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

and the machine was runn.ng witness
was sitting on the Separator aC Ch'
time. He was running the separaSoi
He slept in the Ledbeter barn Id
front of the horses, but didn't remem.
Der how many nights. He told some
body of the matter after the body
was found, but did not know the man.
whom he met in Phil Leas' saloon
Did not say anything about 1t to
anyone after the disappearance, until
after the body was found. This man
took him to Gates Phillips.
"Afr. Chapman, when you told this
to Gates Phillips, did you expect to
get reward for this evideneef" asked
Mr.. Schaub.
mo, sir" replied the witness.
did you get a reward 2"
"No, sir"
On redirect, the witness said that
he served through the Spanish Ameri-
can war and was honorably discharged
He enlisted in the regular ARMY, and
was sent to West Point, n. Y, with
detachment of engineers.
GLOW did you happen to leave?'
asked County Attorney Plymat.
"The first sergeant gave me ter
days rations and told me to leave
the witness.
The witness said that Smiths state
ment did not impress itself strongly
on his memory at the time, but hi
happened to tell 1t while drinking 6
little in the saloon.
Cross examined again, the witness
said that he never remembered Smith:
statement until he told of it in the
saloon.
Gates G.. Phillips was called and cor
roborated Chapn1ans testimony, to thu
extent that it was John Loomis WHIT
had brought Chapman to him.
Corpse Properly Dressed.
Charles A. Anderson, the undertaken
was recalled and told of taking thu
clothing from the deceased. The cloth
ing was all completely buttoned, ant
the shirt and undergarments all prop
erly drawn on. Witness had cut thu
undergarments off with shears, bu
thought they were all buttoned up
The suspenders were in place and owe
the shoulders The stockings wer
drawn up and the shoes laced ant
fully tied. Could not remember wheth
er the jacket was buttoned. Witnes
had dressed corpses after death an,
knew that it would be quite task t.
put on the clothing that Ledbeter'
body had on, but it could be done
1t would perhaps require an hour o
more to do it, if started very 500
after DEATH The amount of diff
Guilty would be determined by the de
gree of rigidity
| Cross examined, the witness sail
that he could not remember whethe
there was a vest. Rigidity sets il
in from two or three hours to tel
or twelve hours after DEATH accordir
to different cases. 1t would probabl,
have been more than two hours i
Mr.. Ledbeter's case before rigidity Sc
in. Any intelligent person could pu
clothing on a corpse properly.
Answering the court, the witnes
said that rigidity is a stiffening O
the muscles and limbs, and is grad
ual process. How soon it sets in de
ponds upon the condition of the bod
and what caused the death. In som
cases it might not begin to set in fo
six hours or more.
The state and defense both state
that they did not care to introduc
the clothing in evidence. The box wi
The Proceedings This Morning.
The jury visited the Wonderlan
theatre last night. Thursday night
attended the performance at tn
Unique. Tomorrow it plans to take
street car ride about the city. Tw
or three of the members have had
little stomach trouble, as the menu 9
the Hotel de Riley is so ample an
tempting as to lead to over-eating III
less great self-restraint is used. Med
cine has brought the jurors out a
right.
G. G. Phillips, deputy sheriff, we
recalled this morning by the state al
told of what Smith had told him
July of losing the cap from Ledbeter
head 1t had fallen off while the bod
was being taken to the field, an
Smith had subsequently found it. Wi
= ness has the cap, having received it fro
Sheriff Donahue. Smith said that he ma
found it, hidden under roc
: and later taken it, torn the top oil
} and thrown it away, and put tt
main part of the cap near a barr
by the bridge over the creek on tt
farm. The witness produced the r
, mains of the cap.
Cross examined, the witness sa
e that Smith had told him that day
, two before the searching party can
Mrs. Ledbeter had asked Smith to
and get the cap and bring it to IL
, house and burn it. Witness hs
shown the cap to Smith and the la
, ter had said that it was Ledbeter
l cap.
q Eli Klugherz, deputy sheriff, test
, fled to having had conversation wit