New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1929-02-28
THIS HAS HAPPENED

Borden. promoter. murdered Sat
urday afternoon. IL found beneath
the closed airshaft window OF hts
private office Monday by his Sec
rotary. Ruth Lester.
Detective McMann learns OF five
people who could have murdered
borden; Mrs. Borden. estranged
wife: Ruth Lester: Benny Smith.
office boy: Jack Hayward. insurance
broker with office directly across
the airshaft: and Rita Dubois
dancer Borden's last sweetheart.
Suspicion Is heaviest upon Hay
ward, Ruth's fiance. because OF
overheard threats against Borden.
lloody footprints OF = pigeon In
side and outside the airshaft win
dow indicate the window was open
until after the murder.
Benny Smith, who has not report
ed for work, is sent for. as are Min.
lie Cassidy and Lefty Miller. scrub
women. Bill Cowan strengthens
suspicion against Hayward by tell
lug Of hearing Borders angry voice
when he, Cowan. called Hayward
Saturday at 2:1O and was put on
busy lire.
Ruth tells McMann about Cleo
Gilman, recent mistress OF Bor-
den's. She IL sought. Rita Dubois
arrives. She says Borden had failed
to meet her at the station. that she
had called him. found his line busy
ooair and
told by Borden to come to his Of
flee. Did so and received from Bor-
den second half OF . torn $500 bill,
but left him alive at c:S0.
She denies having robbed his body
OF $500 more IN smaller bills. Ashe,
Borden's manservant. is sent for.
but is preceded by Ferber. finger
print expert, whose findings re-
veals fingerprints Of unidentified
woman on the glass panel OF the
door between outer and inner office.
McMann suspects they were made
10y Cleo Gilman, now urgently
sought by police.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER NNNl
Ruth Testers hand frightened con-
vulsively over Jack Hayward's az
she listened to McMann's half Of the
telephone conversation which the
detective sergeant was carrying on
with mis- superior officer at police
headquarters.
so Cleo skipped out Saturday
noon. bag and baggage, eh::" Nc
Mann spoke into the mouthpiece.
his voice registering the frown
which was beetling his thick
brows and snarling the corners Of
his mouth. Who's on the job
Clay, eh' Put him on the
phone If he's there now. please
Hello. Clay! What's the dop"
on this Gilman dame? Did SHE
say where she was going =.
No? Oh. back Monday OF
tuesday morning. huh? Well. De
"a hand to welcome her home and
ga her that McMann wants a chat
hh her. . Sure. go through
apartment. What do you think
't;. lsa tea party?"
The detective slammed the re-
:.'rr upon the hook, STROBE TO the
or between the private office and
iae outer office OF the Borden suite.
'i;idweli. Take Mrs. Horden and
Miss dubois down the hall and put
them in Covev's charge until !
need them again. He's still in that
vacant suite. isn't he?"
Yes. sir-interviewing tenants
who could have heard the shot
fired. sir" Birdwell answered II,
his weary voice. Frank Ashe.
Borden's manser,ant. waiting to
see you
"All right show him in" Nc
Mann directed, as he held the door
wide for Mrs. Borden and Rita to
pass through. the widow thanking
him with faint. sad smile. the
dancer wrapping her fur coat about
her slim body with assumed non
chalance, utterly belied by the
chalky pallor OF her face.
As q gray-haired. anemic- looking
man was about to enter the private
office. McMann held him back with
an arm stretched across the door,
way. and turned his head TO ad-
dress Jack Hayward:
That's all for the present, Hay
ward. Thanks for the finger.
prints" and he grinned crookedly.
Guess you knew they wouldn't
help us much, since you'd been
here this morning after Miss Les
ter discovered the body. BY the
way, while you were out to lunch.
! performed an interesting expert.
ment." He reached out for the
door and closed 1t in the man-serv-
ants face.
Jack Hayward's steady bronze
brown eyes did not flicker. nor did
his color change. "Yes?"
Yes! When l was in your
office this morning looking for the
gun you seemed to he SO sure I'd
find ia the bottom drawer of your
desk. and which wasn't there
oddly enough!-I found something
else. A missing link. you nigh,
say"
That's interesting" Jack said
evenly, despite the frantic warming
OF Ruths frightened fingers upon
us arm. May ask what it WAS -.
"Oh-nothing much" the detec.
i've grlnned. Just a nice long 10.
foot pole with a hook on the end
OF 1t - the kind of pole that's or.
d'narily used to pull window,
down from the top, but which,
as l took pains to prove-can b,
used very nicely for closing WIN.
do"s across an e,glt-foot ajrsha Fl
II chap gets just the right lever.
age. A nice useful sort Of mole !,
follow very badly wants win.
COW closed and doesn't want To h.
seen walking along a hall and un
locking another fellows door il
order TO close y Yo, fo,na 4. 49,.