The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-27
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because I noticed some pigeons-o1
at least one black pigeon-walkini
up and down the window LEDGE"
+ = \
"Hello, Ferber! Let's see wha
you've got there. Good, clear prints ?
"Lots Of 'em, McMann," the fin
lgerprint expert answered cheerful
lily, smiling and noddinR at Ruth Les
tier. He spread the sheaf Of enlarged
photographed fingerprints upon Dor
den's, desk. Heres one peculiar SCI
found it half dozen places" ane
he pointed to q picture. Look! The
middle finger of the right hand is .
stub-about half an inch of it miss
ing, I'd say"
Ruth started eagerly toward thu
desk. "Those are Minnie Cassidy's
fingerprints. Half Of the first joint
of her middle right finger was cut
off in an accident when she was q
child. She told me about it when she
was busting my desk one afternoon. y
Thanks, Miss Lester" McMann
grunted, as he bent over the photo
graphs, studying them frowningly.
He looked up as Jack Hayward en-
tered the room, jerked nod at him,
which Jack answered with smiling
courtesy before he crossed the room
to take his place beside Ruth Les
ter.
"Send Mrs. Borden in, Birdwell,"
McMann called through the door
which Jack left ajar.
When Mrs. Borden was shown in.
to the private office by Birdwell,
McMann stuck his hands deep into
his pockets and regarded his COL
lection Of guests" with appraised
brows and that now familiar twisted
smile.
He looked at each in turn-Eliz-
abeth Borden, the murdered mans
widow, whom he had tried, earlier in
the day, to bully into a confession;
Rita Dubois, dancer at the Golden
Slipper night club, and the murdered
mans last love; Ruth Lester, his
secretary, who, to protect herself
from her employers amorous ma
ture, had disguised her beauty with
ill-fitting clothes, slicked-back hair,
and yellow spectacles, only to reveal
it disastrousiy on the day Of Bor-
den's murder; John C. Hayward,
Ruth's fiance, the man upon whom
suspicion of that murder now lay
heaviest.
"Now, folks" McMann said at
last, I'm going to ask all Of you to
permit Mr.. Ferber here to take your
fingerprints. It is my duty to tell
you that none of you is compelled to
do so-unless you are placed under
arrest as q suspect" he added, with
slow, significance. "How about it?
Anybody got any objections?"
II have no objections" Mrs. Bor-
den answered promptly.
cts all right with mel" Rita Du-
bois answered defiantly.
Ruth and Jack agreed almost 81
multaneously, and five minutes later
the ugly, shameful business was ac-
complished. Seated at the desk again,
McMann compared the fresh prints
with the enlarged photographs Of
the .fingerprints which Ferber had
found In the death chamber"
"Mrs. Borden, you were wes
gloves Saturday, / presume? "a
you remove them during either Ms
it," the detective sergeant asked.
Il was wearing gloves on both
my visits, of course, and I did not
remove them," Mrs. Borden answer
ed.
"That accounts for it!p McMann
muttered to Ferber, who was bend
ing over him. "You too, Rita? 2" he
asked casually, without looking up.
Eyes! I was wearing gloves and
/ didn't take them off"
"Then how do you account for the
fact that the print of your right
thumb was found on each drawer
Of Miss Testers desk?" McMann
demanded.
Jacks hand closed so hard over
Ruth's that the girl WINGED, but she
was not conscious that she was hurt:
she only knew that here was evidence
that Rita Dubois had been searching
her-Ruth's-desk for something!
Had Rita found the thing she was
looking for-the gun with which to
kill Harry Borden, perhaps?
"Oh! -. ! forgot!" Rita was an
swering, defiantly. II wanted to
paste together the two halves Of the
five hundred dollar bill Harry had
given me. ! was looking for paste,
and had taken off my glove to do
the job"
with Borden in q hurry to get
rid Of you?" McMann reminded