The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-01-18
Discovery Today of Blood Stains on Secret Stairway Sheds New Light on
 Brutal Crime Mullen and Woman's Lover Tn Fierce Fight, Starting, She Says, Over Trade
 Unionism When He Staggered Out, Exhausted, They Fled from Rooms, Locking Up Xvi dences of Murderous
 Afray
Police Seek Raynor-He Is Said to Have Been in Dan bury Last Night, When Woman Was Turned Over to Sergeant Cronan

Under the mysterious spell of the third degree administered by Detec- tive Captain Arnold in his private of- fee at police headquarters this morn ing, Carrie Sprague, the absolute wo- man arrested in Danbury yesterday in the policial investigation of the mur- der of James H. Mullen, broke down and told what she declared were the true circumstances attending the fatal beating of the we'll known driver.
 When she entered Captain Arnold's office she was bold, defiant, and while willing to talk, was eager to protest her indifference to her arrest, because she said she would soon be at liberty. She declared she had left the city on Tuesday, the day before the murder. She protested she knew no such per son as h1a ynor. She added that she never heard of Mullen, and had not been in Bridgeport on Wednesday when the police held she was seen with him on the street Wednesday night.
 But before she left the office she con- fessed that Fred Raynor, with whom she was living, had had fearful bat tie with Mullen; that she and Raynor fled from their apartment Wednesday night taking a room at the Arlington
  when they fled to South Norwalk. She admitted she had met Mullen in front of the City Hall, State street, and had taken him to her room, g Union Square, in the block at the corner of Main street and Union Square.
 The police are not yet satisfied that she has told the whole truth. No ex- planation has yet been made of what became of Mullen's money, variously estimated at from $10 to $50. Nor do they take much stock in her explana- tion Of how the fight started. She says it was because the two men differed about the question of trade unions. The police are more inclined to believe Mullen was fighting to prevent being robbed The woman still mantains Mullen, bleeding and exhausted, walk out out of their apartments and down stairs
 New light was shed on the mystery of Mullen's reaching the ground from the top floor of the tenement when in- mates of the block discovered today in sort of secret stairway, an inside rear entrance to the block, large number of blood stains. The stair way runs parallel to Main street, but is in the extreme rear of the block From the landing at the second floor there are two flights, one leading to Union Square, No. 52, and the otlier to
 
 buildings. An alley runs parallel to Main street, leading north from Union Square into the court.
 The stairway descending into the al- Hey, the occupants of the building say is rarely used. The door is within Q yard of the door leading from the rear of Broch's restaurant, both opening or the north side of the block. It was across the foot of the steps leading | from Broch's door that thesbody Of the victim was found. \ A cursory exam1- nation of the rather mysterious real l stairways was made the night of the murder under the feeble glare of 2 | candle but this did not disclose the blood stains. very apparent under the light of day.
 | Carrie Spra que was arrested at the home of her mother yesterday at the instance of the local police. On . search of the blood bespattered room yesterday clues were found indicating 1 the name of the woman and her for mer residence in Danbury, these being 1 among photographs and letters. She was as silent as a clam when the Dan bury police questioned her, and was only a little more communicative wher Detective Cronan took her in charge She talked, but denied everything. Leaving the police station in Dan bury, the woman was met outside by her aged mother, and MT. and Mrs Henry c. Taylor the latter her sister Taylor is a natter employed with Belle taire Bros. in Danbury.
 Don't you say word." wayneo | Taylor, as she passed. s'Keep yOul mouth shut. I've got a lawyer fol you"
 The woman took his advice wei enough until she went through the third degree.''
 Sergeant Cronan and the woman reached the sta tion by way of South Norwalk just before midnight, and the automobile patrol rushed her to police headquarters. Matron Hill subjected the woman to a minute search, but not SO much as a scrap of paper or 8 penny was found on her.
 Sh arose about 2 this morning. say ing she had enjoyed a sound sleep, and little later her sister and brother-in- law arrived from Danbury with money to procure her food.
 At o'clock Captain Arnold escort ed her from the private room assign ed her by Matron Hills into his private