The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-19
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THIS HAS HAPPENED

N"yJ0LS w III
THIS HAS HAPPENED
On Monday morning RUTH
LESTER, Secretary, finds the
body Of her employer, HAND.
SOME HAIR r Y" 30 r D E n,
sprawled beneath the airshaft
window Of his private office.
McMANN, detective sergeant,
questions the following suspects:
MRS. BORDEN, Borders cs-
tranged wife and mother Of his
two children; RITA DUBOIS,
night club dancer, with whom
Borden was infatuated; and
JACK HAYWARD, Ruth's fiancc.
whose office is across the narrow
afrshaft from Borden's.
Jacks guilt seems emphasized by
McMann's discovery that Jacks
pistol is missing from his desk;
by Jacks admission that he re-
turned to the seventh floor Sat-
urday afternoon, and by the testi-
mony Of MICKY MORAN and
OTTO PFLUGER, elevator boys.
BILL COWAN, Jacks friend, nm
willingly admits having heard
Jack threaten Borden's life Sat-
urday morning.
McMann questions BENNY
SMITH, Borden's office boy;
ASHE, his manservant; MINNIE
CASSIDY and LEFTY MILLER,
seventh floor scrubw0men, and
CLEO GILMAN, Borden's dis
carded mistress. MARTHA MAN.
MING, mother Of Borden's ilie-
climate son, is questioned. She
says she last saw Borden FRI
day night in his office after his
bodyguard, JAKE BAILEY, had
left him, and that her incrimin-
ating fingerprints were made
then.
Martha says she did not call
Saturday afternoon but teie-
phoned Borden. McMann point.
blank accused her Of the murder
and Martha challenges him to
bring forward anyone who saw
her in the building Saturday.
Benny Smith bursts in upon them
crying, i've come to give myself
up. shot Mr.. Borden"
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER XIII
Ruth Lester was miserably ashamed
later to remember that her first emo
ton upon hearing Benny Smith say
he had shot Borden was one of re.
lief. Jack Hayward was saved! But
that emotion was almost instantl,
submerged in pity. And she was glac
later to remember that she was con.
scious of no Mortified shrinking q.
she ran to put her arms around thu
swaying body who had just
confessed to murder.
Here! Let me help!" McManr
gruffly commanded the girl, and will
as much ease as if he were lifting s
baby the giant detective lifted tn,
boy in his arms and carried him tx
the big overstuffed leather chair from
which the murdered man had manip
ulated his ruinous schemes and which
for two days had served the detec
tive in charge Of the investigation int,
his murder as vantage point from
which to heckle, harass, bully ant
confound suspects.
When the boy was lying back weak
ly in the big chair, McMann whirle,
one of the straight backed visitors
chairs to the desk and commandeeret
Ruth Testers services as q stenogra
pher, to take down the confession
Her eyes We're now so blinded will
tears that she could hardly find he
notebook and pencils-pencils upol
which Benny himself had put sucl
a fine brave edge just last Saturday
Ready, Miss Lester? AL
right. Benny. Tell us. all about /
now" the detective commanded, al
most gently. A glass of cold waite
from the tap in the outer office ha'
been fetched by the detective him
self and stood beside Benny's RICH
hand.
well, SIR" Benny began, after
strange, wistful look at Ruth Lester
who waited with poised pencil. =
lied yesterday when I said I didn'
come back. I did come back, but no
body didn't see me, cause walke
up"
why did you walk up Benny?" Nc
Mann interrupted.
"Cause I was sore at Mr.. Border
n II wanted to have it out Wit
him." Benny answered, his adolescen
voice going suddenly soprano on tn
last word.
"What were you sore about?"
"'Cause he-he bawled me out!
Benny cried rolling his head fror
side to side against the brown leathe
back of the chair.
isn't it true that you were NOR
sore at him because he'd got fresl
with Miss Lester Saturday morning9
the detective suggested.
"You keep Ruth'S name outa this!
Benny protested shrilly. II tell YOU
I was sore at Mr.. Borden cause /
was always pickin' on me, n Satul
day he talked to me like q dog. il
cause wanted to borrow Ruth's pi'
tol for target practice"
Then you were also lying whe
you said the pistol was not In Mi
Testers desk when you returned tt
first time-at half-past one?" NJ
Mann asked.
''Naw-it wasn't there. N say,
didn't come back up the second tin
to. kill him"
"But you walked up six flights
stairs 50 you would not be seen 81
tering the building" McMann points
out grtmly. Listen, Benny. now tn
you're confessing. make q >cle,
breast Of everything. Your actio
prove YOU premeditated murder.