New Britain herald., 1929-03-16
THIS HAS HAPPENED


sprawled beneath the airshaft win
dow of his private office.
McMann, detective sergeant, con-
Quoting the investigation in the VIC
TINS office, questions the following
suspects: Ruth. Mrs. Borden Bor-
den's estranged wife and mother of
his two children: Rita Dubois. night
club dancer. with whom Borden
was infatuated; and Jack Hayward.
Euth's fiance, whose office is across
the narrow airshaft from Borden's.
McMann's belief in Jacks guilt is
strengthened by his discovery that
Jacks Colt .3S is missing: by Jacks
edmlsslon that he returned to the
, seventh floor Saturday afternoon.
: and by the testimony of elevator
boys Micky Moran and Otto Pfluger.
Bill Cowan, Jacks friend, unwilling
ly tells McMann he heard Jack
threaten Borden's life.
McMann questions Benny Smith,
Borden's office boy; Ashe, his man.
servant; Minnie Cassidy. and Lefty
Miller. seventh floor scrubwomen.
and Cleo Gilman, Bordens discard
ed mistress. who gives an ironclad
alibi.
Martha Manning, mother of Bor-
den's Legitimate son, is involved by
Euth'S own detective work. Nc
Mann questions her merciessly
about her relationship with Borden.
She tells McMann she called on
BORDEN last on Friday night after
following him and Jake Bailey, his
bodyguard. into the building. She
says she climbed stairs to the sew
enfh floor and saw Borden after
Jakes departure. McMann tells her
she Is lying and calls in Jake Bailey,
waiting outside, to prove it.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER Nj
A short. broad shouldered man,
ms face composed of set of bat
tered, un,natching features, on
which a genial smile set oddly,
staggered into the room. his sur
prslnsly falsetto greeting accom-
lanyins an enormous hand thrust
out toward the detective in charge
OF the investigation into the murder
OF Henry Z. Borden:
Hello, Cap. Seen in the papers
where my buddy. Harry Borden, got
bumped Off, and that you was any-
ious TO have a chat with me. Any
thing l can do Well. l guess YOU
don't need me after all, Cap" he
broke off TO eXclaim when, on
reaching Eorden's desk and shaking
hands with McMann, he got a view
Of the face of the woman whose
back had been turned toward him
as he entered the room. "So-you
got him. did you? Minute my back
- was turned
Just a moment, Bailey" Nc
Mann interrupted sharply. You
identify this woman"
Sure l know her. Harry pointed
her out to me not a week after he
took me on TO look after him.
Jake he says, take a good look at
that woman and don't let her get
any nearer to me than she is now.
or youll lose your job Jake he
says
when and whore was this" Nc
Mann interrupted impatiently.
"Now-lemme see." Jake Bailey
laid bis pearl-gray derby on his
dead employers desk and scratched
his head. Must a-been long about
the middle of November for ! had
my last bout with Battln' Demon
on November tent a frame-up it
was, too. Cap. I'll take my Bible
.,,.l,t
shirt on" he admonishcd the de-
toctiye Genia,ly. But YOU asst,
didn't you, Well. it must a-been
about the middle of November, then.
ard me and Harry WAS walkin'
along the Avcnoo when Harry pipes
this dame Gittin' off a bus. She
makes like she's gonna speak to
him or bust, and then he says to
me, Harry says"
Yes, you've already told that"
McMann interrupted impatiently.
"Did she speak to him.
Say. Cap" Jake Bailey grinned
broadly. Harry hoped into a
taxi so quick l almost got left"
did you ever see her again?'
Sure, Christmas Eve. That
bird that putters around Harry's
apartment went TO the bootlcgger's
downstairs and left the door un-
latchcd and first thing me and
Harry knew - in the bedroom We
Was there she was, no shame at
all - busting in on a man what's
changin' his clothes"
At that expression of Jakc's out
ragged modesty. Martha Manning
laus hed-a queer. startling blend OF
scorn and ironic amusement.
Yeah. You can laugh. can't |
you?' Jake Bailey's little grcenish- !
Hue eyes glared at her with hatred |
you got him-jist like he thought
!ou would, and now you laugh"
Martha Manning's great. tragic |
brown eyes swept him scornfully. |
as if he We're an obnoxious insect, |
then dropped to the hands in her
lap.
Jake. this is serious charge |
you're making against Miss Man.
ming the detective began What |
foundation have you for this |
charge? Have you personal knowl-
edge of Miss Manning's guilt"
personal knowledge - he'll" the |
-X-pusilist retorted. TT you mean |
did l see her do it no, I left /
town Friday night and jst go,
back"
Before we so Into your own
Whereabouts on Saturday. when