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

or the crime as seen by the defendant
was told by that noblest witness O.
them all, p. A. Ledbeter. The de
Tense would claim that the true mo
tive was not the intimacy between
the defendant and Mrs. Ledbeter. Il
would claim that the true motive was
/ the trouble that occurred between Led
better and the Schwandts and Mrs. Led
better. 1t would be shown that Mrs
| Ledbeter wanted her sister and broth
er-in-law to own the store and went
herself and assisted; that Ledbeter wa:
shamefully robbed, so that he was re
duced from prosperity; that Ledbetel
| and his wife quarreled over the matter
and Mrs. Ledbeter wanted to do away
with her husband and wanted him tc
buy poison. The defense would not
deny that Mrs. Ledbeter tried to get
the defendant to commit the murder
1t would be shown that early in the
evening of May 4 Mrs. Ledbeter gave
her husband terrible slap when he
kicked the dog that had bit him. This
! was the beginning of that nights
work.
The defense would not deny that
the defendant was guilty-not of
murder, but of helping to bury the
body and concealing the crime for two
months. He desired to be punished fol-
this. Mr.. Schaub said that he did not
wish to throw discredit on the Led
better child, but it would be shown
that Hazel told that she did not hear
anyone early the morning after the
crime. She was mistaken when she
said that she heard her father cal
Smith.
The defendant may not need to &C
on the stand unless there are some
things that cannot be proved by other
witnesses. Mr.. Schaub hoped that the
jury would listen to the evidence care
fully He asked that recess be TAX
Ell until 2 p. m, aud the court granted
this. 14islJN
Defense Puts On Testimopv.
The court this afternoon instructed
the bailiff to call the iuros not or
the panel by telephone and tell them
they need not come back Monday.
Clerk of Court Krost was the first
witness called by the defense and ask
ed whether he had an Indictment or
file in his office against Mrs. Grace
Ledbeter, charging murder in the frs,
degree, but the state objected and the
objection was sustained.
Sheriff Donahue was called and said
that he had examined the wall in the
Ledbeter bedroom about July ID last
Objections to question as to what he
found on the wall were sustained. The
witness said that he went to the Led
better farm the first time on the morn.
ing of May s, to search for the body
of Mr. Ledbeter. He never was no
titled by Mrs. Ledbeter of the dis.
appearance of her husband He had
first heard of it from other sources
and Mrs. Ledbeter and Others on May
Is. Objection to what Mrs. Ledbetel
said about the disappearance of hel
husband was sustained.
Brother on the Stand.
P. a. Ledbeter was called and saiG
that II. j. Ledbeter was strongly ad
dicted to the use of tobacco, but was
not in teh habit of chewing before
breakfast.
''Do you know of your own knowl
edge of the relations that existed be
tween your brother and his wife,
was asked by Mr. Schaub.
The state objecte adnd the court
overruled it.
ut would be pretty hard to answer
that question:" replied the witness.
you may state what you know a:
to whether they quarreled or not
81 never knew thatthey quarreled
any to sneak of. They had spats once
in while, like other people, | sup
pose"
''Do you know of any other trouble
thew had?"
mo, sir"
what do you know about Mrs
Ledbeter, as to being mild or quick
tempered, easy to fly into a rage an6
easy to make up?"
The state objected and the objection
was sustained
G. G. Phillips was called and ties.
titled that Mrs. Ledbeter and Mrs
Schwandt are sisters. The court sus.
tanned objection to the witness giving
conversation with Hazel Ledbetei
had on the morning of May s. Witness
said that Smith had shown him a hole
in the ground in the barn, from which
stencil emanated, after the discovery
of the body. The court sustained OBJ.