The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-09

take any piece of evidence from the
! farm. If anything is found, it must
be turned over to the defense How
ever the defense has made this con-
cession, that if the state finds any evil
dence, it may be placed in the hands
of Deputy Sheriff Phillips to hold.
This proceeding handicaps the state.
Several trunks of goods were removed
from the farm house last week and
brought to this city and placed in the
possession of the defense.
There has been talk on the part of
the state of asking the probate court
to replace the special administrator
that the defense had appointed by
some one who will be disinterested and
give each side an equal chance at the
evidence that may be found on the
farm. Judge Hughes stated today
that he did not see how special adj
ministrator could be removed
From Saturdays Daily.
New and sensational developments
have occurred under the surface i'm the
Ledbeter murder case, it is said. and
one or two arrests are liable to be
made within the next day or two. The
authorities are doing all that they can
to keep the latest phase of the case
from the public for the present, posi-
bly, until the state gets in shape where
it can cause the arrests to be made,
or locate the parties wanted
That Frank Smith mas repudiated his
first account of the murder, which he
repeated with such circumstantialitv on
several occasions, even when sworn at
the coroner's inquest, seems to have
been tn case. The mystery that sur
rounded the hasty summoning of Coun-
ty Attorney Plymat to the jail to see
Smith day before yesterday, and the re-
peated interviews of W. II. Geddes with
him since, is beginning to lift in way,
but not by any act of the states
attorneys, or, as far as known, anyone
connected with the state.
Tells Entirely Different Story.
1t appears that Smith now tells an
entirely different story, and no longer
accuses Mrs. Ledbeter of having COM
mitted the murder, or even of having
participated in it, or of having had any
knowledge whatever of it, Still, it
is said that he maintains that she
learned of the murder within snort
time after it was committed. and for
reasons that are withheld she did not
inform the authorities, but shielded the
murderer or murderers. She may not
have been sure as to the identity of
the murderer. When asked Sunday
night whether she had not suspected
Smith of numbering her husband, she
stated to the reporter that she had
had suspecions, but that they were di-
rected toward another party.
Neither was the murder committed
in the bedroom, as at first claimed by
Smith, but in the barn, as many peo-
pie have suspected. 1t was not commit
ted between the hours OF eleven and
twelve o'clock on the night of May
4, as Smith stated, but early in the
morning on May 5, also just as many
people have suspected.
Smiths New Story.
The Free Press has been put in pos
session of version of Smiths latest
confession, which is conceded by par
ties connected with the case to be very
close to the facts. 1t may be off a
little in details. 1t appears, according
to the information at hand. that the
murder was premeditated, and was well
planned days ahead, awaiting only the
opportunity, which came on the morning
tire end of the feed way in the barn
was dug three days before the murder
in preparation, so that Lcibeter's body
might be quickly gotten OFT of sight
On the morning of May 5, Ledbeter
got up early, as usual, and did his
chores, assisted by his hired man.
Smith. Then re climbed a ladder that
led from the basement of the barn to
the main floor. 10 get the chicken feed
and ust he put his head through
the opening 10 was struck terrific blow
over the right eye with the back OF
an axe, and fell to the basement floor
There more blows were rained upon his
head and he was quickly put into the
ground. fully dressed as he was, ex-
cept that his cap fell off from his
head. But before he was buried, Mrs
Ledbeter is said to have seen the body
However, the same information says
that she took no hand in plotting
the murder. did not know that it was
going to take place, and had no part
in the burial, nor in the subsequent
removal, neither did the Schwandts.
Another Man Struck Blow.
Smith says that he was not the mar
who struck the fatal blow. 1t is SAID
that he revealed to the states attor