The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-07
THIS HAS HAPPENED

THIS HAS HAPPENED
RUTH LESTER. secretary,
finds the body Of her employer,
"HANDSOME HARRY" Dor.
DEN. Monday morning sprawled
beneath the airshaft window Of
his private office. He was shot
some time between one and four
Saturday afternoon.
McMann, detective sergeant,
questions the following sus.
poets: Ruth. MRS. BORDEN.
Borden's estranged wife and
mother of his two children, who
admits calling Saturday after.
noon: RITA DUBOIS. night club
dancer. who says she called on
Borden Saturday afternoon to
get the torn half of q $500 bill
he promised her; JACK HAY
WARD. Ruth's fiancc. whose of
flee is across the narrow air.
shaft from Borden's.
Hayward says he returned to
the seventh floor Saturday to
get his and Ruth's matinee tick
cts left on his desk. Jacks guilt
seems emphasized by the testi-
mony of MICKY MORAN and
OTTO PFLUGER, elevator
boys, and of BILL COWAN.
Jacks friend, who says he heard
Jack threaten Borden's life.
LEFTY MILLER. woman who
cleans Jacks offices. says she
was delayed in her Saturday
cleaning by the return of Jack
10 his office, that she went away
and did not see Jack leave. Me-
Mann receives a wire from
ADAMS, one Of BOrden's stock
statesmen. giving his alibi. Ruth
tries to defend Jack to McMann,
who seems convinced of her fl
ance's guilt. McMann gruffly
extends his hand and says sig.
nificantly: take a look at this"
i: X X
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER XXX1I
Ruth Testers hand crept out, bu
her cringing flesh rebelled. She coult
not force her fingers to close upor
the small, flattened-out lead bulle
which lay upon the palm of Detec
tive Sergeant McMann's big hand.
"The-bullet which killed-Mr
Borden" she gasped. "But I-don'
understand. It's-flat-"
Eyes, it's flat" McMann agreed
with dreadful significance. "And it.
not the bullet which killed Borden
It's-the bullet he fired in defens
of his life-but just an instant to-
late"
Ruth shrank into her chair
"Please tell me. I don't understand.
McMann's hard gray eyes dropped
detective Carlson found this bul
let while you were out to lunch wit
Hayward. He found it on that STIR
of cement seven flights below" an
McMann pointed to the window over
looking the airshaft. "And afte
Carlson found this" the detectiv
returned the flattened bullet to hi
pocket and rose from Borden's DIES
II ); found something else. Com
Ruth followed him jerkily, on ic'
cold feet, to the window. Two pit
cons, strutting about on the windo
ledge. took flight, but she scarcel
saw them. Her wide, frightened eye
followed the direction of McMann
pointing finger-a spot in the brio
wall beside lack Havward's WindO,
"See?" McMann persisted, b.
she scarcely saw them. Her wild
frightened eyes followed the dire
ton of McMann's pointing finger
a spot in the brick wall beside Jat
Hayward's window.
"See?" McMann persisted, b
without triumph. "a new scar in Of
of those old bricks. I've EXAMINE
it-and it's new all right. That
where this bullet struck-harmles
ly. It was aimed at Harry Border
murderer, who stood in Jack Ha
wards window, but the finger viii
pulled the trigger was that OF M
mortally wounded-or the shot wou
not have gone so wide of it's maj
Do you understand now, Miss Ii
ter ?"
Ruth raised her trembling han
'. to her face, pressed her icy fingt
tips into her throbbing temples. IN
lNo!" she cried. II don't understar
IAN I know is-the person at wht
!; that shot was fired was not ia
,, Hayward"
McMann turned from the wi
dow, strobe to Borden's desk, to
his seat again. Ruth followed
| steadily, her knees so weak W
fright that they could scarcely 81
port her small body.
"What became of your pist
which we know from fingerprint e
dence that Borden hadssecured at
you left Saturday, bothered me G
siderably until this evidence turf
up" McMann said slowly. II belle
that Borden was shot as he ST.
against that open window, that,
he fell, mortally wounded, his
tol-or rather, your pistol-clatte
out of his hand to the cement bel'
His murderer retrieved it, dispo
of it along with the weapon v
which he had killed Harry Borde
Retrieved it," Ruth cried, $
denly electrified. "How? How?
YOU mean. Jack Hayward when
say his murderer how could ]
have possibly retrieved my pistol
Saturday? Otto Pfluger, the ele
tor operator on Jacks corridor,
told YOU that Jack descended in
car. not more than 10 minutes q.
Otto had taken him up There is