New Britain herald., 1929-07-03

"Brainer1 had to get it into the record, of course, that Ward had been making love to Lois Downs, so that he could establish a motive for Loiss murdering the old lady. Ward also admitted on the direct examination that his wife and he had quarreled over his attentions to Lois, just the day before the old lady was poisoned"
 Just minute" Nan interrupted, froWning thoughtfully. Is there no loophole at all in Wards alibi? He says-and of course can prove that he was playing bridge in an- other apartment in the same apart ment-hotel that he and his wife lived in. Why couldn't he have slipped out of the room when he was dummy, hurried over to his own apartment, and slipped the poi son to his wife in her medicine?" "Brainerd had half a dozen wit neSses on the stand today to prove he didn't" Morgan answered. The
 Wards apartment is on the seventh floor. remember, and Andrew Ward was playing bridge with the De laneys, on the second. No hotel em- ploye saw him; he surely would have been missed and-most inn portant of all-Mrs. Ward, as her ] daughters have testified, had a mor- bid fear of being poisoned and al ways refused to take a dose Of medicine or a bite of food that had not been prepared by a nurse. No, I'm afraid that's a washout, part ner"
 Its just that he's the only per son who really had a motive for killing the old lady" Nan worried. Here he is: young man. who fan cies himself a sheik. married to wheel chair invalid of 54, whom he can't divorce without losing the fortune he married her for, and in love with q pretty young nurse who, he figures, wouldn't be so in different to him if he were free and rich in his own right Gobs Of motive.'
 And apparently not one ounce Of opportunity Morgan supple mented. Its a pity, Nan, but I'm afraid we cant pin the murder on Sheik Andy. But 10 get back to my story: Brainerd deftly extracted only the facts that would help his case. then had to turn Ward over to me. I thought the boy was going to rise mp out of the witness chair and embrace me, he looked so glad of q chance to be cross examined. Brainerd had undoubt- edly warned Ward that he could easily get himself indicted as an accessory, if he tried very hard to help Lois from the witness stand. but he evidently cares more for the girl than"
 'Or believes her innocent, as we | do,' Nan interrupted eagerly. "Jf Lois is acquitted thcreIl he no basis for an action against Ward as an accessory before the fact ] Dul Ilt ludS llHu llllllStI lHUltlt'I for the murder itself Somebody killed the old lady! But go on!
 Sorry"
 Ward admitted, with the utmost l Willingness, on cross examination, | that Lois had never encouraged his ! love-malliug; that she told him she
 had a sweetheart already; that te ! had defended the girl to his wife
 taking all the blame upon himself. l The old lady had seen him trying
 10 kiss the nurse, you know"
 And what l cant sco." Nan in
 tcrruptcd lis why Mrs. Ward didn't ] fire the girl then and there, since
 she was apparently so crazy about
 her husband that she didn't want
 to kick him out, Lois insists thpt
 she had no quarrel with Mrs. WarI l but that when Andrew told her his wife was insarely jealous of her
 she wanted to quit and told Mrs Ward so the very night the old l lady dicd.'