Evening journal., 1897-12-11
BONAI BREAKS DOWN
The Murderer of George Mich.
OILS Weeps in Court.
SOON RECAINS HIS SELF CONTROL
The Slayer Had Implicit Faith In Hh
wife and Would Not Believe She
Betrayed Him Until She
Took the Stand.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn, Dec. 11.-Foi
the first time since Charles Bonai was
placed on trial for his life, charged
with the murder of George Marcus
Nichols the all but proven murderer
manifested signs Of emotion yesterday
He had undergone for three days an al
most unparalleled strain with remarka-
BILE stoicism. Betrayed by his accom-
plice, he still preserved his nonchal-
ance; forced to hear his wife, for whom
he evidenced the greatest love, calmly
detail how she entered into compact
with the officers TO encompass his cap
ture and by her testimony binding about
him chain Of evidence that viii admit
of no palliation, he remained the same
calm and smiling prisoner, but the or
deal at last proved too great, and he
broke down when his counsel, who Is
making a heroic fight to save him from
the gallows, read a passage from an
authority on evidence touching the
rights OF prisoners and confessions OF
statements made by them.
During the argument on this point
Attorney Lynch read an extract from a
decision ruling against the confessions
made by a prisoner, deserted by the
world, who would seize at the least ray
Of hope, and where, as mentioned in
Detective Arnold's interview, Mr.. Lynch
referred TO his despairing cry, you talk
as If they We're going to hang mel" the
tears trickled down the prisoners
cheeks His weakness was but mo-
mentary, for he quickly recovered his
compOsure and resumed his former de-
meanor.
Detective George Arnold, one OF the
men who has helped TO weave the evil
dence against the prisoner, was the
chief witness, and his testimony was in
the main narration of an interview
he had with Bonai after his arrest, in
which the latter admitted that he was
at the Nichols house when the muir
der was committed, but would not ac-
knowledge committing the deed. The
testimony offered by the detective bears
out in every detail the confession made
by Weeks.
At the close of Detective Arnold's
cross examination, Detective Cronan
was on the stand for a short time, and
his testimony was simply corroborative
of Arnold's.
An important feature of the proceed
ings was the almost positive identifica-
tion by Miss Nichols Of the accused man
as the one who led her about the house
in the hunt for money and told her
that he did not care if he had killed
her brother, he could not die any
younger" She identified him by his
curly hair.
During the day Bonai chatted pleas
antly with the deputy sheriffs and com.
mented upon various features of the
trial but made no reference to his wife
Although assured by his lawyer that
she was a conspirator against him, he
never fully believed or realized it unit
he heard her testimony in the witness
chair He has clung to the belief thaf
his wife would not turn traitor, and
had heard from her own lips that sh,
would not take the stand. Therefor,
her testimony was a revelation to him.
ut was but a few days ago that he re-
marked that If his wife remained tru,
TO him he would go to his execution, Il
that were his fate, without putting &
straw in the way.