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

| suspiciously. even fearfully, Ruth
| thouRht-though what could he fear
now, after confessing? NAV, I don't
know, I tell you, but 1t was about
two o'clock ATS all ! know. un-
locked the door and come in, and Mr..
Borden was settin' at his desk, n l.
(; I come right In here, n we've quar-
| relied"
"What about?" the detective inter-
rupted sharply.
"Aw-jist about him pickin' on me,
n. everything! N he picked up a,-his
fevered eyes roved over the desk and
lighted upon the glass Ink well, empty
now, since McMann had used its con-
tents with which to take Martha
Manning's fingerprints-"that there
ink well and started to throw 1t at
me, n grabbed Ruth's gun"
"Waitl Just where was this gum"
McMann cut In.
"Layin' right on the desk" Benny
answered. "Right-right here!" and
he laid his hand In the center Of the
big green blotter. 1.-THE big stiff tried
to beat me to tn thought he was
goln' TO shoot me
AFTER hitting you with the ink
well?" McMann asked mildly.
"He-he put the ink well down"
Benny amended desperately. I'm l.
I pulled the trigger, 'thout KNOWN
what was doin,' nm the gun went
off-'n ats ALI" he concluded, seiz-
ing the glass for q long draught Of
the cold water.
"So-you shot Borden while he sat
at his desk" McMann said slowly.
THAT right?"
yeah, 'at's right" Benny retorted
defiantly.
"Then how do you account for the
fact that his body was found away
over there under the airshaft win
dow?" McMann demanded.
IL forgot that" Benny confessed
"But-say, don't you 60 and try to
make me say didn't kill him-'cause
I didl IL did 1t in elf-defense," he
added, obviously little proud of his
use of legal phrase. 'After I shot
him, he got up and walked over there
and fell down-'at's how I account
for It'll"
The detective extracted an Official
looking, typed document from his
pocket. AS he unfolded it, Ruth
caught q glimpse Of the wording Of
the printed letterhead: "Office of
the Chief Medical Examiner" Depart
ment of Police" McMann studied
the detailed report in silence, then
folded 1t slowly and returned 1t to his
pocket.
Nov, Benny, you know 1t can't
make any difference in the long run
whether you shot Borden while he
was seated at his desk, or while he
was standing at that window. Come,
now-just where was Borden when
you shot him?"
"Settin' at his desk!" Benny re-
peated, stubbornly, and began to cry,
like q small boy, and not at all like
the 17-year-old young man-about-
town that he fancied himself to be.
"And Benny'-McMann's voice was
very gentle now-"how many times
did you shoot Borden? How many
bullets were fired?"
Just one! II sorta come to when
seen what I'd done, n I dropped the
gun n beat it"
just one bullet! Ruth repeated to
herself. And. two bullets had been
fired on Saturday, one Embedding
itself In Borden's chest, and the other
soaring brick beside Jack Hay
wards office window!
$50 you dropped the gun, eh
Benny? McManp asked gently. "Odd
we didn't find it"
I'll picked it up again n stuck II
In my overcoat pocket, N then beat
1t down the stairs" Benny corrected
himself feverishly, shrilly. "I-gosh. ]
was scared! IL wrapped the gun in
a newspaper what IL found on the
stairs-I mean in one of them big
sacks In the hail. what the cleaning
women use to dump wastebaskets in
n III chucked the gun in IA big
trash can on the Sidewalk
"Where?" McMann INTERRUPTED.
I'll don't remember. Aw. gee
Mister, what does all them things
matter now? Amt I told YOU I done
it?" the boy pleaded, .wiping his eyes
on the sleeve Of his coat.
Benny, after you'd-shot Borden
did you go around to Mr.. Hayward's
office for any reason whatever?"' Ruth
interrupted with question Of hel
own.
| The boy stared ct her, frankly pu4
zled. "Nav-why should II" q
Il thought 90! Oh, Bennyi WHY
are you doing all this? For my sake
Benny?" the girl cried. her voice
shaking. Jumping up from her chat
at the desk, she abandoned her note
book and pencil and ran to the boy