New Britain herald., 1929-03-07
THIS HAS HAPPENED

body of her employer, Handsome Harry" Borden, Monday morning aprawied beneath the airshaft win. dow of hts private office. He was shot some time between one and four Saturday afternoon.
 McMann, det .ctive sergeant, ques- tions tho following suspects: Ruth Mrs. Borden, Borden's estranged wife and mother of his two chill dren, who admits calling Saturday afternoon: Rita Dubois, night club dancer, who says she called on Bor- den Saturday afternoon to get the torn half of $500 bill he prom ised her; Jack Hayward. Ruth's fiance, whose office Is across the narrow airshaft from Borden's.
 Hayward says he returned to the seventh floor Saturday to get his and Ruth's matinee tickets left on his desk. Jacks guilt seems empha- sized by the testimony of Micky Moran and Otto Pluger. 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 u'as delayed in her Saturday cleaning by the re- turn of Jack to his office, that she went away and did not see Jack leave. McMann receives wire from Adams. one of Borden's stock sales men, giving his alib. Ruth tries to q fend Jack to McMann who seems convinced of her fiance's guilt. Me Mann gruffly extends his hand and says significantly: Take q look at this.'
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER NXXH
 Ruth Ltstcr's hand crept out. but her cringing flesh rchclled. She could not force her fingers 10 close upon the small. flattcncd- out lead bullet which lay upon the palm of Detective Sergeant McManns big hand.
 'The -- bullet which killod-Mr. Eorden"" she gaspcd. But I-don', understand. |. lts-flat-'
 Yes. it's flat" McMann agreed Sitf1 u'Sd'' u' 'u'NC. LttiL u rot the bullet which killed Borden 1t's-tne bullet he fired in defense Of his life-but just an instant too late.'
 Ruth shrank into her chair "rlease tell me. don't under stand"
 McMann's hard gray eyes dropped. fhnt. tixt. I' prIs Ia, let while you were out to lunch with Hayward. He found it on that strip of cement seven flights be- low" and McMann pointed to the window overlooking the airshaft And after Carlson found this" the detective returned the flattened bullet to his pocket and rose from Borden's desk-'I found something else. Come here."
 Ruth followed him jerkily. on ice-cold feet. to the window. Two pigeons, strutting about on the window ledge. took flight. but she scarcely saw them. Her wide, frightened eyes followed the direc- ton of McMann's pointing finger a spot in the brick wall beside Jack Hayward's window.
 'See?" McMann persisted, bu; without triumph. "A new scar in one of those old bricks. I've exam ined it-and it's new all right. That's where this bullet struck harmlessly. It was aimed at Harry Borden's murderer. who stood in Jack Hayward's window. but the finger which pulled the trigger was that of man mortally wounded or the shot would not have gone so vide oi it's mark. Do you under- stand now Miss Lestero"
 Ruth raised her trembling hands to her face. pressed her icy fingers tips into her throbbing temples. No! No" she cried. "I don't un- derstand. All l know is-the per son at whom hat shot Was fired was not Jack Hayward"
 McMann turned from the window strO1e to BorIen's desk, took his seat again. Roth followed unstnad fly. het knees so weak with frig hi that they could scarcely support her small body
 What became of your pistol which we know from fingerprint evidence that Borden had secured after you left Saturday. bothered me considerably until this evidence turned up,' McMann said slowly ''I believe that Borden was shot as he stood against that open window that, as he fell. mortally wounded. his pistol-or rather. your pistol - Clattercd out of his hand to the ce- m"nt below. Hi. murderer retrieved II. disposed Of it along with the weapon with which he had killed Harry Borden
 Retrieved it" Ruth cried. sud- denly electrified. How? How" If you mean Jac> Hayward when you say his murderer how could Jack have possibly retrieved my pistol OH Saturday? Otto Plugcr. tine elc- ,ator operator on Jacks corridor has told you that Jack descended in his car not more than 10 minutes after Otto had taken him up. There is no way of entering that court below except through basement door. know. because l once dropped my handbag out of that window and bad to go clear down 10 the basement and through q door leading from the basement to get it.
 If Jack had done that. he would have been seen. Moreover, he did not have time to walk down seven flights of stairs. counting the base nient stairs. and all the way tip again. in tine 10 minutes he was in the building. And there has not
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