The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-10
BONArS WIFE TELLS ALL.
BETRlYS HER HUSBAND IN TIE
B0PH OF AIDING HER BROTHER.

~ NAgb AouNh Eeta Hot Huh HtoIoh1 80
nziss Hiehei Fired st him Before ne Fired
-Honai,s Hiblicsi Courtship-The Accused
MAS Remains Sailing and Composed.
BRIDoEPoRT. Conn.,, Dec. e.-MaRRie. the girl
wife Of Charles Bonai, the accused murderer Of
George Marcus Nichols, went on the stand to-
day ne q witness for the prosecution and be-
trayed her husband. who risked his life to SEQ
her. Sbc was the only witness today. She re-
peated to the jury tho story as It came from
her husbands lips a few hours after the das.
tardly crime at Nicholas house. She told free
ly everything that hadSoccurred at her homo
subsequent to the murder, of the assistance she
gave to her husband and her brother, how she
concealed thom for three days in her bedroom
In hcr Huntington home. and then accom-
panied them to the station when they fed to
escape arrest. She unhesitatinRly told Of her
tronchery TO her conhding husband, and Of the
trap which she aided in laying to catch him.
Mrs. Bonai showed that she Is q remarkable
woman. She was attired In O dark dress. and
q large black hat, trimmed with back and rcd,
rot off her rather pretty face to advantage. She
glanced scornfully at her husband. whose eyes
followed. every movement she made, but after
q single glance she kept her eyes directed
straight ahead. Mrs. Bonai's manner was at
times soornful as abe related what had occurred.
Under REORGANIZATION her nerve failed her
for o moment, and sho almost wept on the wit
ness stand. Then her whole attitude changed
as Attorney Lynch piled her with questions,
and In a short time she was battling with the
skilful attorney for her husband, ~parrying his
questions successfully. Bonai's manner did
not change one iota. He was tho Same smiling,
composed man. II no had bitter feelings, II he
was angry, or II there was revenge in his heart,
he successfully concealed them all. But he
did not lose q word that dropped from the lips
- ~ ..n..- III lo-A Co. r-h1,. ro.xI<>l L.
his arrest.
There was q breeze of excitement when State
Attorney Fessenden called for Mira. Bonai. The
Court explained to her that she had O right to
testify or decline to, just as she saw At. Mrs.
Bonai said her name was Marguerite Eliza
beth Bonai. She was married to the prisoner
on June 15. 1897. David Weeks is her brother.
In response to Mr.. Fessenden she said she
was at home on the morning of July %. Her
husband and her brother came homo about
|, 4:30 O'Clock. They raped on the window and
she let them in. Bonai camo In first Contin-
uing, she said:
'They came in all wet. They changed their
coats and lay down. Mr.. Bonai wanted to tell
me what had happened. he said they had been
to Trumbull. They had robbed Mr.. Nichols
and shot him. They got some money and they
divided II in my room. He told me that they
f Spsd' at IT him. hin a0T Th OF MI Miss nO Sieh Sds f Me; N' Then
she blew out the light and he fired. Then he
f fSey stayed ME; f ho%a fr sss' rh hun; S0e until aR sunday SnEs;
night; We took David to New Haven then.
and the eT next t, morning 4 g 1 t took ME- Mr.; B To- 9 t9 stFa +
stratford,. and Mr., Bonai asked US to go as far
as New York with him Before we went to
s Shieh he s nS f pssid me- lad Z At sI tSs Nichols IsT Souse.
He took David's 3s-calibre revolver and his
the pieces away as they drove along. The
frames he dropped into o pond He told me
that DaIid's nerve gave out and he wanted to
."Isaw him again tho following Saturday night.
He came to the house. It was in the evening.
only about ten minutes, and wont away because
he said the detectives were following him. I
i've minutes. Some time in August he came
back to the house at midnight. He raped on
S Sas St to see how how things hin ~ WERE eo hs .a'f ae es st sS@s
only a short time: He came home about Sept.
they came NJ, once in q while. He came home
ago. His little brother was s. staying there and
brought him back again, and It was coon after
that our courtship began. 1 was living at Ben:
me- he was httlns himself ! for the missionary ~
service. He gave me q Bible. We used to talk
discuss This subject, ard he explained passages
in the Bible ! did not understand. We became
engaged in 1896, After that he went away, but
wrote to me frequently.
After my brother John was arrested / knew
that 1 could not help my husband. / knew 1t
was an unprovoked murder and that IL they
were caught they would be hanged. I thought
II my brothers were caught and threw them
selves on the mercy of the Court 1t might help
them. l couldn't do anything for my husband,
90 l thought this was the best way"
In reply to questions she said she never told
her husband that Detective Arnold would en-
ploy good counsel for Dave II he would surren-
der. No portion of the reward fo' the convic-
ton of her husband had been promised to her
or her mother. David, she said, did not tell her
about the shooting of Mr.. Nichols. Her hus-
band told her.
The electric wire was put in q month before
tho arrest. She knew the house was watched
all the time. because she had seen the officers
walking about. There was an understanding
with her that she should press the button. She
agreed with Mr.. Arnold to do It,. The day the
arrest was made, Mrs. Bonai said. her brother
went downstairs about dark. She was with her
husband in her room. She turned the light
down because he wished 1t. She remembered
her mother coming up to their room. From tho
time of his arrival until dark David stayed in
her room. She denied that anything had been
said about powders to stupefy her husband OF
that she had told him anything Of the kind.
Haven't you. been told that II your brother
surrendered and you helped to capture Bonai It
would save your brothers neckf' asked Mr..
Lynch.