The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-01-07

j. + /. 4. + !. + ]. I. J. :. I. J. I. /
Mrs. Knoll, she denied knowing such a
woman. She also denied that wher
she first went to Schafers on MAY 5
she had asked the road to the river
"Will you swear that you did not?'
asked the states attorney.
I'll swear to nothing" replied the
witness excitedly. Il didn't have trou-
ble."
On redirect. the witness said that she
did not Intentionally shut the door in
p. A. Ledbeter's face when he came
to the porch and the dog ran in. The
dog made much confusion and she
might have shut the door.
Hazel ledbeter Testifes
Hazel Ledbeter, the thirteen year OLD
daughter of the defendant, said that
on the evening of May 4, Frank Smith
went to bed first, and the children next
all going upstairs. Her papa did not
chew tobacco in bed. She kissed her
pap and mamma good night that night
She heard her papa call from the foot
of the stairs, come Frank, it is time
to get up now" This was early the
next morning, but the witness had
afterwards gone back to sleep, and
got up when her mamma called her.
day and seen some tracks near the
barn, one track being turned like her
fathers.
Cross examined, the witness said
that she had not told G. G. Phillips
that she did not hear her father call
Smith. She did not know wether
there were stains on the wall in her
fathers bedroom. She had slept there
with her mother. Smith slept upstairs
part of the time after her father dis
appeared and in the barn part of the
time.
NJ. II. Mickelsen, teller of the First
National bank, identified a check pre-
scented by H. j. Ledbeter and refused
payment. 1t was made out to Grace
Ledbeter and not endorsed.
y Anderson, the engraver, said that
he had measured the hole in the first
floor of the Ledbeter barn, but did not
remember the size. 1t was about %
by "A inches.
Cross examined, the witness said
that the south line of the hole was
close to the south wall, about foot
from both the south and west walls.
1t was six feet, six inches from the
south wall to the north side of the
bin, and three feet eight inches from
the south edge of the hole to the north
side of the bin.
Deputy Sheriff Eli Kluughez testified
that on June 26, on the Ledbeter
farm, he did not arrest Frank Smith
on the farm. Deputy Sheriff Phillips
had brought him to town, and the
witness had arrested him at p. m.
at the Phillips livery barn.
The defense rested at $3.50 p. m.
State Puts On Rebuttal.
The state called Deputy Sheriff Phil
lips in rebuttal and asked him whether
Hazel Ledbeter had not on the morn
ing of May 8, told him that she did
not hear her father call Frank Smith
the morning of May 5. The witness
said that she had said that she heard
no noise that morning until her mother
called The witness had placed Smith
under arrest June 26. on the Led
better farm. and afterwards took him
to the house. Smith was in the
witness change during the converse
tions at the house that had been tes-
titled about. The witness had then
taken him to the city as prisoner.
Matt Borgmeier testified that on
May the trees were just budded, and
not leaved out. He remembered be-
cause he never planted corn until the
oak leaves were as large as squirrels
ears. He had looked through the
woods for leaves.
Matt Sanger said that on May s the
ground on the east side of the barn
WAS dry enough TO walk on. 1t had
not rained recently.
Mrs. Myrtle Miller said that on May
Mrs. Ledbeter had said to her in
the barn that she had followed Smith
out to the barn and went into the
barn and called, and then went up
stairs in the barn and went out of the
door that she had supposed Ledbeter
had gone out of.
Mrs. Emily Firestone said that she
was at the Ledbeter premises May 5,
and also at the Rorgmeier farm. Mrs.
Ledbeter had said that she went up
stairs and found the pail full of barley
and had come down the steps and gone
through the barn. This was ruled out
because the conversation on direct mad
been fixed as occurring on May 6.
A Anderson testified that on the Sun
day after the disappearance, Mrs. Led
better had said that she gave the alarm
fifteen minutes after the witness had
disappeared.
Rev. Charles B. Osgood pastor of
the Christian church, testified that he
had met Mrs. Ledbeter, and that the
latter had said that she had looked
in the place where the grain for the
chickens was kept and had then gone
down the steps and looked through
the. barn, when seeking her husband.
Didn't Expect Husband Back.