The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-23

LeuDeIeT, MIS-. ScHWdiluC ana witness
about moving the body. They had sug
gested that defendant move the BODY
but he had refused. 1t rained good
deal and the body began to smell a
placed in the barn, to make visitors
think that the smell came from them
Then witness was told to dig another
hole in the barn, to move the body
to, and dug it. l uncovered the body
but decided not to move the body
but when L saw tine face | could not
move the body, so | covered it up
again and filled the other hole, which
was the one the searching party UNI
covered in the barn.
The Arrival of Schwandt.
Witness said that Schwandt arrived
OH a Catholic holiday, in the evening
he did not know what day it was, ex-
cept by this. The children were sent
to bed early, and witness, Mrs. Led
better and Mr.. and Mrs. Schwandt sat
up and talked over the matter of
moving the body, until after eleven
o'clock. Then we all went to the
barn, darkened the windows, lighted
the lantern, and 1 dug the body up
and we got it out of the grave with
rope and wire stretcher. The body
and clothes were wet from the rain
running in, and Schwandt said that we
would have to put something around
the body, so we got a horse blanket
The rope was left around the BODY,
and the latter was taken out of the
east door of the COW barn to tine
field. Schwandt undertook to carry
the body out, when l refused to get
the wheelbarrow or a horse, but at
the corner of the barn his feet got
tangled and he fell down. We then
carried MIN to the gate. and there got
a stick and balanced him on it to
the field. Schwandt and l dug a hole.
Schwandt had said to dig the hole
anywhere, but witness had suggested
that it be dug where bundle of corn
stalks were piled, and tine others were
satisfied. The body was put into the
hole, although the latter was not deep
We picked the body up and threw it
in, blanket and ALL The hole was
filled and covered with cornstalks.
Ledbeter's cap fell off on the way,
and witness found it next day and
hid it under a stone pile by the creek.
The cap remained there until the
day before the searching party came,
when witness took it and put it un.
der the bridge. The ground where
the body was last placed was subse-
4uently plowed up by witness Some
of the grain was plowed under. Mrs.
Ledbeter got uneasy, because flies were
flying around over the grave, and
urged that the ground be plowed. Mrs
When the searching party was pro-
posed, Mrs. Ledbeter and Mrs Schwandt
had suggested that another hole be
dug near the other as a blind, and
this was done. The day before the
searching party came, the trees along
the ditch were cut down at Mrs. Led
beter's suggestion, to mislead the
searchers. These were part of the
shade trees on the west side of the
premises.
The witness said that he realized
that his statement was apt to lead
to severe punishment, but he had told
the truth.
The cross examination began at
lO:45, by Mr. Wilson. Smith said that
he did not know how to spell his name.
Never went by any other name. Was
born at Pittsburg, Ohio, March 4, 1878,
and am thirty-one years old. Never
went to school, and cannot read or
write Lived at Pittsburg until twenty.
one years old. Then went to Cleve-
land, Ohio, and then to Newport, Ind,
and worked in a quarry there little
over a year. Then went to Mans.
field, Pa, and worked two years in a
coal mine, shoveling coal for gas
Went to Chicago next, and
STAYED three days. Don't know what
year it was. Then went to Davenport
and stayed two days, and then went
TO a farm in Muscatine county and
worked for farmer. This was in
1907, so witness had been told. Worked
Tor another farmer near by from March
| to Aug. l, and went to Minneapolis
On his way to North Dakota to work
N the harvest. When got to Hopkins
was told of work in a railroad camp
1t Shanhassen. Remained until the
camp broke up about Thanksgiving.
GOT acquainted with Bill Garner there.
When I testified last month that /
got acquainted with him in Iowa
old what was not true. Testified to
It because the lawyer told ME to. Wit
ness then told of how he went tol
Faribault, and thence to Mankato on
/ Saturday night, following Thanks
giving. Was never convicted of a
crime. Worked at Ortonville in a rail
road camp. Did not serve time in an
Indiana penitentiary, and was never
arrested before. With Garner witness