New Britain herald., 1929-02-26
THIS HAS HAPPENED

Tue body of Handsome Harry Borden. promoter and ladies' man. murdered between half-past one and four o'clock Saturday after noon. is found beneath the closed airshaft window of his private office Monday by his secretary. Ruth Les- ter.
 Detective McMann discovers that a. least five people had opportunity access to weapon and possible mo- tive for the murder. These are Mrs. Elizabeth Borden. estranged wife ot ,he victim: Ruth Lester. who ad- mits ownership of pistol which has disappeared from her desk; Benny Smith, office boy; Jack Hay ward, insurance broker with offices directly across the airshaft, and Rita Dubois. dancer.
 Because of Borden's attempted familiarity with Ruth on Saturday, Hayward had threatened to kill the promoter, Although the airshaft window Is closed. the bloody foot prints of a pigeon inside and out side the window indicate it was open until after Borden's death.
 Benny Smith, who has not re- ported for work. is sent for, as are Minnie Cassidy and Lefty Miller, scrubwomen for the seventh floor. Bni Cowan strengthens suspicion against Hayward by telling Of a telephone call to Hayward's offices Sturday at 2:1o, when he was plugged in on a busy wire and heard Borden's voice raised in anger, pre- sumably against Hayward.
 Ruth Lester tells McMann about Cleo Gilman. recently discarded mistress of Borden. She is sought by police, Rita Dubois arrives, ad- mits to McMann she had planned to xo away for the weekend with Bor- den, but when he failed to meet her at the station she had telephon- ed him, found his line busy at 2:l0, then got him. and was requested 10 come to his office.
 She says he was not there, his door locked. Ruth tells McMann Of Borden's having given the dancer the torn half of yellow backed bill. but Borden's half Of the bill is missing from his body, as we'll as $500 in smaller bills. About to question Rita about the bill. Me- Mann receives a telephone message that Rita's night club. The Golden Slipper has been robbed.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XXIV
 Hello! captain! McAIann speak ing" the detective in charge of the investigation into the murder of Henry P. Borden greeted his su- perior on the other end of the wire. The Golden Slippers safe has been cracked, eh? Lose much? Hmm. Guess I know what graft to get into when retire from this game! Whats that? A 3soo bill. eh? When did she get 1t changed?" and McMann raised his brows and smiled his sinister, crooked smile at Rita Dubois, who was leaning toward him. her lovely face white and drawn with sus- pense.
 Listen, captain. Is the clubs manager there now? All right. ask him if he remembers whether the bill had been torn half in two and pasted and pinned together"
 The words were uttered with slow. dreadful significance. the de- tective's eyes never leaving Rita's stricken face. The answer, when it came. brought grunt of satisfac- ton from the detective. who quickly concluded the conversation.
 'Well. Rita?" McMann grinned. as hs hung up the receiver. Sud- denly he leaned forward and ad- dressed tho pitiably frightened dancer, his pencil tapping staccato periods to his brief sentences: No use wasting time! Saturday morn- ing Borden gave you half of a $500 bill. He kept the other half. He had bargained to give 1t to you when you had kept your promise to xo 10 Winter Haven with him.
 Tn addition to the torn half of $500 bill. Borden had more than $500 in smaller bills to pay for the weekend jaunt No money was found on his body this morning, You say you did not see Harry Bor- den Saturday afternoon, yet Satur- day night. when the Golden Slipper opened at II o'clock. you were there with a $500 bill which had been torn in two and pasted together, and which you had the club man. ager change into smaller bills for you. Now - that's all true, and there's no use your denying any of