There were many men in Ruby’s life and Miss Myra Peet brought three of them to the attention of the police: Spencer Poynter, a tree surgeon and former sailor, a chauffer named George Fredericks, and a man named Alfred E. Smith, who lived in New Zealand.

Smith evidently sent large sums of money to Ruby, and was likely the main source of her income. She earned a little working as an extra in films as well. No one seemed to consider George Reed, Ruby’s ex-husband, a suspect. They had been divorced for some time and there was no indication of any contact between them.

The police took note of this information as they continued to evaluate the crime scene. Ruby’s cold fingers grasped two hairs, evidently torn from her attacker as they fought. The police learned from N. C. Hausman, who occupied the apartment directly underneath Mrs. Reed’s, that he heard sounds of a struggle in Mrs. Reed’s rooms on Tuesday night, at about midnight.

Several letters addressed to Ruby and postmarked from Christchurch, New Zealand littered the floor. The letters were signed Bobby and their contents made it obvious they once contained money.

Fragments of two letters were discovered in the apartment. Someone—probably not Ruby—had viciously torn them to bits. One letter was to Bobby, dated “Tuesday night,” and when police painstakingly reassembled it, they read an acknowledgement she had received the money he sent. Ruby had already prepared the envelope, which she labeled PERSONAL.

The other letter was unfinished. It began “Dear George” and stated that there was enclosed $15. Ruby wrote it was the money he “asked for” and that she didn’t have correct change. There was no trace of the $15.

As the police continued to work, the apartment telephone rang.

“Answer that and tell whoever it is that Mrs. Reed wants him to come here,” one of the detectives barked at Mrs. Anna Touccinne, manager of the apartments.

Whoever it was turned out to be Spencer Poynter, who would become one of the two main suspects in the case. He promised to come right over after Mrs. Touccinne told him Ruby was ill. He arrived thirty minutes later, and the police greeted him with a pair of handcuffs.

When he was questioned that evening, Spencer Poynter gave his address as 723 South Main street and said he was 30 years old. Residents of the apartment said Poynter was infatuated with Mrs. Reed but his feelings did not appear to be reciprocated.

Poynter admitted he had had a late supper with Mrs. Reed at her apartment on Tuesday night and stayed until 11 o’clock but declared he knew nothing of the killing. He said he left because Ruby told him to, explaining that her sweetheart was going to call on her to get some money. Spencer Poynter stayed in custody.

Alfred Smith was not considered a suspect. The police quickly ascertained that he was at home in New Zealand when the murder was committed and did no more information-gathering about him.

Side note: Alfred E. Smith was a popular name at the time in New Zealand, and any of the men with this name might have been the man who corresponded with Ruby and gave her money. I wondered about their connection and found that many New Zealand men named Alfred Smith fought in World War 1. Ruby grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas, which is about 120 miles from Camp Funston, which was used to train American soldiers. It’s not much of a connection, I know! 

That left the chauffeur George Fredericks as the remaining suspect police wanted to see. Officers headed to his home where he was arrested.

Next: George Fredericks