The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-04
MAY INFORM ON BoNAL
weeks Expected to Turn states Evidence in
the Nichols Case.

weeks Expected 70 Turn sthts's Evidence in |
the Nichols Gaze.
B~RIpoEPoRT, Conn.,, Nov. 3.-Charles Bonai,
one OF tho alleged murderers OF aged George
Marcus Nichols, will probably go to the gallows,
and David Weeks, his brother.in.luw, who is
also charged with tho samc crime, will escape
with imprisonment for life. Maggie, the girl
wife OF Bonai, Is a sister OF Weeks. 1t is known
that Bonai ia devoted to his wife, and 1t was to
sec her that he came back to her home In Hun
tington, where he was captured. For the sake
of his wife he will try and protect her brother.
David. and for several days 1t has been said that
Weeks will tell all he knows of the crime, and
that Bonai is aware OF 1t, and, for the sake of his
wife, and to save her brothers life. offers no OBJ
lection.
Bonai's self.possession has left him. He 10
nervous, and when Sheriff Hawley led him
through the courtroom to the Grand Jury room
he seemed to be on tho verge OF q collapse. To-
day In the Grand Jury room Miss Mary Nichols,
the sister Of the murdered man, and who herself
was seriously wounded the night Of the murder
by tho robbers, and the two men who are to be
tried for their lives for committing the crime,
| met face to face. Tho night Of the murder Miss
Nichols did not get a look at the face Of either
of the men, but they were very talkative, and tho
sound OF their voices made such an impression
on her that she has never forgotten them. Yes
terday at tho Jail she identified the voice OF
Bonai as that OF one Of the men who shot her
brother, and to-day the Identification was even
more certain.
| Stat s Attorney Fesscnden tonight urged
an immediate trial Of the cases. Judge Rob
inson assigned tho trials for next Tuesday. At
torney J. b. Klein, ex.Congrcssman Deforest's
law partner. will defend Weeks. and Attorney
J. T Lynch will appear for Charles Bonai. Both
r vvallknrvyn rrtpninal In yyypre What owl
dence the State has in its possession to connect
the men with tho crime is unknown. The au-
thorities say they have enough to convict. Mrs.
Bonai will not DO put on the stand TO testify
against her husband.
Miss Kate Nichols to-day identified Bonai and
Weeks as the men who robbed her fathers
house last March and got away with over
5000. Her father, an aged man. and her.
self were tied to their beds with ropes by the
robbers when they left the house after securing
the money. At that time also the robbers were
very talkative. and allowed their masks 10 show
part OF their faces while eating u lunch which
they took from the pantry. Miss Nichols got n
good look at the men. She also noticed that one
OF the men wore a pair of trousers with an
irregular patch on the seat. In Wceks's house
soon after the murder o. George Marcus Nichols
a pair OF trousers was found with a patch suci
as Miss Kate Nichols described as those worn
by one OF the robbers.
The authorities have the record of Bonai in
New York state. On Easter sunday night in
1855, Bonai, with his brother Peter and a pal
NAMED mar So yA ANDY of GG ,h , R;h killed Gii Tann pyk Miib 4
Ratchet ami tooS from the body $50 in money
and n silver watch. The watch WAS later found
in u pawnshop in Brooklyn. where Peter Bonai
had pledged it three days after. Dykcman WAS
an Old man. and the three planned to shoot him
mel. The trio decided that the shooting might
arouse some pnssers-by, and other means were
too! house near by, and with these weapons the
murder was accomplishea without unae, essnry
noise; C Charles honai was a; arr for nD TITS hm,
MED it, but said that Colbert was the guilty man.
Colbert was arrested at ionkcrs. He said that
murder. The New York Central Railroad Of.
fered a reward of 81 900 for the conviction OF
others. We're able TO escape. One month later
Kid Mccarthy, was taken into the gang, and
Colbert t%It Iqn" "onfesseG du't and Bon nS'"" was 81 sent
to Dannemora for twelve years. Colbert
iEsSs5 at t" amsnls s'% snd M Nc . sihH S N@s sa 'Sf t., @
the Elm mira aa pd E@ r. last st D De- e NH r
burglary and waited for Peter TO take u hand in
the JOB. He did no. arrive nIin and James shnnra,
crooks. was taken in; The. gang visited tho
Dutchess county. They tied the old man AMI
headboard with bullets and thoroughly terror
ii1ing the couple. proceeded TO enjoy themselves;
cooked themselves a good meal. They remained
in the house two or three hours;
StthllDR u tcuIl ITbll ~ htiBnDOT tHtN uTbNB
to the nearest station on the New York Cen.
trail. On the way Bonai instructed his pals to
vet we're eg stS on the a rlshs sell fl' tnS I'll f lives ws dsSPly ~ 1hsS
weeks later the same gang broke into the house
Of an old farmer named Fuller at Pine Plains.
Fuller lived with his mother and two maiden
sisters. The farmer showed fight and there
was some swift shooting. In the fracas one OF
Bonai promptly sent a bullet through 1t, shat.
tering the amp and putting out the lignt.
The mother became hysterical, and was max
ing too mIJh noise to suit the burglars, They
forced her to take laudanum, and then tied her
u her bed. nonai was 100 murderous 70 suit
continue at the point OF his pistol. The house
THs robbed and M the t5s 9EIa away safely. on n
whom ho WAS intimate OF the robbery. and in
revenge for some slight she told of it. He was
ten years In Sing Sing, where he now is.
.Bonai WAS the brains OF all these gangs, and
planned all the robbories. He was very blood.
thirsty and always ready to shoot. His bold.
ness was noticeable in oil OF them. He visited
his second visit he obtained an old silver watch
that the old man had AS a keepsake. Lamorie
begged to @, retain eds Il Rand and sa aiid>6 he You'd h;nI J. give The i
and said that he would return for the money.
True TO his word he did return and took not
only the SO the old man had promised him. but
the watch ANA everything else of value he could
find in the house.
These are only n part of the or mes that the
officers declare to be the work OF this man. The
same plan was followed in each one OF them.
There was the same cool. deliberate yillainy and
contempt OF danger in each case; The burglars
always talked with their victims and often
helped Themselves 10 whatever they could, find
any hurry to leave and took their time in search
ing for valuables. The same methods were fol
lowed at the murder OF Marcus Nichols and
the burglary at Nichols Farms. Bonai and hi;
pals were always masked and the victims al
ways remembered his peculiarly piercing eyes
which appeared black in the shadow OF the
mask.
Peter Bonai has not been heard from in years
and no one knows what has became OF him. liz
WAS mol concerned In any OF the jobs which hi,
brother was interested in after his release frOn
DannemOra.