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


tracks. in order to fool her.
Smiths Reappearnce Tale.
Mrs. Schwandt had remained with
the witness until June 81. Mr.
Schwandt arrived ascension day and
remained over night, returning home
the next morning. About this time
Smith came in during the middle of
the forenoon from a cornfield where he
was working and said that he had
seen Mr.. Ledbeter. Smith had said
that Ledbeter had come out of the
timber. He came running, very pale
and as though he was frightened, with
out hat or jacket He got 4 hat
and Jacket and ran out again. Witness
had asked him twice what was the
matter, and he had finally said that
he would tell at dinner time or later
Witness did not remember which
Smith had later said that Mr.. Led.
better had come out of the woods and
conversed and offered Smith $40 to
give TO Mrs. Ledbeter; that Ledbeter
had said that he had not been more
than ten miles away; that he would
have come back before if he had not
seen neighbors there. After that a
coat of Mr.. Ledbeter's disappeared from
the barn. The witness identified the
fleece lined duck coat that the defense
had offered i'll evidence, as being her
husbands that had disappeared. This
is the coat that Mr.. Phillips said he
took. The witness identified the blue
working jacket and old white hat as
Smiths. Smith claimed that he gave
this hat and jacket to Mr.. Ledbeter
as the latter had none. The witness
had told her sister of Smiths story
first. and also informed the children.
Two or three days afterwards, she had
notified the sheriff's office. She had
not done it at once, because she had
thought that if she could get hold of
him he would come back. She had
told Borgmeier and Watts. The sher-
iii or deputy sheriff had told the wit
ness to keep quiet about it for a
while. They came out at dinner time
the next day, and went to the barn
Smith got up and went there and
talked with them, and the officers
came to the house afterwards. Smith
did not eat much, and acted very ner-
vous.
The witness said that she first learn
ed on June q that she was accused
one had telephoned to her. The wit
ness told of the arrival of p. A. Led
better. She also identified the torn
cap as her husbands, and one that he
had worn Immediately before his dis
appearance.
The witness related conversation
with p. A. Ledbeter when he first ar
rived She had asked him if he had
got so bad that he had to have the
sheriff with him, in a joking way. She
had told him of what Smith had said.
and of how Ledbeter had disappeared.
and he had asked how to get to Smith,
and she had told him of the direct road
but had said that it was not very
good one, and had directed him how to
90 the other way. p. A. Ledbeter, on
returning, said that he would 90 to
Medic. and would be back and help
with the farm work, but he did not
return until June 26. Mrs. Borgmeier
telephoned that it was in the paper
that a searching party was being or
gained, which was the first that she
had heard of the proposed search. AT
breakfast, June %, Smith had spoken
of digging a few holes for the search
ers to spear around in.
The witness identified the check
which she said Smith had given to
Mr.. Ledbeter. The latter had taken
it to the First National bank, which
had refused payment because Smith
had no money there. Smith was 60
ing TO let Ledbeter have money that
he had coming to him from Iowa. 1t
was to be a loan.
1t was Oh Saturday afternoon, June
20, that the witenss had first learned
of the hole or grave being dug. George
Hussey had told her. When he return
ed Sunday, she did not show anger
toward him, and on neither June &c
vi - uiu oiiS SAPiSoo oiopicdouic a.
searching parties coming. She missed
a bride the night of June g. She had
ordered the officer to take Smith to
town that evening, and did the chores
herself that night and the next morn
ing. Before that she had plowed corn
and planted corn.
The Jail Conversations.
The witness told of having a wills
pered conversation in the Jail with
Frank Smith, shortly before her pre-
liminary hearing. She was sweeping
her rooms in the morning and heard
noise and found it was Smith. She
had told him that he ought to be
ashamed of himself for telling such a
lie and getting her into so much trou-
bic. He had replied that he had tried
to change his story, but that the Of
ficers had advised him to stick to his
FIRST story. Smith had had a visit from
Garner and Tom McTighe. Smith had
said that Garner had admitted kill
ing Ledbeter i'm the barn the morning
after May 5; that Garner struck Led
better on the head when he went after
chicken feed, and had followed him
down the steps and struck him twice
more, and that they had then buried
L. L. I. l. l. Ill l. l. -