The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-26
THIS HAS HAPPENED

The body OF 'HANDSOME
HARRY" BORDEN, promoter
and ladies' man, murdered be-
tween half-past one and four
o'clock Saturday afternoon, is
found beneath tho closed air.
shaft window Of his private Of
flee Monday by his secretary,
RUTH LESTER.
DETECTIVE McMANN dis.
covers that 1T least five people
had opportunity, access to wea-
pom and possible motive for the
murder. These are MRS. ELIZ-
ABETH BORDEN, estranged
wife of the victim; Ruth Lester,
who admits ownership of a pis-
tol which has disappeared from
her desk; BENNY SMITH, of.
flee boy; JACK HAYWARD. in.
surancc broker with offices d.
rectly across the 'airshaft, and
RITA DUBOIS. a dancer.
Because Of Borden's attempt.
ed familiarity with Ruth on Sat.
urday. Hayward had threatened
to kill the promoter. Although
the airshaft window is closed,
the bloody footprints of a pig
con indicate it was open until
after Borden's death.
BENNY SMITH. who has not
reported for work. is sent for, as
are MINNIE CASSIDY and
LEFTY MILLER, scrubwomen
for the seventh floor. BILL
COWAN strengthens suspicion
against Hayward by telling of
telephone call to Hayward's Of
fees Saturday at 2:10. when he
was plugged In on q busy wire
and heard Borden's voice raised
in anger, presumably against
Hayward.
Ruth Lester tells McMann
about CLEO GILMAN. recent
~ discarded mistress of Borden.
She is sought by police. Rita
Dubois arrives. admits to Nc
Mann she had planned to go
away for the weekend with
Borden, but when he failed to
meet her at the station she had
telephoned him. found his line
busy at 2:1O, then got him, and
was requested to come to his Of
flee.
She says he was not there. his
door locked. Ruth tells McMann
of Borden's having given the
dancer the torn half of a yellow
backed bill. but Borden's half Of
the bill is missing from his
body. as well as $500 in small
er bills. About to question Rita
about the bill, McMann receives
a telephone message that Rita's
night club. THE GOLDEN
SLIPPER, has been robbed.
4 X X
VOW co ON WITH THE STOR,
CHAPTER XIV
Hello, captain! McMann speak
ng," the detective in charge of tn
INVESTIGATION into the murder Q
Henry p. Borden greeted his supcri
" on the other end of the wire
The Golden Slippers safe has bee
tracked, Ell? Lose much?
hmm! Guess I know what graft
ret into when I retire from thi
yame! =. What's that? A $50
ill, Ell? When did she get
?" and McMann raised hi
,rows and smiled his sinister, crook
ID smile at Rita Dubois. who wa
toward him, her lovely fac
white and drawn with suspense.
listen, captain, is the clubs man
lger there now? All right, as
lin if he remembers whether tn
ill had been torn half in two an
pasted and pinned together"
The words were uttered with SLOW
Dreadful significance, the detective
yes never leaving Rita's stricke
ace. The answer, when it cam,
brought a grunt Of satisfaction frol
he detective, who quickly conclut
I'd the conversation.
"Well, Rita?" McMann CRIME,
IS he hung up the receiver. Sudder
" he leaned forward and addresse
The pitiably frightened dancer, hi
pencil tapping staccato periods to Ii
brief sentences: mo use wastin
lime! Saturday morning Borden CAV
you half of a $500 bill. He kept tn
other half. He had bargained to Civ
It to you when you had kept YOU
promise to 60 to Winter Haven wit
him.
I'm addition to the torn half Of
$500 bill, Borden had more than $50
in smaller bills to pay for the weel