Indianapolis Times, Volume 40, Number 264, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 March 1929 — Page 8

PAGE 8

M BLAGK RICEOM# By NEA Service, Inc. 6/ ANNE AUSTIN jP^

THIS HAS HAPPENED HANDSOME HARRY BORDEN Is shot between 1 and 4 o'clock Saturday atternoon. RUTH LESTER, his secretary, finds his body Monday morning sprawled beneath the alrshalt window of his private office. Me MANN, detective sergeant, questions the following suspects: MRS. BORDEN, Borden's estranged wlf.. and mother of his two children; RITA DUBOIS, night club dancer, with whom Borden ■was infatuated; and JACK HAYWARD, Ruth’s fiance, whoe office is across the narrow airshaft from Borden’s. McMann’s belief in Jack's guilt is Strengthened by Jack's admission that he returned to the seventh floor Saturday afternoon and by the testimony of eievator boys MICKY MORAN and OTTO PFLUGEE BILL COWAN. Jack's friend, unwillingly tells McMann he heard Jack threaten Borden’s life Saturday mornquestions BENNY SMITH, Borden’s office boy; ASHE, his manservant; MINNIE CASSIDY and LETTY MILLER, seventh floor schrubwomen; CLEO OILMAN. Borden’s discarded mistress, and JAKE BAILEY, his bodyguard. MARTHA MANNING, mother of Borden’s illegitimate son. is brought into the case by Ruth Lester and questioned, but allowed to go when McMann can not take up her challenge to bring forward anyone who saw her in the building Saturday. Ruth knows that McMann is being Ju.-ihed to make an arrest and she fears ack mav be thrown into Jail at any moment. McMann gives his permission for her to leave his office on a strapge mission. When she returns Jubilant, she finds Rita's husband. RAMON ROMERO, with McMann. McMann tries to force a confession from Rita and Ramon but without success. From behind Ruth's chair comes a wail of terror as a fainting body falls heavily to the floor. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER XLVII ET me some water —quick!” VJ Ruth, first on her feet and first to reach the side of the unconscious scrubwoman, commanded Jack Hayward, who had stepped into Borden's office just as that terrible scream had broken on its ultimate high note of horror. “What’s happened to poor old Letty?” Jack asked, as he sprang to obey. "I’m afraid she’s hurt her head against my chair in falling,” Ruth answered. “I’ll see if it’s cut—” And to the amazed horror of everyone in the room, the girl belied the tender compassion in her voice by giving a sudden, hard jerk at the dank gray hair that hung in wisps about the ashen-pale face of the woman on the floor. “Ruth!” Jack Hayward cried out angrily. The girl did not appear to have heard. Her small hand gave another tug at the gray hair, so sharp that the woman s scalp seemed to have been torn off. Ruth cast the thing from her and immediately after it went the cheap, steel-rimmed spectacles that had shielded eyes now closed in merciful unconsciousness. “My God!” Martha Manning!” It was McMann who voiced the ’identification, his flinty gray eyes wide open at last and staring incredulously at the small, aristocratic '.'.ead, wrapped tightly with smooth bands of fine, black hair. “Yes, Martha Manning! Didn't you know?” Ruth answered, but there was no triumph in her voice —only infinite pity. “Give mo the water, Jack. . . . Thanks! Her poor head is hurt. . . . There’s a great lump swelling . . .” “But—how did you know?” McMann demanded, with angry bewilderment. Ruth did not answer until her compassionate fingers had dipped into the glass and dabbled cold water upon the death-like face now pillowed against her arm. Then, with her free hand, she reached into the pocket of her smart little brown velveteen frock and drew out the tightly folded sheets upon which she had written what Birdwell had called her “serial story’’ earlier that afternoon. tt tt tt THE detective took them, shook out the folds. The first sentence was enough to mottle his heavy face with the dark red of chagrin. “Rita! Will you get me some whisky, please? You know where Mr. Borden kept it,” Ruth directed, her interest wholly with the unconscious woman, upon whom the cold water had had no effect. The dancer, who had been taking in the scene with stupefied bewilderment, ran to obey, but when she returned from Borden’s private

' An hour later Tony Tarver, followed by dusky Annabelle, carrying the heavier of the two bags, appeared, breathlessly, in the Hathaway living room. Cherry, Crystal and'little Hope, all dressed, coated and hatted for the journey, and surrounded by luggage, greeted her gaily. Faith, looking on, chuckled to herself at the dexterous way in which Cherry extricated herself from the tangle in which her insane conduct of the night before had involved her. “Ho, Tony! Won’t we have fun? I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of a house party before. And to think I’m getting two of Stanton’s most popular celebrities! I’ll bet the reporters will make the Jonson farm their headquarters for the next two!” “It’s peachy of you and Nils to ask us out,” Tony replied, with apparently no guile. “The farm will do wonders for Crys. Just what she needs.” “That’s just what we said,” Cherry affirmed sweetly. “We talked it over last night—Nils and I—and I agreed to stay in and help Crystal get ready for the trip. Doesn’t she look marvelous already, just at the thought of a convalescence on the farm?” “Yo’ need me any mo’. Miss Tony?” Annebeile asked, who was obviously having great difficulty in controlling her mirth “What Ah gonna say to all dem rep’ter boys? Yo’ paw say he ain’t gonna hang •round all day, answerin’ de bell and de phone fo’ you.” „ “Tell ’em its all a mistake, Annabelle, that I never flew a plane in my life, that I didnt make any endurance record." Tonly laughed. “Tell ’em it was two other girls.” . "Aw, Miss Tony—’’ Annabelle ex-

, office the pint flask was at her own lips, and she was drinking deep. “Gawd! I needed that!” she breathed, as she passed the remainder of the liquor to Ruth Lester. “So Baby-face beat you at your own game, did she, Big Boy?” “It—looks like it," McMann admitted, and began to read al'ud from the first of the four sheets of j typing that he held in his not quite i steady hand: j “Martha Manning, in the guise ! of Letty Miller, a cleaning woman, killed Henry P. Borden. .My reasons for this conclusion are: “1. The hands of ’Letty Miller’ and Martha Manning are identical. When Letty Miller was telling Mr. McMann her story, I observed a yellow stain upon the nail and first joint of the index finger of her right hand. When Martha Manning was being interviewed by Mr. McMann, I observed the same stain, and knew that it had been made bynicotine. In all other respects also the hands of the two apparently different women were identical. “2. ‘Letty Miller’ wears glasses habitually. Martha Manning was not wearing glasses today or when she called twice upon Mr. Hayward, and apparently had no need for them when Mr. Hayward gave her insurance literature to read in his presence. “Yet across the base of Martha Manning’s nose was a small indentation, such as is made by the wearing of spectacles. “3. Martha Manning was undoubtedly in this building on Friday evening, when Jake Bailey was here with Mr. Borden, leaving a few minutes after 9 through the main entrance. “Yet, according to Mrs. Pellow, in charge of the cleaning women, only cleaning women passed through the lobby of the Starbridge building between 9 and 9:25 Friday night. Therefore, Martha Manning must have been a cleaning woman. “Being a cleaning woman, she possessed a passkey, which permitted her free access to all offices, but only Letty Miller, since she cleans Mr. Hayward’s offices, could have been familiar with his offices and known of the automatic in his desk. "And only a cleaning woman employed on this floor could have entered and left offices on this floor on Saturday without having been noticed and asked on Monday to give an account of her movements. “Repeated questionings of tenants on the floor Saturday afternoon and of elevator operators have failed to give any evidence of visitors in the corridor or in Mr. Hayward’s corridor, not already questioned by the police. “4. According „o the manager of the Acropolis hotel and other employes whom I questioned today, Martha Manning, during the last three weeks, has been absent from the hotel on week days, except Saturday, from 3:30 in the afternoon until 9:30 at night. “On Saturdays she has not been in the hotel between a 11:45 and 4:30. Three weeks ago—the Monday following Christmas day, Letty Miller began her work as a cleaning woman In the Starbridge building. Her hours are 4 to 9 each evening, except Saturday, when they are from 12 to 4.” a tt n THE detective paused to shift the sheets in his hand so that the second page of single-spaced typing should be uppermost, but Ruth Lester interrupted: “The rest is just a connected story of the entire case, but please don’t read any more now. She’s coming to.” “I guess I’ve read enough,” McMann admitted heavily. “So you win the $5,000, Miss Lester! Well . . . ny hat’s off to you!” “I told you I’d give you half,” Ruth reminded him. “But, oh, let’s not talk of money now. . . . Letty! Letty!” she called softly, her lips almost brushing the deathly pale face against her breast—the thin, lined face that had only need-

postulated, rolling her coal-black eyes. “Well, then, Annabelle, if you insist on being disgustingly truthful, tell them that for every interview they get from Sandy Ross, I’il give ’em one; for every picture he consents to pose, I’ll pose one. Tell them I said: ‘Far be it from me to accept more honor and glory than my honorec. colleague in aviation—Mr. Sandy Ross.’ Got that, Annabelle?” “I’ll tell ’em you said, ‘No,’ but I’ll make it kinda nice-like,’ Annabelle grinned. “Wont do no good to hu’t nobody's feelins.” “Attagirl!” Tony applauded. “Now scuttle home, and be sure you take good care of Pat for me. Get out his heavies and bully him in to putting them on. Forward any mail to me—especially letters from mother, but I'll break your neck if you tell any one where I’ve gone!” When Annabelle had “scuttled” Faith said: “The morning paper is full of plans for celebrating your achievement, Tony. Do you think it’s wise to disappoint t) em all? “City Fathers Plan Banquet for Stanton Heroine,” she quoted smilingly. “Rubbish!” Tony dismissed the subject. “Think how much money they’ll save if I don’t let myself be feted! Wouldn’t I look a fool setting myself up as a heroine, with Sandy Ross doing the Lindbergh modesty stunt? “Not that Sandy’s imitating Lindbergh!” she denied quickly. “But after we’d make our silly old records, out in Los Angeles, Sandy and I agreed to stick up for our rights to be private citizens. . . . Got an offer to go into the movies, by the way. Me and Ruth Elder! I don’t blame her. but . . . Well, all set? If you're eoing to drive, Cherry, may I bring Hope?” (To Be Continued)

ed -a complete lack of the brilliant make-up that Martha Manning affected to be remarkably well “disguised.” The dark-fringed eyelids fluttered, opened wide at last to reveal a pair of great, tragic brown eyes that were content to rest for a moment upon the sweetness and beauty of Ruth Lester’s face. Then partial comprehension came for those tragic eyes became filled with terror, rolled wildly from one face to another in the circle that hemmed her in. But with the comprehension came cunning, for it was not Martha Manning’s lovely throaty contralto that spoke, but the flat, monotonous, timid voice of Letty * filler. “I—l’m sorry. I must have fainted. I—l haven’t been very well lately. The—black pigeon startled me, fluttering up just as I came into the room. . . But you wanted to see me, sir?” And Martha Manning, who thought she was still I itty Miller to Detective Sergeant McMann and all those others looking at her so compassionately, struggled to rise. Between them, Ruth and Jack Hayward assisted the thin, calicoclad figure to a comfortable position in one of the chairs about the big table in the center of the outer office. “Feeling better? How about a little more of the whisky?” McMann asked gruffly, but not unkindly, a when he had seated himself opposite the erstwhile scrubwoman. “Lefty Miller” shock her head and lifted one of those betraying hands to her hail-. When her weakly trembling fingers encountered the smooth bands of her own dark hair, instead of the lank strands of gray which they expected, her eyes went blank for a moment, then widened and widened until they were enormous with terrified comprehension, as their gaze clung to the detective’s face. tt tt tt BUT not even thfit hard-boiled third-degree artist could long endure the ordeal of meeting those eyes. His own dropped, and with what Ruth Lester knew was real kindness, he answered the question which Martha Manning’s terrible eyes were asking by slowly pulling the gray wig from his pocket and laying it on the table before the woman. “So—you know?” The ashen lips hardly stirred with the whisper. McMann cleared his throat loudly: Ruth’s hand wavered out, was taken in a strong grip by Jack Hayward’s. Slowly, portentously, the detective spoke: “Martha Manning, I arrest you for the murder of Henry P. Borden, and it is my duty to warn you that anything you say may be used against you!” As those words were being spoken, Martha Manning’s thin body straightened slowly, stiffened against the chair back, but before the detective had completed his official warning to his prisoner, her breast rose high on a great breath of what Ruth was oddly sure was relief. “May I ask—how?” Martha Manning spoke then, almost steadily, in the lovely contralto voice which had been described so many times during the investigation. “Miss Lester—” McMann began, and hesitated. “I thought so.” The pale lips almost smiled, but without malice. “She was the only one I feared—because she was fighting for the man she loves.. . . . And they say love is blind. ... It may be—sometimes—” and the tragic eyes glanced toward the spot where Harry Borden had fallen and died. McMann shifted in his chair, either embarrassed or impatient. “If you’d like to make a confession. Miss Manning—though I don't mind telling you the case is pretty complete without it—l’ll take you now to the distric attorney’s office. Oherwise—remand you to jail—preliminary hearing—await action of the grand jury—” “The district attorney’s office?” The lovely voice quivered with dismay, and the great eyes sought Ruth’s, appealingly. “I’m willing to make a full confession—oh, not just willing! “I want to tell—for the peace of my soul, but can’t I—make my statement here? Miss Lester is an expert stenographer. I want it to be over quickly, among my friends.” And those tragic eyes flashed a glance of gratitude and affection toward Jack Hayward, who stood beside her, his arm about Ruth Lester’s shoulders. “We—ell, if you won’t try to repudiate it later—” McMann conceded. “I shall not repudiate anything I tell you now, for it will be the whole truth,” Martha Manning assured him quietly. “But—if you don’t mind, I’d rather—this girl—” and her eyes flicked their first malice at Rita Dubois. tt a a THE dancer sprang to her feet. “O. K. with me, Miss Manning! But say, don’t get any hate on me! I didn’t want your man! . . . How about it, Big Boy?” and she whirled excitedly toward the detective. “Miss Dubois had nothing to do with Harry’s—death,” Miss Manning informed the detective. “He was alive when she came, he gave her the torn half of a bill, and she left him—still alive.’ “All right, Rita!” McMann decided, after a frowning silence. “You can rush out to get a lawyer for your husband. He’ll need it. Miss Manning’s story can’t help him.” ' “Thanks a million times, Miss Manning! You’re a peach—l don’t care what you did!” And Rita paused at the door long enough to waft a fingertip kiss to the murderess, who had turned in her chair and was gravely watching the departure of the woman who had won j the love of “Handsome Harry” Borden. “Willing to act as stenographer in an official capacity, Miss Lester?” McMann asked Ruth, when the door had closed upon the dancer. “Yes,” Ruth answered, and slipped out of the half-circle of her sweetheart’s arm to get notebook and

the mins

OUR BOARDING HOUSE

"BRItJs .THAT' UMRY HAW, EGAD THE §■ -PROFESSOR -pcRK- AROUND W6RE JgC D"oKE IS Too 6ool> To KEEP || f ASAIKi, OR I'llTnrf A MOP-HANDLE *TgL To MVSEL’F/—. PROFESSOR f|| I -poulKi HIS hIECK AH’ WA* EVER'/, ¥ DoRK OF DRESDEN, IS MY OLl> £ TLOOR TRIS House U)iYH Him/s Jr TRiekld CHARLEY uIkTS /~~ % I MEAii IY/vwl UeOeß Jk CHARLEY is Avi EXPERT If pi. ALL MY LIFE HAT> ANYBODY GoAT- SETTER ~ AW'D HE CAM I BURkJ me UP LIKE that boll- •ft VOoRK AiJYBopY IATo a FREiJxV gl WEEVIL U)ITH HIS ARGOUiG / <g|. WITH H\S IPPvTATIkIg TALK he \su 7 r my size, Bar m aHp seemiMG insults/- t--2.7 I'LL PUT him 04 STILTS, AfP - UoT A WORD To MACK p SLAP HIM uHTiL His EARS. AKID "BUSTeR CHARLEY f= t FLAPPING Is / IS COMIKIG BACK TANARUS& WoRK'JP^ o 4 THEM, AHD You CAKi Hf lii i j - -/ j I jp

BOOTS AND HER BUDDIES

fIMWRRY \ 1M HtP l READ A(j ' Y\P [ YIPI CON<WATULA’hOW& > \ UAO TV\' LEUfcR. YOU bLSY HEAPO TH SUGAR , 1 BOOTS - TIME T6WF YOU LEFT OK> Yrt' HOY MEWS. CLAD YO | TK'LOWDOWN VLOOP. —GEE, VCD “ SHORTY HATS SEE YA YELL US 1 OK) I'M 6LAD OTT YO YHE. 6E.YYIIO' UP 111 ALL ABOUT I BABE- LWTLE 6\RL IM YH' YT, BABY 1

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS

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WASHINGTON TUBBS II

f 2,500, 000 TMA7AS CoONTrO OUT ff ONLY TvJO OOMtOS, AH' t NEED A POIEIkL IN A CHEST To PAY Trt' TROOPS, AN* ] jOH YrtELL, 60TTA MALE Trf MOST OF t T. v-' l TH* lOYAL TREASURY LOCKED AN 1 / / YOU STAY AT Ttt‘ TREASURY, AN* 1

SA SAM

C Yoafee <=s don’t get I (No kidoim’ - why, t r u_ eex Yo. In HIS FIRST SKETCH howdy* \ RtY<EY WITH OON’T EYEM KNOW WHAT A FOUL TRYOOT WITH I THOUGHT YA SAID j ME., * 6P.LL (S, SAM l CINCINNATI YOU wee BfM_L )\ ft (A A BALL .■— , saw aooYeo PLAYesO. / player*. //Ton, Don’t t? its a GUY 4(ol'(4 V . ..I-/"/ // \BY TU’ NAME. OF 60XZL6MCHANCES (N SF'S- If - it / . V. t WORKED FER HIM PER the field, •/ if xkrS Years! STRUCK our * * '• I^7_d_ / \ > 5-OUTA FOUR ikV f TH’ NE*T ONE--1.1.1 toot ' I.

mum ’n pup

THE BUUK OF KNOWLEDGE

Hymns always have played an important part in worship and the writers of hymns often have been Liuther set Europe great Christian leaders. Martin Luther, one of the ablaze bv preaching great figures in the Reformation, wrote several hymns. against the Roman The effect of his hymne was marvelous; people wan- , *- ut 2 ier , burned dered ail over Europe singing as they went. publicly the deed of the Sfc ~ _ W

OUT OUR WAY

By Ahern

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r \Y’s BOWKI WtLV,\ sit ALL OF YOU VCMOW AS MUCH ABOUT YT YH’ RWJtR. AS ICO -1 i>LS'£OT A ISTTES. .OYVtPYDO ME YH* I § wu w™, l ’ our ,T ■.

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, , Luth.r hymn* w.r. a greaorifkienco in t?# birth of Lutnr s 4Ctton helped Protestant church. Among them perhaps the best precipitate religious war- known it. “A Mighty Fortress Is Our Cod." In the fare that raged for thirty castie of the noble and the cottage of the peasant. I years and helped to win Luther’e hymns became the watchword of the Reforma- I

SKETCHES BY BESSEY. SYNOPSIS BY BRAUCHEB

MARCH ‘25,1

—Hv \V!

iJv Martid

B3’ Blosser

By Crane

By Small

Bv Cmvan