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

innocence of Mrs. GRANGE Ledbeter. The
evidence in the case was all gotten in
yesterday afternoon, and today was
given over to the closing arguments
to the jury. The state made its argu-
ment this forenoon, and the defense
this afternoon, and it is likely that
Judge Pfau will give his charge to the
jury tomorrow morning. In case the
defense should complete its argument
early enough this afternoon to permit
of the jury being charged, Judge Pau
states that he will give his charge
before the evening recess.
Mrs Ledbeter's last half hour on
the stand was the most dramatic of
the whole trial While the state was
trying to draw from her some admis-
sion along the line that she was en-
deavoring in her clandestine converse
ions in the county jail with Frank
smith, to get him to swear the crime
upon an innocent man, she became
very much agitated. She succeeded in
eyading the trap that the state had
laid for her, but it was with an effort
that she ergained the composure that
had been Characteristic of her demean
or throughout the two days that she
was on the stand the center of hun
dreds of eyes and the subject of keen
and searching examination. 1t seemed
for a moment as though she would
scarcely DE able to proceed. but she
eVerted her strong will power so sue
cessfully that in another moment she
was again meeting and parrying the
Jhrusts of the states attorney with
her usual calmness. Upon the whole
Mrs. Ledbeter made good witness in
her own cause.
moneyto offer after she left the stand, and
soon rested. The state put on a num-
ber of witnesses in rebuttal bat their
testimony was not, in the main, very
important, and the defense had no sur
rebuttal.
Jail Conversations.
Mrs. Ledbeter, continuing her testi
mony yesterday afternoon, recalled
conversation with Mrs. Borgmeier on
June 81, on some other time in which
she had spoken of the McTighe matter
and had said that she did not believe
that her husband would ever show up.
She had seen Mrs. O'Toole and Bill
Garner coming to the Jail before July
2l, the date of her preliminary hear
ing and before the conversation in the
Jail overheard by Mr.. Franciscus. This
conversation was July 26, between
and s a. nj. She only had one CONVEX
sation with Smith that day, Mrs.
O'Toole was there but once, but Gar
ner was there more times. The wit
ness conversed with Smith Saturday
and Sunday. Smith was ten or twelve
feet away. She did not know how
long the Sunday morning conversation
lasted. She had conversed with Smith
several times.
what was it that Smith told you
before the disappearance about the
McTighe story?" asked the states t.
torney.
"He said that Pat McTighe had ef-
fered him and Bill Garner 500 to
get Mr.. Ledbeter out of the way" re-
piled the witness.
Didn't you suspect Bill Garner of
numbering your husband, then, when he
disappeared?"
mo, SIR
"Do you suspect him now?"
mo, sir"
"But you told Frank Watts that
you had suspicious of Garner and men,
TONED the same thing to Mrs. Borg
meier at another time"
Sometimes l thought one thing and
sometimes another"
did you believe that story about
Garner that you say Smith told you in
the jail"
81 didn't know what to believe. 1t
seemed more plausible than the one
Smith had first told
1T sounded more plausible to put it
onto Bill Garner and Tom McHghe
than to put it onto you, do you
mean?"
Certainly it did, because | did not
know who done it."
Didn't you say to Smith TO stick
10 the Bill Garner story and tc mix
Tom McTighe up in it if he eould?'
no. SIR
You wanted to find out who muir
dered your husband didn't your
Yes, Sir"
You wanted him punished. didn't
your"
Yes, sir
You threw some pieces of candy
10 Smith, didn't your
Yes"
The story that Smith had told yoa
implicated himself as well as Others
a the murder of your husband, and
yet YOU threw candy to The murderer
of your husband, sdid the attorney
sternly.
The witness vas visibly affected,
and her reply was inaudible.
"Mrs. LedlIeter. was not that story
made up between you and Smith to
tell?"
mo, it was not
did you think that Smiths story
was true?''
Il did not know what to think"
"Rut Won waptad hin, RI Law tha