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


mud half to three fourth of an inch
j thick
j Cross examined, the witness said
! that he had tried to scrape the mud
off, but it was on SO hard and dry
that he could not. The shoes were tan
colored, in good condition, and looked
, as though they had been worn by
) laboring man.
. w. A. Wolcott testified that he has
lived on the Ledbeter place for several
, months. There was too much shade
about the place, and he had requested
the administrator to cut some of the
trees. Cross examined, the witness said
that he did not know whether there
!, were many leaves on the trees May
8 last. The testimony of this witness
will account for Mrs. Ledbeter having
Smith cut off some of the limbs.
}, A. H. Schroeder, the local real es-
!, tate dealer, said that Mr. Ledbeter,
i, two or three days before his disap-
Ipearance, had an offer for the purchase
of his farm, and that it was open for
his acceptance at the time of his dis
appearance.
j. H. Macbeth said that he has been
engaged in the livery business in Man.
katO for nine years. He took the
coroner to the Ledbeter farm June 81.
He did not drive in by way of the
ravine, as it was very steep, and he
had been afraid that he might get into
a bad place. Chief Pond and his party
had whipped their horses and had
quite time getting up beyond the
creek Cross examined, the witness said
that he thought that he could have
driven it safely. On redirect, the wit
ness said that the ambulance did not
cross the ravine, but that the body
was carried across, 400 to 500 feet.
The testimony was put on to account
for Mrs. Ledbeter directing P. A. Led
better and Sheriff Donahue the long
!, way around to reach Smith.
4 G. G. Phillips was recalled and pro-
duced the check which was produced
by the defendant June 26 and deliv-
cred to the witness. 1t was offered
in evidence by the defense. The state
offered no objection.
Frank Landkamer was called and
with the ambulance June 81. The am
bulance was quite high and he did not
think it safe to cross the creek with
it, and therefor preferred to carry the
corpse across, rather than take chances
of tipping over. The road extended
across the creek and up the ravine.
Mrs. Goldie Schwandt of Sanborn. a
sister of the defendant, was called
after the afternoon recess. She wore
a neat fitting gown of brown material,
and a large green hat with two big
plumes. She said that she was mar
ried Oct. IL, 1908, and before that
taught school two years and clerked in
stores three years. She spent the most
of her vacations at the home of Mr..
and Mrs. H. J. Ledbeter. She helped
do the homework when there, and
never saw a cuspidor in Mr.. Ledbeter's
bedroom, and did not see tobacco stains
on the floor. She went to the Led
better home May II and remained there
until her arrest. She slept with her
sister during that time. About every
day people came. to the farm, searching
for Mr. Ledbeter. and Mrs. Ledbeter
did nothing to prevent these searches.
At breakfast June 25, Smith had said
for them to spear around" She did
not hear the word grave" used. One
!. day Smith came from the field hat
less and coatless, and Mrs. Ledbeter
asked him what was the matter, and
he said that he would tell her later.
He appeared very white. He took a
hat and jacket from the house. The
articles resembled those on exhibit
the old white SLOUGH hat and the blue
working jacket found in the timber on
an adjoining farm.
u Mrs Schwandt Testifes.
The witness heard conversation
June 81 between her sister and George
Hussey. Her sister did not seem an
cry at any time, and she did not hear
her say: George Hussey, what are
you here for again." The witness
had frequently heard her sister tele
phone TO Une CnleI Oh ponce anu IHc
sheriff in regard to the search for her
husband. Prior to June q, the wit
ness heard the defendant tell Smith
that she did not want the potato patch
north of the ravine plowed.
| Cross Examined.
On cross examination, the witness
said that the talk about not blowing
the potato patch took place two or
three days before the body was found.
i The witness did not know that it was
plowed until after the body was
found. The witness subsequently said
that she heard of it the day before
the body was found. 1t was after
her husbands visit, May 20, that
Smith came running to the house. 1t
was the Saturday following. Mrs. Led
better went to the field to see the
tracks, and when she got back she had
said that one of the girls had indenti-
fled the tracks as her fathers, because
one foot had been turned out like
Mr. Ledbeter's The witness did not
recall that her sister had notified the
officers or neighbors of the reappear-
l. opoo of bor bnc1,or,1 Sha did raro III