New Britain herald., 1929-03-25
THIS HAS HAPPENED

THIS HAS HAPPENED
 Handsome Harry Borden is shot between ono and four o'clock Sat- urday afternoon. Ruth Lester. his secretary. finds his body Monday morning sprawled beneath the air shaft window of his private office.
 McMann, detective sergeant. ques- tious the following suspects: Mrs. Borden. Borden's estranged wife and mother of his two children; Rita Dubois, night club dancer. with whom Borden was infatuated: and Jack Hayward. Ruth's fiance, whose ofYice is across the narrow airshaft from Borden's.
 McMann's belief in Jacks guilt is strengthened by Jacn's admission that he returned to the seventh floor Saturday afternoon. and by the testimony of elevator boys Micky Moran and Otto Pluger. Bill Cowan. Jacks friend. unwillinkly tells Me- Mann he heard Jack threaten Bor. den's life Saturday morning.
 McMann questions Benny Smith. Borden's office boy: Ashe, his man. servant: Minnie Cassidy and Lefty Millie. seventh floor scrubwomen: Cleo Gilman, Borden's discarded mistress. and Jake Bailey. his body guard.
 Martha Manning, mother of Bor- 6en's i1legitimate son. is brought into the case by Ruth Lester and ques- tioned. but allowed to 50 when Me- Mann cannot take up her challenge to bring forward anyone who saw her in the building Saturday.
 Ruth knows that McMann is be- ing pushed to make an arrest and she fears Jack may be thrown into jail at any moment. McMann gives his permission for her to leave his office on . strange mission. When she returns jubilant, she finds Rita's husband. Ramon Romero. with Me- Mann. McAann tries to force a con. feasion from Rita and Ramon but without success. From behind Ruth's chair comes vail of terror as faintins body falls heavily to the floor.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER NLVII
 "Get me some water-quick." Ruth, first on her feet and first to reach the side of the unconscious sCrubwoman, commanded Jack Hay ward. who had stepped into Bor- dens office just as that terrible scream had broken on it's ultimate high note of horror.
 Whats happened to poor old Letty?" Jack asked, as he sprang to obey.
 And to the amazed horror of everyone in the room, the girl be- lied the tender compa ssion in her voice by giving sudden. hard jerk at the dank gray hair that hung in visps about the ashen-pale face Of the woman on the floor.
 "Ruth." Jack Hayward cried out .angrly
 The girl did not appear 10 have heard. Her small hand gave an- other tug at the gray hair, so sharp that the woman's scalp seemed to have been torn off. Ruth cast the thing from her and immediately after it went the cheap, steel trimmed spectacies that had shield ed eyes now closed in merciful un. consciousness.
 My God. Martha Manning."
 It was McMann who voiced the Identification, his flinty gray eyes wide open at last and staring in- credulously at the small. aristo- cratic head, wrapped tightly with smooth bands of fine. black hair. ,' "Yes. Martha Manning. Didn't you know?" Ruth answered. but there was no triumph in her voice only infinite pity. Give me the wAter. Jack. Thanks. Her poor head is hurt. . There's a great lump swelling. ."
 But - how did you know" Nc Mann demanded, with angry be- wilderment.
 Ruth did not answer until her compassionate fingers had dipped into the glass and dabbled cold wa ter upon the death-like face now pillowed against her arm. Then. with her free hand. she reached into the pocket of her smart little brown .eireteen frock and drew out the tightly folded sheets upon which she had written what Bird well had called her ''serial story earlier that afternoon.
 The detective took them. shook out the folds. The first sentence was enough 10 mottle his heavy face with the dark red of chagrin.
 Rita! Will you get me some whiskey, please? You know where Mir. Borden kept it." Ruth directed. her interest wholly with the un- conscious woman, upon whom the cold water had had no effect.
 The dancer, who had been talk ing in the scene with stupefed be- wilderment, ran to obey. but when she returned from Borden.s private office the pint flask was at her own lips. and she was drinking deep.
 "Gawd! needed that" she breathed. as she passed the re- Hainder of the liquor to Ruth Les ter. 50 Baby-face beat you at your own game. did she, Big Boy"
 'lt-looks like it." McMann ad- mitted. and began 10 read aloud from the first of the four sheets Of typing that he held in his not quite steady hand:
 Martha Manning, in the guise of Lefty Miller. a cleaning woman, Killed Henry P. Borden. My req sons for this conclusion are:
 "1. The hands of Letty Miller end Martha Manning are identical. When Lefty Miller was telling Mr.