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

ES5@{SS..:, vose ADDRESS nearest YOU. e4
Cross examination brought out that
the body was lying in wheattield
near where it was found, and horse
blanket was wrapped around the upper
part OF the body. A rope was TIED
around the blanket, under the arms
around the body. The body was cloth
ed. The clothing was preserved by the
undertaken and sealed in tin box.
Alderman Peter Lloyd was called tc
identify the body. He had known
Holland j, Ledbeter for over twenty
years and had seen him frequently
The body at the undertaking estab
lishment was that of Ledbeter.
Cross examined, the witness said
that Ledbeter was solid built man
weighing about l6O pounds, forty five
or fifty years old. He had but one
eye, keeping the other closed. He was
a man of pleasant, mild, kind dis
position.
The state offered in evidence the
bone taken from Mr.. Ledbeter's skull
Testimony of the Brother.
p. A. Ledbeter, brother of the de-
ceased, was calle4 and said that his
home is at Hayward, Wis. He had
come to Mankato in jane to look
for his brother, who had disappeared
and had arranged for the search that
began June 26, and that resulted in find
ing the body June q at Obout o'clock
p. M, or little later The body was
that of his brother, Holland j. Led
better. His age was fifty-three. Wit
ness age was forty-three. They for
merly lived on the homestead in Medo
until about twenty four year ago. Wit
ness saw his brother frequently after
that, the last time two years ago this
winter. Witness said that he had some
spears made and borrowed augurs and
shovels to search for the remains, and
people from Medo, Lime and Mankato
started the search at p. m. June 26
and in a couple OF hours found the
grave in the barn, but nothing in It.
and it was covered, and then word
came of the hole in the field, and that
was dug up, but nothing found. 1t
was then time to go home, and the
search and renewed June 81, all over
the field where the body was found
It was found about 4 p. IN. on a
patch plowed up by, men with spears
walking side by side. 1t was found
about fifty rods from the house, about
due north. The grave was about four
feet deep, about six feet on top and
dug slanting to eighteen inches to two
feet wide at the bottom. The dirt had
been dragged over and left smooth.
Witness first went to the Ledbeter
farm the morning of June Is. Saw
Smith for the first time then. He
was blowing corn and said H. j.
Ledbeter disappeared the morning of
May 5, and they did not know what
had become of hin; TIT he might
have committed suicide. He said that
ledbeter came back in two weeks and
had come to him in the fell, shaken
hands, ald said that he lad been
connecting himself. He said that Led
better said that he had intended to
come back the night he disappeared,
but neighbors were there and lie was
ashamed; that he would come hack
later, and for Smith to proceed With
the farm work Smith said that Id
better had no cap or jacket, and he
(Smith) had gone to the house md
gotten his own cap and jacket for him.
Smith said that a blanket in the ban
had been laid down and in the morn
ing he saw the imprint of man OIL
it, so he had concluded that Ledbpter
had been around The day the search
was made, Smith had told the VII
ness that he did not know what the
hole in the ground was for and knew
nothing of it. The horses had not step
ped in the hole, he said, although he h"
dragged the ground then. Later, he
said that he dug the hole on purpo G
to fool the witness and searchers /;
that Mrs. Ledbeter had it in for the
witness, and had wanted the hole d.
to fool him. Later Smith had toll
the witness. while in the barn how
Ledbeter was killed and buried. Later,
at the county Jail, Smith said that
Mrs. Ledbeter and he had made a
plan to kill the deceased at the barn.
1t is basement barn. thirty or thirty
five feet high, with swing doors above,
and the deceased had planned to nail
boards above the door. The Ladder
was to be put from the floor to tho
bottom of the doors, and Mrs. Led
better (Smith had said) was to pull the
ladder from under the deceased when
he was up at the doors. A pile of
stone was at the bottom and Mrs.
Ledbeter had calculated that the fall
would kill him. Smith had told the
witness that he had intended to pull
the ladder out, but Ledbeter went up
only part way and came down again
and said he was too old and nervous
to climb about as he used to-
In the alleged conversation in the
field, told by Smith on their first in
terview, Smith had said that Ledbeter
had pulled out $40 and handed it to
him to give to "Grace and the chill
dren." Smith had told him that he
had better keep it as he might need
it, and Ledbeter had kept it. Smith,
later, showed the witness the ladder
in the barn.
Ledbeter Threatened Suicide.
Smith at one time told of finding
Ledbeter about to shoot himself in the
house, having tied string to the
trigger of the gun. He had taken the
gun from him and when Mrs. Ledbeter
arrived, he had hurried out and told
her, and she had hurried in. Smith
had afterwards said that this story
was false, and that Mrs. Ledbeter had