New Britain herald., 1929-03-25
E !E5;, RI ]! k zA!Gk !!!;:k <! RE2!EGz;@E5!Q>i1 RE2Ez;@ 5!>i1

here with MT. Borden. leaving . few minutes after nine through the main entrance. Yet, according to Mrs. Fellow, in charge of the clean- ing women. only cleaning women passed through the lobby of the Starbridge Building between nine and s:25 Friday night. There fore. Martha Manning must have been a cleaning woman. Being a cleaning woman. she possessed a passkey. which permitted her free access to all offices. but only Lefty Miller. since she cleans Mir. Hay wards offices. could have been fa- miliar with his offices and known of the automatic in his desk. And only a cleaning woman employed on this floor could have entered and left offices on this floor on Sat urday. without having been noticed and asked on Monday to give an- account of her movements. Re- peated questionings of tenants on the floor Saturday afternoon and of elevator operators have failed to give any evidence of visitors in this corridor or in Mir. Hayward's corridor, not already questioned by the police.
 "4. According to the manager of the Acropolis Hotel and other en- ployes whom I questioned today, Martha Manning. during the last three weeks. has been absent from the hotel on week days. except Sat- urday. from half-past three in the afternoons until half-past nine at night. On Saturdays she has not been in the hotel between a quarter to IF and half-past four. Three weeks ago - the Monday following Christmas day. Lefty Miller be. gan her work as a cleaning woman in the Starbridge Building. Her hours are four to nine each cvc. ming. except Saturday. when they are from IF to four"
 The detective paused to shift the sheets in his hand so that the sec- ond page of single-spaced typing should be uppermost. but Ruth Lester interrupted:
 The rest is just a connected story of the entire case. but please don't read any more now. She's coming to-"
 T guess I've read enough" Nc Mann admitted heavily. 50 you -tp my hats off to you."
 "1 told you I'd give you half" Ruth reminded him. But, oh. let's not talk of money now. Let ty. Lctty" she called softly. her lips almost brushing the deathly thin. lined face that had only need ed q complete lack of the brilliant makeup that Martha Manning af- fccted to be remarkably well dis guised."
 The dark-frinsed cyelids flut- tered, opened wide at last to reveal a pair Of great. tragic brown eyes that were content to rest for mo- | ment upon the sweetness and bea u- 1 ty of Ruth Lester's face. Then | partial comprehension came, for those tragic eyes became filled with terror, rolled wildly from one face 1 10 another in the circle that hemmed her in.
 But with comprehension came cunning. for it was not Martha i Manning's lovely throaty contralto that spoke, but the flat, monoton- ous. timid voice of Lefty Miller.' 1 'I-I'm sorry. l must have faint ed. l-1 haven't been very well lately. The-black pigeon startled i me. flutterng up just as l came in- l 10 the room. But you-wantcd to gee me. sir?"
 And Martha Manning, who ! thought she was still Lefty Mil Ter" to Detective Sergeant Me- l Mann and al! those others looking at her so compassionately, strug- gled to rise.
 Between them. Ruth and Jack Hayward assisted, the thin, calico 1 clad figure 10 comfortable posi- ton in one of the chairs about the big table in the center of the outer office.
 1 "Feeling better? How about a little more of the whiskey?" Mc- Mann asked gruf'iy, but not un- | kindly. when he had seated him. self opposite the erstuhil scrub- woman.
 'Letty Miller" shook her head and lifted one of those bctraying l hands 10 her hair. When her weakly trembling fingers cncoun. tered the smooth bands of her own dark hair. instead of the lank stranks of gray which they eNpect- ed. her eyes went blank for mo- ment, then widened and widened until they were enormous with ter. | rified comprehension. as their gaze clung to the detectives face. | But not even that hard boiled third degree artist could loeg en- dure the ordeal Of meeting those 1 eyes. His own dropped. and with what Ruth Lester knew was real | kindness, he answered the ques. ton which Martha Manning's ter 1 rible eyes were asking by slowly i pulling the gray wig from his pock- ct and laying Il on the table before the woman.
 50 you know ?' The ashcn lips hardly stirred with the "his- | per
 McMann cleared his throat loud- iy. Ruth's hand Nalered out. was taken in a strong grip by Jack Haywnrd's. Slowly. portentously, the detective spoke:
 Martha Manning l arrest you | for the murder of Henry P sor- den. and 1t is my duty 10 warn you that anything you say may be used against you,'