Indianapolis Times, Volume 40, Number 247, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 March 1929 — Page 11

MARCH 5,1929.

THIS HAS HAPPENED "HANDSOME HARRY” BORDEN, promoter of dubious stock companies, is •shot between one and four o’clock Saturday aftemon. His secretary. RUTH LESTER, finds his body Monday morning, sprawled beneath the airshaft window of his private office. M’MANN. detective sergeant, questions the following suspects: Ruth Lester, MRS. ELIZABETH BORDEN, Borden’s estranged wife and mother of his two children, who admits calling on him Saturday aftc>ru>on but who insists she left him allva RITA DUBOIS, night club dancer, wn_ -ays she called on Borden Saturday afternoon to get the torn half of a *6<Ml bil he promised her: JACK HAYWARD. Ruth's fiance, whose office is across the narrow airshaft from Borden’s. Hayward explains his return to the seventh floor Saturday afternoon by saying he left his and Ruth’s matinee tickets on his desk. McMann’s belief that Jack is guilty is strengthened bv the testimony of MICKY MORAN and OTTO PFLUGER. elevator boys, and cf BILL COWAN, Jack’s friend, who unwillingly tells of having heard Jack threaten Borden's life when Jack saw Borden Saturday morning struggling with Ruth in the opposite office. Detectives are sent for CLEO GILMAN. Borden's discarded mistress, and BENNY SMITH, Bordens office boy. Benny admits returning to the office Saturday afternoon to get Ruth’s gun for target practice but says the gun was already gon*. ASHE, Borden's man servant, tells McMann of a woman with a beautiful contralto voice of whom Borden lived in fear. MINNIE CASSIDY, scrubwoman, says she emptied Borden’s waste baskets at 1:30 Saturday and while he was out for a minute answered his phone. It was a woman speaking, "with a beautiful contralto voice.” McMann asks Minnie what the woman said when Borden refused to talk to her, but asked that she call again in 15 minutes. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER XXX LET me see now,’' Minnie Cassidy considered leisurely, immensely enjoying the fact that “Tommy” McMann, who had once been a “rookie cop” wiih her husband and who was now a detective sergeant,.was hanging on her words. “Jist what did the sweet-voiced lady say? Seeing as how she was on the telephone, and not here to kill the poor man, I reckon it won’t do her no harm for me to tell ye what she said, Tommy McMann. She said, ‘Tell Mr. Borden that if he is wise, he will talk to me when I call again.’ Then she hung up the receiver, and I told Mr. Borden what she’d said, and then I took my things—” “Just a minute, Minnie,” McMann interrupted. “What did Borden say when you gave him that threatening message?” "He didn’t say nothing—just grunted and slammed the door behind him when he went back into his private office. And that’s the last sight I ever had of the poor man, so help me God!” Minnie answered fervently. “As you left Borden’s offices, did you see any one getting off the elevator or knocking at Borden’s outer door?” “That I didn't,” Minnie answered. "I took my things down the hall and left them just outside the door of Mr. Feldblum’s office till I could go to the supply room, where us cleaning women kept our pails and brooms and rags and such-like. My bottle of lurniture polish w 7 as empty and Mr. Feldblum is mighty particular about his desk, so—”

“Could you have heard a shot fired in this office while you were in the supply room?” McMann demanded. “That I couldn’t, Tommy McMann—and I didn’t!” Minnie Cassidy answered emphatically. “If I had, I wouldn’t have paid no attention. I'd have said to meself, I would —‘That’s another of them dratted automobiles, explodin’ like a pistol shot' ” “Which is exactly what .you did say to yourself sometime between a quarter to 2 and 3 o’clock!” McMann pounced triumphantly. “When was it, Minnie Cassidy? Remember that Tim Cassidy gave his life in the service of law and order and that I’m in that service now!” tt tt tt “T’D tell ye if I knew, Tommy McJL Mann!” Minnie Cassidy defended herself spiritedly. “But if such a noise I heard, I have no recollection of it now, and thumb screws and hot irons couldn’t make me say I had.” “All right!” McMahon shrugged, frowning at the notes on the case which he was shuffling through his big, thick hands. Suddenly a memo in his own handwriting caught his eye. “When you were coming out of Feldblum’s offices you saw Mrs. Borden leaving. That's right, isn’t it? She already told me a scrubwoman saw her.” “I did sfie a lady come out,” Minnie acknowledged, “but I didn’t know it was Mrs. Borden till I saw her pictures in the papers. One of the cleaning ladies had all the papers, and I pointed to Mrs. Borden’s picture and told her I’d seen her leaving Mr. Borden's office when I was coming out of Mr. Feldblum’s reception room down the hall.” Ruth suddenly leaned toward Minnie Cassidy, forestalling McMann's next question with one of her own: • “Was there some reason why you noticed Mrs. Borden particularly, Minnie?” McMann leaned back in his chair, tacitly giving his consent to question and answer.

THE NEW Saint-Sinner ByjfrmeJlustin ei93B iy vea. soma. Inc.

Harry Blaine was so concerned about the girl that he did not notice that the radio music had stopped ana that all of Faith's guests were staring at them curiously, uncomprehendingly Neither did he hear swift steps crossing the room, so that the angry voice that lashed out at him made Harry raise his face in honest surrise. “Turn Tony loose, Blaine, or IH mash you nose in!” Dick Talbot's flushed face was so near that the reporter instinctively raised his hand to ward him off. "If you dare kiss her. I'll—I'll” the furious voice ’ ent on. Tony’s slim body jerked taut, her olack-rested head jerked up from its resting place on Harry Blaine's shoulder, and her blue eyes blazed. Then suddenly, astonishingly, she laughed, as her hand reached up and patted Harry Blaine’s cheek. "Thanks for the suggestion, Dick

Minnie hedged. ‘With so few cornin’ and goin’ on Sat’dy afternoon, why shouldn’t I notice her? And I don’t believe for a minute that the poor lady would shoot the father of her two little children—” “Was Mrs. Borden crying?” Minnie?” McMann suddenly interrupted. “I must have the truth—” “Well, cryin’ she was then,” Minnie admitted belligerently. “And why shouldn’t she be? Separated from her husband and still lovin’ him, like the papers say. Not takin' on, jist dabbin’ at her eyes with her handkerchief, then pressin’ it hard against her mouth.” Cold logic, however, prevented Ruth from taking any joy in this confirmation of her theory that the interview between Harry Borden and his wife had not gone so smoothly, so amicably as the widow had testified. If Mrs. Borden had shot her husband between twenty minutes of two and ten minutes of two, how could Bill Cowan have heard Harry Borden’s voice bellowing in rage at ten minutes past two, when he—Cowan —had called Jack Hayward’s telephone number and been cut in on a busy line? Unless, of course, Cowan had been mistaken as to the voice.... But he had been positive that Borden had referred to him-self by name—“ Who are you to tell Harry F' den what he can do!” But what if Mrs. Borden had returned?. . . Was it not wholly possible that the discarded wife, submitted at that interview to God only knew what further humiliation at the hands of her husband, had brooded upon her wrongs, remembered the pistol in the bottom drawer of the secretary’s desk, and returned to kill him, walking up the stairs so that her second visit should be unknown to the elevator operator?

tt if a APPARENTLY Detective Sergeant McMann’s logical brain had reached the same conclusion, for he strode to the door and directed Birdwell, in the outer office, to send for Mrs. Borden, who was being detuned down the hall by Detective Covey. While awa.iting the arrival of the newly made widow, the sergeant resumed his questioning of Minnie Cassidy.* “Now think hard, Minnie,” he directed, with brusque kindness. “Did you see any one else at all enter or leave these offices on Saturday afternoon?” “Do ye think I had nuthin’ to do but to watch Mr Borden’s offices, Tommy McMann?” Minnie demanded indignantly. “I had me work to do ” “Answer the question, please, Minnie,” McMann interrupted impatiently. “Haven't I answered it?” Minnie was curiously truculent. “Did you see the dancer whose picture in the papers, too?” McMann tried anew method. “Rita Dubois, her name is. She’s admitted she was here, so you needn’t be afraid of getting her into trouble,” he added, with somewhat weary sarcasm. The scrubwoman’s reluctance to give any information which would incriminate another was undoubtedly wearing his patience thin. “That I didn’t!” Minnie retorted emphatically. "When I finished Mr. Feldblum’s offices I went around into the other wing of the building, and was busy there until about half past 2, then I went to the supply room again, to rest meself a bit, though ye needn’t be tellin’ Mr. Cobhlan I said that. He thinks us girls is wheel-horses ” ‘T shan’t tell on you, Minnie,” McMann chuckled. “Oh, all right, Birdwell. Show Mrs. Borden in. . . . Sorry to bother you again, Mrs. Borden,” he apologized brusquely, as the pale-faced widow slipped into the room, “but this morning I neglected to ask you how you spent the rest of Saturday aftenoon—from the time you left your husband, I mean. About ten minutes of 2 that was, I believe?” Mrs. Borden answered in a quiet, controlled^voice: “As I told you, sir, I had left my children at the Chester hotel, while I came to see my—my husband. I had left them in the ladies’ parlor, in charge of the maid on duty there. “She had told me she would be on duty until 2 o'clock, when she would be relieved by another maid. I promised to be back by 2, and I was, for she was still there, though she left immediately after I had tipped her for her services. “I took charge of the children myself then, and was with them continuously until they went to bed in the evening. The three of us attended a motion picture downtown —a war picture that my little son was eager to see.” “I see,” McMann commented noncommitally. Then, in rapid succession. he fired half a dozen ques-

darling! I’m afraid it hadn’t occurred to Harry to kiss me. but now, if you’ll excuse us. . . You know now it is, Dick. One gets so much more kick out of a kiss in the dark. . . Shall we go. Harry? . . . Oh. here you are. Faith! Awufllv nice party, but you won't mind if I leave early, win you? I'm rather tired, and—” “Tony!” Dick Talbot’s choked, furious, pleading voice cut in. “I'm sorry I acted such a fool, but I’ve got to see you!” He turned to Harry Blaine desperately. “I apologize, Blaine. But she’d promised to let me take her home—” "And now she's changed her mind,” Tony interrupted firmly ‘Dick, Dick! Won't you ever grow up? You're far too old now to sulk like a spoiled baby. . . Good night Crystal darling. I’ll see you in the morning, if I wake up.” (To Be Continued)

tions designed to pick a flaw in the widow’s alibi, his flying pencil making notes of the detailed information she gave him as to the name of the theater, the time she and her children had arrived there, even the musical and dancing numbers of the prologue which had introduced the feature picture. Ruth knew, as the detective left the private offie for a conference with Birdwell in the outer room, that every detail of that alibi would be carefully checked, that even Harry Borden’s children would be pitilessly cross-examined, but she had little hope that Mrs. Borden’s alibi would be shaken —and, looking at the sad-faced bereaved woman, Ruth could not but be glad. . . . a a tt McMANN returned, sat down, again faced the widow, who was standing, with one hand clenched tightly upon the back of the chair in which Minnie dhssidy sat. She had refused a chair for herself.

“Mrs. Broden, Minnie Cassidy here has corroborated what you said about your* seeing her when you left your husband’s office about ten minutes to two on Saturday. But—she also says that she saw you wiping tears from your eyes. Is that true?” The pale, once-beautiful face quivered, but the leaf-brown eyes were steady. “It is true. I don’t think I ever left my husband’s presence—after our separation—without tears in my eyes. I loved him, and grieved that he would not return to me and our children.” The detective looked at her steadily for a long time, then said abruptly: “That’s all, Mrs. Borden. You may go home to your children, but of course you are not to leave town and are to hold yourself available for further questioning at any time.” “Thank you, ’ Mrs. Borden said in a low voice, as she turned toward the door. “Please, Mr. Borden,” Ruth begged urgently, “may I ask Mrs. Borden just one question?” The detective nodded, frowning slightly, and Ruth turned eagerly toward the murdered man’s widow. “Mrs. Borden, I know it is painful for you to have to think of such things now, but won’t you please tell Mr. McMann whether Mr. Borden—to your knowledge—knew a woman with a peculiarly beautiful contralto voice?” Color flamed suddenly in the pale, aristocratic face of Harry Borden’s widow. She drew in her breath sharply, and her eyelids fluttered, before she answered, almost haughtily: “I am afraid I can give you little help along—those lines, Miss Lester. Naturally Mr. Borden’s intimate women friends were not known to me—socially.” She opened the door, passed into the outer office, closed the door behind her. Ruth shrank in her chair as if the widow’s words had been blows in her face. But beneath the throb of humiliation two things clamored for recognition—the fact-that Mrs. Borden had not really answered her question and the suspecion, amounting to a certainty, that the widow had known only too well the answer to that question. But why-should she try to shield, by concealing her name, one of the women who had undoubtedly possessed Harry Borden’s love—temporarily at least—after his wife had lost it? t Ruth suddenly felt too tired and bewildered to bear any more, but she raised her head, listened wearily as McMann concluded his interview with Minnie Cassidy.

“ r T'VHAT”S all, Minnie,” McMann A was saying. “How’s the baby, by the way? I remember Tim was always bragging about his girl child— —” “Baby?” Minnie cackled. “Ye should see her now! Growed up on me, she did, Tommy McMann. Twenty come June, and as pretty a lass as ye’d hope to see. Ain’t that right, Miss Ruth?” “Rose is a little beauty,” Ruth admitted, as hearitly as weariness and discouragement would permit. “And a good girl, too. She helps Minnie here with her work, when the rheumatism is bad." “A good girl,” Minnie repeated, tears springing into her watery old eyes. “I'll tell Rose ye was askin’ for her, Tommy McMann. It’s been hard, tfith Tim gone and all, but I've tried to do everything for the children that Tim woulda done.” ‘And I’m sure you have,” McMann agreed absently, his eyes on his notes again. “What's the name of the woman who cleans Hayward’s of-, ses? . . . Letty Miller—that’s right. Send her in to me, won’t you, Minnie?" Suddenly Ruth remembered something—something which might be of vital importance to Jack Hayward. Her weariness routed by hope, she eagerly awaited the arrival of Letty Miller. (To Be Continued

The parade of possible suspects eontnues. Has the murderer been questioned yet or has McMann farther to seek? STATE FORESTRY LEVY INCREASE IS PASSED House Also Favors Act to Add Robbery Penalty. An increase in the state forestry levy from 1 mill on each SIOO of taxables to 2 mills was passed today by the Indiana house of representatives by vote of 74 tc- 9. Other bills passed by the house included a senate bill amending the criminal code providing imprisonment of twenty-five years for burglary and highway robbery; and make life impirsonment mandatory when a victim is wounded, and death sentence mandatory if a victim is killed. The vote was 80 to 7. The Murden bill was failed of a constitutional majority Saturday afternoon was brought back to the floor today and reconsidered. The bill provides drastic restrictions for sizes of trucks, trailers, lighting at night and other rules.

THE •INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

OUR BOARDING HOUSE

A PaTpokJ oF 080 AM £ 2|jf tK * ,SS MV M ASTa IP EJ>f EcE / IO SAt vJoiJ Ancr at** Jr t * ze Top iMSTAkiCE, This stupid ‘{ ,Jl> ERSTAMDitf6 To luff TempT AT SCUlPTuriiJg Dome TfcUE ART J -w* 21SS STATuE TallouJ, called "despair J C A Soul iaJside made , 4 A MosIDAV" IS THE J 01= STRINGS,v Result of aal addled \ \ "ZAT iss MAPmoMV

BOOTS AND HER BUDDIES

j STPAW \ TIM 601N6 CMER AMD READ THE TOOI ACT I :S \ to %oa\b\ eviti caws take vvr Sr v '* f 1 V-bWraißfc-AW) EbEtt 1 > Avzuj } Q ■RSb OFAL -SbT ‘bWE CAN'T

AND HIS FKIENDS

BLSkS ME ) IT’S FOMWJOST MJUAT A WMM aim ] feww uttlS vwobds cam WM/m

WASHINGTON TUBBS II

f / / pSSTI ADOLF-QUICK-pUtA) -fjMir Os Jr / oots a, \ Wlm [Thorn under ws saddle--by \ 1 ' ( BCN -YoU'UfL \ \ dO£, | A\AKE \ MOMK.EV UF OOT) fOP lII9BS VML RIGHT J BUWMe(S -SURE £MOU6H Punch to chin r/ , e rfes,s,ißj j.

Sauisomajn Sam

fUeS, FstsTeß, CPU 'Yp. SORef. out C OH,NO\ CtA £\ s {pjAVIUCrOe- TtU- ne WHELR6. TH‘ ) TK’ PELICANS' BALL- / o cioeoToPUVf CLeveLAND e>Att_TEAtq j 6(M.L park- PLfVY&R* / PLATER/ eesEe(\u_iM is Doin’ vr£ spßtNor / p,Re_TouoNe. '\y vielc va * THe. e>lG- TRfMMIM' y O’ MEWS- - 7 ([ OhmV LeaguesTHlS REPORTERS? 3 (I\ Zook u <^ Season, sam -z 7" ?s// ‘ ■ =s* A(I one.’ HOWDY HEADS (/ / / -7/ VII S t r-1 r -A—for W X) >l)7 (/■ iz - te. //_£=ZL_ Mew Orleans, W y O ' Cl ■^/Up: '' WHe.Re.TKe -i ■ . TIL 7/ O I—l1 —1 ",l C/gp •' el roc/-*! c. Cleveland ‘ t||!| •• CREOLE

MOM ’N POP

S' OOCHIE - KOOCUIE, A some 33y, )

THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE

After Antigone had scattered dust over the body of King Creon heard of her brother Polyneices to honor it, she knew that terri- her deed and ordered her ble death by torture would be her lot upon returning to to be buried alive in the Thebes. But the brave giri went back to the city un- rock tomb as he had preafraid - viously decreed. ~ , lit A. Through Special and pi The Soofc and Knawcdt. Cnrffct V K

OUT OUR WAY

By Ahern

/M ES SovA - rTs , Wi4uT\ /q\A VEG, 'N / Qc\< AWAV'j / owe o' -Them Rare qo -tpe-V call\ x v<kjow \J -rr, AR *! /-IUOOSAM' LAlOr KIOVM ? I -tVAEM V<imO. I VHOM . WE€ EAT | *TAE v Y U\JE CAVMT -TROGT | WAS .picw'eo OP BoT IN A VOO ‘ROOKIO ! ■AOPOPS CAOEPvM WOTW - V- Aki* /MOSTW W'O Q { -r AVjAV A-OH /BV BPESH. Ff?QM CAu ' r Sm°KE I STORE. TetTH' ~ ■ WiLLiam., RIG. U. SPAT, Os r. FALSE FIMDEQS. OiM*. YNU StRVtCt. IRC.

II *LOOP l |S! WAFftR NOD OEAS. lb’ T/VdLES,YOI3 CAW HEU.O, HELLO, IVI CIAD XOU CAME —. HEW ME WWH STEPHEN)’. m'RE- OMER ■ J j L TH 1 OIC.HE&

BMIELL.FBeciCLES, UAME VOU \JCC / -r-n ) X "77AOU6UT IT CM£R ? AQ6 ) 7LS - LLL 4 f A, VoO goims alo/as or WM 1 Go vjitw you, 1 > stuff- l A2£ you soims to ) omclE y cam cet )

! O HEN THE YM\STIR-ThE BATTL6 IS ON ANEVII BUT LOOK*, j ADOLF TIOES AS-- 'nASWS STegO SNOUTS AND PITCHES— WASH IS HELPLESS'./ '7 uc U no o ppWn FURIOOSCf, THE GRAND \JtSER CHARGES TOR A V —A.-1—-J-l i

<see!’ \ Guess That gIW Wps ] vne.LL, noßodv's GOMMf*. ) ] R.I&HT-VLL HASTfs P(Vi TH(VT J ME. MOW',I /L ') ~T J BY scnlcc IHC. WEC US. PT. Off. ,|ITI

Bia sAV t to some womau? \ O£6 SOME \ [!• . I wruv. I WAS JUST TEVlwt * ) " HONEY- GICL/ \ TO TUtwt C OV A NAV£ THAT J 5. Koocwe fia-f \ ?i TS r/ ! x jjj

| ' Meantime a terrific struggle love and pride / . • raged in the breast of King Creon. Finally he relented As the soldiers led and sen t soldiers to bring Antigone from her imprisonAntigone away to her ment. The messengers were too late. Antigone had dreadful imprisonment given up her own life as a sacrifice to honor her all who saw her were. broth er. (Next; A Brave Doctor) ymoved to tears. J J

SKETCHES BY BESSEY. SYNOPSIS BY BRAUCHE&

PAGE 11

—By Williams

—Bv Martin

♦tv Miiwser

Bv t r<i ue

By Small

By Cowan