The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-21
THE AYRES' KILLING
SENSATION NO
LONGER A MYSTERY.
MRS. B0NINE'S STATEMENT.
SHE CLAIMS THE SHOOTING WAS
ACCIDENTAL.

Morning Hour to Talk Over Their
Differences-Arriving There She
Found Him Undressed and with "A
Pistol I'm His Hand-A Struggle I'm
medinteIy Ensued for the weapon.
Several Shots Were Fired, Ayres
Fell and She Left the Room by the
Fire Escape.
Washington, May 20.-The mystery at
tending the killing of James Seymour
Ayres, census office clerk, in the Ken
more Hotel early last Wednesday morn
ing, and which because of the peculiar
circumstances surrounding it, has aroused
Washington more than any tragedy in
several years, was solved to-day by a
voluntary confession from Mrs. Lulu 1.
Bonine, a married woman and a guest at
the house, that the three shots which end
ed Ayres' life had been fired in strug-
gle between herself and Ayres. Mrs. Bo-
nine, whose husband is a drummer for
the wholesale drug house of Dewitt e
Co., of Chicago. explained her presence
in Ayres room at o'clock in the morn
ing by saying that he had come to her
rooIn complaining of chill and asking
for medicine, and had induced ner
to follow him to his room to
talk over some matters of difference
there had been between them. She said
that she dressed herself in a wrapper and
went to his room. He had preceded her
and when she opened the door and walked
in he quickly closed it and informed her
he had enticed her to the room for his
own purposes and said if she did not
submit to his wishes he would kill her.
Ayres, she said, was undresed and had
a revolver in his hand and in the strug-
gle for its possession, which ensued i'm
mediatey after she entered, it was dis
charged three different times, the shots
striking Ayres at each discharge, the last
one proving fatal.
After her statement, which was made
to the chief of police and a number of
other officials. Mrs. Bonine was placed
under arrest and taken to the House of
Detention, where she will be held pend
in the result of the coroner's inquest
which has been in session since Satur-
day, and at which Mrs. Bonine was TO
have appeared tomorrow as a witness.
History of the Tragedy.
The tragedy which resulted in Ayres
death was discovered first about $50
o'clock last Wednesday morning when his
dead body was found in his room a the
Kenmore, a small family hotel situated
not far from the capitol. An examination
of Ayres' body showed that he had been
shot three times, one ball entering the
left leg, another the left arm, and the
third penetrating the heart ana causing
death. Suicide was the first theory ad-
vanced, but statements from two wit
nesses that on the night of the murder
they had seen a woman descending a fire
escape leading from in front of Ayres'
room at the hotel, and disappear into the
parlor of the house ended this theory,
and the killing quickly developed into a
mysterious and sensational affair that
baffled the police until to-day.
Saturday the coroner began his inquest,
but no subs clue was found to con-
meet any person specifically with the
tragedy. The inquest was resumed to-day
and had developed nothing directly bear
irg on the tragedy except that Mrs.
Bonine was much in Ayres' room, when it
was suddenly adjourned on information
that the district attorney and others were
wanted az police headquarters to hear a
statement made by Mrs. Bonine
Its substance as related by Maj. Syl-
vester, chief of police, is as follows:
Mrs. Bonine's Statement.
Mrs. Bonine acknowledged that she was
present when the shooting occurred. She
said that sometime prior to March there
had been a disagreement between herself
and Ayres, and that their friendly rela-
tions had been broken until this morn
ing before the tragedy, when she
became friendly with him again
She said she had no watch nor clock to
tell the time, but some time in the morn
ing. presumably about 2 o'clock. Ayres
knocked on her door. She opened it, and
he told her he thought he was going
to have a chill and wanted to know If
she had anything that would prevent it,
She said that she thought she had some
laxative quinine and went to her boys
room, adjoining hers, to get it. In the
meantime he vas standing in the hall
He was dressed in his pants, coat and
undershirt. When. she came back she
said she could not find the quinine. Ayres
threw his arm over her shoulder and ask |
ed her If she would not come over to
his room, where they would talk over their
differences To this she assented, saying
she would go as soon as she could |
dress herself. She had been i'm bed
when he aroused her. and went to
the door in her night gown. Ayres left |
her and went back to his room. She dress |
ed herself, putting on all her clothes ex- |
cept her corset, including a wrapper. She |
then went to his room opened the door |
and entered. Ayres stood behind the door,
and as soon as she entered he slammed it |
and bolted the lock. He was attired only |
in his night shirt and had a revolver in |
his right hand She was very much agi- !
tated and attempted TO make a break to-
ward the window to get out. He went |
over and threw his left arm around her, |
saying
Il guess you will listen TO me now"
The struggle for the Pistol.
Ayres still had the pistol IN his right |
hand She grabbed II with her right hand |
and threw 1t up and II went of. In the |
struggle which followed she got hold OF |
the weapon with both hands. She does |
not know how many shots were fired and |
does not remember anything about what |
took place until Ayres fell over against I
her and his blood spurted over her shoul- |
der Mrs. Bonine said II was she who |
cried for help and moaned.
Miss Minas who occupied the next |
room. had testified TO hearing means, but |
said she was too frightened to give an
alarm.
Mrs Bonine said she then went through |
the window and down the fire escape to
the second floor where there Is landing. |
She passed through the parlor and up /
stairs 70 her room on the fourth floor.
She then washed her hands and the |
wrapper which she wore. Mrs.
Bonine declared that she had |
never been intimate with Ayres, but
that when she went into the room that |