The Bismarck tribune., 1929-03-25
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"3. Martha Manning was undoubt.
edly In this building on friday eve
ming when Jake Bailey was here r'itf
Mr.. Borden, leaving few minutes
after nine through the main entrance
Yet, according to Mrs. Pellow, in
charge Of the cleaning women, only
cleaning women passed through the
lobby Of the Starbridge Building be-
tween nine and 9:25 Friday night
Therefore. Martha Manning must
have been cleaning woman. Being
cleaning woman, she possessed q
Ipasskey, which admitted her free to
| all offices, but only Lefty Miller, since
she cleans Mr.. Haywards offices
could have been familiar with his
offices and known Of the automatic
in his desk. And only cleaning
woman employed on this floor could
have entered and left offices on this
floor on Saturday. without having
been noticed and asked on Monday to
give an account of her movements.
Repeated questionings of tenants on
the floor Saturday afternoon and of
elevator operators have failed to
give any evidence of visitors in this
corridor or in Mr.. HayWard'S cor
ridor, not already questioned by the
police.
Il. According to the manager of
the Acropolis Hotel and other en-
ployes whom I questioned today,
Martha Manning, during the last
three weeks, has been absent from
the hotel on week days, except Sat-
urday, from llalf-past three in the
afternoons until half past nine at
night. On Saturdays she has not
been in the hotel between a quarter
of IL and half-past four. Three
weeks ago-the Monday following
Christmas day, Lefty Miller began
her work as a cleaning woman in the
Starbridge Building. Her hours are
four to nine each evening, except
Saturday. when they are from IL to
four.
| The detective paused to shift the
sheets in his hand so that the second
page Of single-spaced tipping should
be uppermost, but Ruth Lester in
terrupted:
"The rest is just connected story
of the entire case. but please don't
read any more now. She's coming
I to-"
II guess I've read enough" Nc
Mann admitted heavily. 80 you win
the 5000, Miss Lester! Well /.
my hats off to you!"
Il told you I'd give you half" Ruth
reminded him. But, oh, let's not
talk of money now. -. Lefty! Letty!"
she called softly, her lips almost
brushing the deathly pale face against
her .breast-the thin, lined face that
had only needed a complete lack OF
the brilliant makeup that Martha
Manning affected to be remarkably
we'll disguised"
The dark -fringed eyelids fluttered,
opened wide at last to reveal a pair
Of great, tragic brown eyes that were
content to rest for a moment upon
the sweetness and beauty Of Ruth
Lester's face. Then partial compre-
hension came, for those tragic eyes
became filled with terror, rolled wildly
from one face to another in the circle
that hemmed her in.
But with comprehension came cum
ming, for it was not Martha Man
ning's lovely throaty contralto that
spoke, but the flat, monotonous. timid
voice of Lefty Miller
Tim sorry. must have tainted.
II haven't been very well lately.
The-the black pigeon startled me.
fluttering up just as came into the
room. But you-wanted to see
me, sir?"
And Martha Manning. who thought
she was still Lefty Miller. to Detec-
tive Sergeant McMann and all those
others looking at her so compassion
ately, struggled to rise.
Between them, Ruth and Jack Hay
ward assisted the thin, calico-clad
figure to q comfortable position In
one Of the chairs about the big table
in the center of the outer office.
Feeling better? How about a little
more of the whiskey?" McMann asked
gruffly, but not unkindly, when he
had seated himself opposite the erst-
willie scrub woman.
Lefty Miller" shook her head and
lifted one Of those betraying hands to
her hair. When her weak trembling
fingers encountered the smooth bands
Of her own dark hair, instead Of the
lank strands Of gray which they ex-
pectcd, her eyes went blank for a
moment, then widened and widened
until they were enormous with terri
fled APPREHENSION, as their gaze
clung to the detectives face.
= = +
But not even that hard boiled
third-degree artist could long en-
dure the ordeal Of meeting those eyes.
His own dropped, and with what Ruth
Lester knew was real kindness, he
answered the question which Martha
Manning's terrible eyes were asking
by slowly pulling the gray wig from
his pocket and laying it on the table
before the woman.
"So-you know2" The ashen lips
hardly stirred with the whisper.
McMann cleared his, throat loudly.
Ruth's hand wavered out. was taken
In q strong grip by Jack Hayward's.
Slowly, portentously, the detective
spoke:
Martha Manning, I arrest you for
the murder Of Henry r. Borden, and
It is my duty to warn you that any
thing you say may be used against
you!" s
Az those words were being spoken,
Martha Manning's thin body straight
el1ed slowly. stiffened against the
chair back. but before the detective