mrs. Ledbeter's name
has already come prominently into
the case, and the defense says that it
will be brought out still more promi
nently as the case proceeds. The state
does not seem to disapprove of evil
dence tending to involve Mrs. Ledbeter
or the Schwandts, so they are under
double cross fire, seemingly. This
adds to the interest of the case, as
it makes it more involved.
p A. Ledbeter made an excellent
impression, by the candor of his man
ner and evident honesty of purpose
and care with which he gave his inn
portant testimony. He appeared the
honest, retiring man That he is, seek
ing only that justice be done, and
desiring that no injustice be done
He told his story in straightforward
way. The jurors and spectators leaned
forward to catch everything that he
said.
Hazel and Mabel Ledbeter arrived
last night from Shell Lake, Wis.
Cross Examination Proceeds.
The cross examination of Mr.. Led
better was resumed at p. m. He
said that Smith said that H. j. Led
better haG told him that he did not
want the Schwandts to run the store,
as he considered Schwandt dishonest
and was beating him out of money,
and not running the store satisfactor-
lily. Mrs. Ledbeter insisted on their
H. j. Ledbeter had said that Schwandt
was selling the goods, but no money
was coming in, but he did not know
of the matter until the bills began to
come in, Ledbeter had said that So, 900
worth of goods had been put in
Schwandt's charge, and $500 worth
of goods purchased, and Ledbeter mad
gone and taken the goods from
Schwandt and had sold them at Red
wood Falls, and did not get enough
out of them to pay for the additional
goods purchased. There was talk about
suing Schwandt, and that Mrs. Led
better did not want him sued Smith
said that Mrs. Ledbeter tried to get
chloroform of doctor at Redwood
Falls, but he would not sell it to her.
Smith did not say in so many words
that he intended to kill II. j. Led
better He said that Mrs. Ledbeter had
planned it and had told him that she had
piled rocks under the ladder for Led
better to fall upon. She had said some
thing to the effect that she could not
trust Smith and would "get him. her
self, according to Smiths statement.
Smith had said that H. ]. Ledbeter
had been like father to him. He
said that one evening the Ledbeter
dog had bitten neighbor child in the
house, and that Ledbeter gave the
dog kick, but that Mrs. Ledbeter
had gotten very angry at this and
had slapped him in the face. Smith,
after the body was found, had told the
witness that the attempted suicide
story was not true.
Told Smiths Story.
The witness was required to give
Smiths entire story of the murder of
Fl. j. Ledbeter and the subsequent
events. Mrs. Ledbeter had come to
his room late at night and said: 81
have got him. and called him down,
and Ledbeter gasped, and Mrs. Led
better began to strike him with an
axe. Smith couldn't stand it and
went into the next room. She came
out and threw her arms around his
neck and kissed him, and he started
to help dress the body, but when
putting the shoes ON he had begun to
cry and had to stop, and Mrs. Led
better told him to 60 out and SIN,
would finish it, They carried him to
the barn, and she had him dig a
lole in the feedway and put the body
i, and she had him pile stones on
the body, and covered MIN up. Then
they went into the house and Mrs.
Ledbeter hu~2,d the bloody bed cloth
ing. They had sat until morning, and
Mrs. Ledbeter had said thNt they had
to make up s.ory to account for her
husban..'s absence, so as to protect
themselves, and sr" had planned what
they would DO. They would call the
neighEors and start search. She had
a pail full of chicken feed placed on
the second story of the barn. She got
breakfast and called her husband and
went to the barn and saw the chicken
feed. The first floor barn door at the
rear was left open. 1t is not far
from a deep ravine. Mrs. Ledbeter had
told Smith that the body was smelling
and instructed him to dig another
hole in the barn. He dug it a rainy
Afternoon. hit when the first hole was
dug open his heart failed him and he
said he could not do it. She had
him fill the holes. Then she planned
for moving the body, and he told
her he could not do it alone, and she
sold che would cand for W;lJ;op,