The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-12-29
WITNESSES TESTIFY AS TO
GRACE LEBBETER'S ACTIONS
Strong Web of Evidence Woven by Various
Neishbors and Officials Accused Woman Tried to
Shield Smith and Deceive Searchers.

The prosecution of the case against
Mrs. Ledbeter finished the submls-
sion of testimony in that case the
day before Christmas, and at this
writing the attorneys and witnesses
for the defense are having their in
nings.
The state opened the trial Tuesday
of last week, Drs. Beach and Hol-
brook and Coroner Kennedy first
testifying as to the condition of the
body of the murdered man when
found, and the nature of his wounds.
The larger wound extended from
just above the teeth to the most
prominent part of the forehead, the
bone being crushed into the brain,
and the wound was plainly inflicted
from in front, with a blunt instru-
ment. Both doctors agreed that the
man must have been dead nearly six
weeks, The skull of of the murder
ed man was offered in evidence.
P. A. Ledbeter was the next i'm
portant witness, who told a very
plain story Of his connection with
the search for his brothers body,
beginning at the farm June 18th,
when he went with Sheriff Donahue
and met Mrs. Ledbeter, who re-
marked, Couldn't you come out
here without bringing the sheriff
with you 20 The defendant told
him that her husband had acted
queerly all winter, and had tried to
commit. suicide with a gun, a string
being fastened to the trigger, and
had been stopped by the hired man
Smith. That Smith had said that
he saw and talked with Ledbeter in
the edge of the timber, some time
after his disappearance.
The witness had seen Smith cult
yating corn in a field, and the sher-
iff had asked whether there was not
a path across the pasture to where
Smith was, and she had said that
there was not, and had directed him
. roundabout way, first back to the
house, east eighty rods, then to the
school house, and then west 100 rods
to the cornfield, then little north
of west Returning, they went the
same way. 1t was two miles further
or little more, than if they had
gone across the pasture, counting
both ways. Later the witness had
found that there was an almost di-
rect road over a bridge, in a little
ravine, thence up and through a
gate This was travelled road and
he had later seen teams go over it..
There had been no further converse
ton with Mrs. Ledbeter that day.
The witness told in detail the story
of the searching party, and the man.
ner in which Mrs. Ledbeter acted
when informed of the discovery of
her husbands body.
She said that she hoped that who
ever did it would be punished. He
had asked her who did it, but she
was carrying on" and he could not
recall her answer only that the word
Smith" was in it.
The witness was at the barn June
&c and the dog was tied to the chick
en- coop, close to the entrance to the
barn. The chain was fastened on
the coop, four feet from the south
east entrance to the barn, which is
the door that the defendant said she
last saw her husband enter. The
collie dog was secured by the wit
ness from Mr.. Faulkner at Mime
sofa Lake.
Wednesday, the testimony of
George Hussey was to the effect
that the defendant defended Frank
Smith, just before the body was
found, from any suspicion of being
the murderer.
Matt Sanger. who discovered the
body testified that Mrs, Ledbeter
discouraged the search, and said,
among other things. 1T was a darn.
ed mean thing for my brother-in-law
to come down and start this search.
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