The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-24

ana SAID she reared ne mad Killed MINI
self. The search following would be
shown.
Desire to Leave Husband.
J The state expected to show that
Mrs. Ledbeter had had long stand
i ing desire to leave or get away from
Mr.. Ledbeter, expressing dissatisfaction
to different people. This would sup
lp1y a motive. The state expected to
show one and perhaps two or three.
| 1t would be shown that Mrs. Ledbeter
talked of means of getting rid of her
husband. 1t would be shown that there
was a conspiracy, of weeks or months
standing, and that Frank Smith was
in it. 1t would be shown that illicit
relations grew between Smith and the
defendant, and common cause grew
up, although Smith liked Mr.. --edbeter
and never had had trouble with him.
| The state proposed to show a perfect
harmony between the two conspirators
after the murder, to conceal their
henious crime and deceive the public
The most perfect harmony of action
existed for months.
The barn is large, three story barn,
about $50 feet long, and the horses
were kept in the south part, with a
row of hangers facing a feed alley
north of which was COW stalls, fac
ing it. The grain bins were over this,
on the second floor, the machinery oc-
cupying the remainder of this floor.
; This floor is on the level ground to
the west. Back of the horses was a
ladder through a hole in the floor
above, the hole being twenty to
twenty four inches square, and this was
The way of reaching the grain from
the horse part of the barn. 1t would
be shown that the claim was made
that Mr.. Ledbeter had probably gone
up the ladder, out through a door and
down a ravine beyond. Something had
to be done to distract the attention
of the neighbors, to draw them from
he scene of the crime. The hired man,
if he goes on the stand, would say
that this was the purpose of this.
: 1t would appear that Mr.. Ledbeter
had sisters living in Medo and Maple
ton, brother at Hayward, Wis, and
friends and associates at Redwood
rails but that Mrs Ledbeter did not
Eotify any of these, except that late
in the afternoon she called up the
sister in Medo and told her that Mr.
tedBetcr had gone away.
What the State Would Prove
/ The state would put on evidence
that could not be doubted, to prove the
states case. Mr.. Ledbeter had a
Scotch collie dog, and a bull dog, and
it would be shown that bocn were kept
ted after the murder, which was not
done before. The bull dog was kept
tied to the barn door, apparently to
keep people from shopping around. The
Scotch collie was later Grated and
shipped away, on the story that it
went away for days, and did not get
enough to eat. 1t would be shown thu
this was false; that the faithful dog
continually stayed at the grave of it's
master, which was the true cause of
shipping it. The hired man shipped
the dog, and would say that this was
the reason. The co-conspirators plan
ned and carried out everything in de-
tail, to deceive inquisitive persons. In
line with this was the story that
Mr.. Ledbeter returned two weeks after
the murder, and that he had said
that he came home the night of May
5, but was ashamed to go in, owing
to neighbors being in the house. 1t
would appear that Mrs. Ledbeter told
all these things to different persons as
facts. 1t would be shown that she did
not notify the sheriff of the disap-
pearance, or the enighbors or officers
of the alleged temperance of her hus-
band, SO that they might renew the
search for him.
1t would appear that the defendant
was the last to 60 to bed the night
of May 4, and that the defendant
and Smith were the only adult people
there besides Mr.. Ledbeter that night
and that only one or two people could
have killed him, and one was the de-
PENDANT. 1t will appear that when
the searchers came the morning of May
10 the conduct of the defendant led
them to go away in search of the de-
ceased, when the body was at the
time buried in the barn.
Body Subsequently Removed.
1t would be shown that the body
was subsequently removed and buried
in the field, the defendant assisting
That when p A. Ledbeter arrived, hel
first salutation was: Couldn't you
come out here without bringing the
sheriff with your" That she misrep
resented to p. A. Ledbeter the way
to reach Smith, who was in sight il
a field, and that she sent him two and
a half miles to reach him, although
Smith was but eighty rods away. She
had said that there was no road there
when there was. 1t would appear
that green bottle flies were flying Over
the grave, and that the defendant
sent p. a. Ledbeter the round about
way so he would not see the flies.
1t would be shown that in Man
kato good woman met Mrs. Ledbetel
on the street and remarked to her thai
p. A. Ledbeter was coming to searcl
for his brother, and that she answered
JoD,t COO what bo 10 nom,