The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-10
Murder At BridCe @ AsSE NJ; 1sss Ass'!s G: : sssx ssss sss9"; Q

name ain't George. It's Elmer" "You don't have to understand anything. except that you're not to ! answer any question that any re- porter asks you." Sanderson re- torted.
 When the trio entered the recep- tion room of the district attorneys suite in the courthouse, Sanderson paused at Penny Grains desk:
 Bring in your notebook. Penny. This man has some information he considers important"
 A minute late Sanderson had be- gun to question his voluntary but highly nervous witness. Your name?"
 "It's Elmer Rawlins. like I told you, sir," the man protested, and flinched as Penny recorded his l words in swift shorthand. Ut was my wife as made me come. She said as long as me and her knowed didn't do nothing wrong, I'd oughta come forward and tell what knowed."
 "Yes, yes" sanderson encouraged him impatiently. You say you worked for Mrs selim as gardener one day week."
 "Yes, sir, but tended to her hot
  l a day 1t was had to go and stoke the little laundry beater that heats the hot water tank in summertime when the steam furnace ain't being used. I live about a mile beyant the Grain place. that is. the house the poor lady was killed in-" Did you come to stoke the laun- dry heater Saturday evening"" Dun- dee interrupted. Excuse me. sir" he turned to the district attorney. but this is the first time I've seen this man."
 "No, sir, I didn't stoke it Sat'dy night" Rawlins answered uneasily. You see. was comin' up the road to do my chores at half-past six, like I always do, but before I got to the house I seen a lot of police mems cars and motorcycles, and I didn't want to get mixed up in noth- ing, so I turned around and went home again. didn't know what was up, but when me and the wife went into Hamilton Sat'dy night in our flivver we seen one of the extries and read about how the poor lady was murdered. But that ain't what I was gettin' at. sir" "Well, what are you getting at?" l Sanderson urged.
 Well, the extry said the police had found some footprints under the | front-most of them two side win- | dows to Mis- Selim's bedroom, and went on to talk about the rose vines being tore, and straight off I said to the missus, 'Them's my foot prints. Minnie'-Minnie's my wife's name"
 "Your footprints!" Sanderson calculated, then shook with silent laughter. "There goes Strawn's case. Bonnie!" But immediately he was serious again, as the import of this new evidence came to him. ''Tell us all about it, Rawlins. <. prints?"
 Friday. sir That's the day gardened for Mis- Selim. You see, sir. the poor little lady told me she was kept awake nights when they was a high wind. by the rose Says she, I think they's somebody tryin' to git into my room. Elmer. and l could see the poor little thing was might nervous anyway, so didn't waste no time. I cut away Q lot of the rose vine and burned it when I was burnin' the garbage and papers in the 'cinerator out back"
 "Is that all, Rawlins?" Sanderson asked.
 "'Bout all that mounts to any thing" the laborer deprecated. But they was somethin' else that struck me as little funny, when come to think of It."
 "Well?" sanderson prodded, as the man halted uncertainty.
 "Well, it's like I told you. it was my lob to burn the papers. That scar-face maid of Mis- Selim's put everything-garbag and trash-in a big garbage can outside the back door, and I burnt 'em up. So I was kinder surprised Sat'dy mornin' when went to stoke up the laun- dry heater. to find somebody's been meddlin' with my drafts and had let the fire go clean out. had to clean out the ashes and build new | fire-'
 "You're trying to say. I suppose, that you could tell by the ashes that someone had been burning pa- pers in the laundry heater?" San derson asked. with a quick glance at Dundee's tense face.
 eagerly. You know what kind oi ashes a mess O. paper leaves--lay- CTS of white ashes. sir, that kinder looks like papers yit."
 "Yes, know. And you found layers of white ashes. which you took particular pains to clean l "Yes, sir. Sos I could build a new fire"
 "Did you speak tS the maid-asA her if shed been meddiing with | s.~, -. ' z.a,v .a