The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-02-25

10 DefleVe tnaC an OHenSe mas Deen
committed which is triabie in the
county, You should declare it to
your fellow jurors, and then the
| jury should call in all witnesses
| who know about such matters, and
then you should compel such wit
nesses to disclos& what they may
know about such matters.
"Any charges or statements that
reflect upon any of your citizens,
/ ask You to look into, not because
| ! think that crime has been COM
mitted. but charges have been
made in such way and by so
many people that the corut has
seen fit to take judicial notice of
/ it.
you do not want to use any
whitewash in this business. You
are sworn to do your duty, and you
should so do it as to lay this
matter at rest forever"
Jury Endorsed the Sentiments.
The grand jury unanimously en-
special charge of the court.
The charge is peculiarly occasioned
| by conditions incidental to, and grow
| ing out of the case of State va. Grace
| l.. Ledbeter.
Pursuant TO said instructions, and
acting thereonto the best of our abil-
Iity, we snbpoenaed before us all wit
nesses whose names had been furnish
ed by the committee appointed at the
mass meeting of the citizens of Blue
| Goth. 1910; we also caused to be
brought before us all witnesses, who,
we had any reason to believe, might
lgive competent evidence bearing upon
misconduct Of witnesses, jurors, attor-
neys and officials of the court.
The following are the witnesses who
We're sworn and carefully examined be-
fore the grand jury, to-wit:
Frank Smith, +. r. Kennedy, Matt
Borgmeier, Frank Watts, +. +. Scar
ing, Frank Francscus, August Sehroe-
der. George Pond. Matt Sanger. Eber-
hart Klueherz, C. II. Miller, A. NJ. o.
tcboc, George Kraemer. Walter Brad.
bury, Ernest Mention, Thomas AIcTighe,
Robert Powell, Odessa Clements, Mrs.
Alec Bashaw, George LOrtz, George
Lang, William Edwards, +. V. Waters,
Harvey Young, Joseph Robb, Henry
lIaXthcimer, w. Il. Geddes, Peter Thorn
sen, Hiram Schindle, August KOrtz, T..
l.. Dornberg, G. A. Hultengren, Albert
Peterson. Frank Fairchilds, j. i. Veum,
Edward Enfield, Ferdinand Kiffe, Frank
Kiffe, Philip NIulligan, Gates Phillips,
j. G. Fowler, Edgar Weaver, George
Sugden, Henry Heinzmann. William F..
Hughes, Jessie Olson. George Krost.
John r. Bowen. w. B. Davies.
Said witnesses were examined by
Assistant Attorney General George w.
Peterson, Harrison l.. Schmit. special
assistant county attorney, and by the
individual jurors.
We respectfully report that upon a
careful consideration of the evidence
iaddnccd, we have conscientiously been
unable to find any true bill or present
ment against any person or persons
within the purview of the special
charge of the court.
However. under the said instruction
of the court. and upon our oaths az
jurors, we deem it our duty to call
| to the attention of the court, the fol-
lowing facts in evidence before us.
First: After her arrest for the crime
of murder of Holland j. Ledbeter, the
said Grace L. Ledbeter employed A. r.
Pau, Jr., c. j. Laurisch and S. B. Will
son, as her attorneys in said cause.
Many Letters Sent Out.
Many letters were sent out to resi-
dents of the county in behalf of Grace
l.. Ledbeter, in which the persons re-
ceiving the letters were requested to
come to the Office of one of the said
attorneys upon business matter.
Some of the persons receiving such
letters answered the same in person,
and inquired OF the writer the nature
OF the business matter referred to in
the letter. They were then asked their
opinion as to the guilt or innocence
OF Grace L. Ledbeter, and the opinions
of their neighbors. They were also
iasked to report the sentiment of their
ineighborhood from time to time, and in
some instances were told that the de-
Tense would like to have them sit as
jurors in the Ledbeter case.
Second: A. The special administra-
tor of the estate of Holland J. Led.
better, during the month of July, 1909,
was August Schroeder. The said
Schroeder acting under the instruc-
tons of the attorneys for Grace l..
Ledbeter, on several occasions, while in
possession of the premises where the
murder was committed, attempted to
interfere and did interfere with the
officers of the state, while investi-
eating the circumstances and condi.
tions surrounding the said murder
denied TO the said officials free access
to said premises.
b. One of the petit jurors upon the
panel of the November term of this
court, residing in the city of Mankato
|