The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-02
LEDBETER MYSTERY IS CLEARED
From Mondays Daily.

"ieihoon. - VIZ 49, ~
solved The horrible fact that the mans life had
short most tragic made known The earth
refused to secret which the arch fends who committed the
awful hoped iwoud The its dead and there
every believe that his murder will be avenged The parties
suspected Staying who had done
nobody any wong-are securely behind the bars Frank Smith
hired taken into custody Saturday night Mrs
edbe the dead and her sister, Mrs William Schwandt
Sanborn placed the county Jail last evening Smith
lated how the tragedy enacted at the Iedbeter home the
night of May f. He charged Mrs ledbeter with the actual crme
together with Mrs Ledbete Mrs Schwandt
husband assisted in his hasy burial The story
lated by Smith is related elsewhere
THE SEARCH FOR THE BODY.
story told the Iedbeter disappeared is familiar
that Iedbeter disappeared the morning
of him by his wife and those the farm at
call sounded Neighbors responded and they
stiuted search but cew obtained his whereabouts
the his premises He failed respond the breakfast
Stories told of how Ledbeer financially involved and that
this him greatly, and his sudden aveng the result
of mental depression This story accepted by while others
convinced that Ledbe victim of foul play. Mrs Led
better repeatedly interviewed by the sheriff and he of the
opinion that crime had been committed But Notwithstanding
this impression his sheriff his deputies
the Deputy Sheriff Phillips along
that Iedbeter had been murdered
However, not until p A. Ledbeter of Hayward Wis,
brother of the dead arrived in Manao last week that it
determined make systematic search for the missing The
Wisconsin Ldbeter the belief that his brother ouy
dealt WITH and it that theory that the hunters who
vaded the farm Saturday afternoon proceeded with their work
THE HUNT ON SATURDAY.
On Saturday afternoon fifty and proceeded to the
edbeter farm They supplied with pike poles spears
shoves, The force charge Deputy Phillips
and Kuhez and Chief of Police Pond who had become interested
the When the crowd arrived the
fered objection % making thorough place
The party made inspection of the premises going first the barn
where they sank into the earth On side of the barn
close the wall soft earth
into action The removal of earth revealed nothing
planned by Frank Smith, the hired had along
peced OF having had hand in Iedbes murder, that the
hole there dug for drainage purposes No
then searched along the banks of the make their
way through valley short distance from the barn
found Proceeding the plateau considerable distance
and close to field of oats depression in the earth discovered
Several at proceeded their vigorously They
satisfied themselves that this hole had been dug recently and after Dig
gng down four feet satisfied BODY was there
SMITH LOOKS ON AND SMILES.
All the while the digging proceeded Smith, the hired man. looked
on tie was accused by the officers having dug the hole
denied strenuous Finally he admitted Deputies Phillips and
Klugerz that he dug the hole Nothing the crowd of
this admission until later in the afternoon Finally Smith told story
of how Mrs Schwandt suggested the hole be dug us to
fool the searce and for Spite The newspaper reprters got
Smith,
GLOW did you dig grave or hole in the field SMITH?
asked one of the newspaper men.
Goe Schwandt said at the breakfast table yesterday morn
ing answered Smith, that something ought be done give
fellows chance to hunt something She said: What's the
matter with digging two three holes them hunt
there
Schwandt?"
s schwandt the first say something about the holes
She said ahead and dig up three places that will
look fresh.'
"What did Mrs. Iedbeter say to hi?"
She said let them spear around there then if they
"When do you this conversation occurred?"
AT breakfast yesterday morning"
You thought this would be pretty good joke the searching
party, did ot?"
YES, said Smith with grim 81 thought that would give
them something to look for"
Had you other tap the amusement of the
searchers'
stunts said Smith, 81 don't know what you After
studying the question for looked ND at
his questoner and said with strong "Damfno
what DIES stunts how you tap Them wish we had keg
of beer tap"
Did you anything to Mrs Shwand about
the digging OF that hole when returned house"
"No, did not tell them"
DENIAL BY THE WOMEN.
Smith then went that Mrs out into the
field between four o'clock told him that if was Too wet 10 no