Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-05-23
| WASHINGTON MYSTERY
IS PARTLY CLEARED
Mrs. Ida Boninc Confesses That
Size Killed Census Office
Clerk Ayres.
lNsuLTED AND mEHacsD HER
slaims lie Mado Improper Proposals
Threatening Her with Revolver,
Which She Grabbed and
Turned on Him.

washington. May 25.-INe mystery
attending the killing of James Sey-
mour Ayers. census office clerk. In
the Fennimore hotel. early last Wednes-
day morning, and which, because OF
the peculiar circumstances surrounds
ing 1t has aroused Washington more
than any tragedy in several years. has
been solved by voluntary confession
from Mrs. Lulu 1. Bonnie, a married
CONAN and guest at the house. that
ended Ayers life.
Mrs. Bonine's confession was entire
ly voluntary. Yesterday afternoon she
telephoned for Major Sylvester, chief
of police, and she appeared there a
few minutes afterward.
She stated that Ayres had drawn a
pistol upon her for the purpose of maxi
ing her respond to an improper pro
posal which he had made TO her, and
that she Immediately grasped the re-
Nolver and in the struggle which en-
sued 1t was discharged three different
times, striking him at each discharge
the last shot proving fatal. She says
that her cries for help which Miss Min
as heard were all from her, as We're
also the sobbing which Miss Minas des-
cribed.
Mrs. BONNIE says that after the shoot
ing she passed through the window Of
Ayres' room onto and down the fire.
escape ladder and entering the parlo1
parlor window of the second floor
passed through the parlor and back up
the stairway of the MOTEL to her own
room on the fourth floor. She then
washed her hands, undressed and re-
tired.
Mrs. Bonine was entirely self-possessed
when she made her confession and did not
exhibit any evidence of either present OF
past unusual excitement. She is ap7ar
emily about 80 years old and says she was
born IN Macon, Mo. She then moved tic
Hamilton, In the same state, and after
wards to Richmond. Kan. where her hus-
band was engaged in the drug business.
Subsequently She went to Brunswick, Ga,
and then to Florida, where her husband
was engaged in orange growing. She says
that 1t was at her husbands solicitation
that she practiced with a revolver, and
that he had made the suggestion that she
should learn this art of self-defense
against possible assaults. She said she
had twice in her life fired a revolver to
brighten burglars and that she had
brought a bulldog revolver with her to
Washington, but had given 1t away TO a
negro man
After she had concluded her statement
the woman Was placed under arrest and
sent to the house of detention.
He Id to Grand Jury.
The coroner's jury returned verdict
this afternoon to the effect that Ayers
was killed dug conflict between
himself and Mrs. Lola Ida Henri Bo-
nine The woman was held to the
grand jury.
Before the jury rendered its verdict
a number of witnesses We're heard. An
effort was made to show that Miss
Minas could easily have heard voices
through the door connecting her room,
with that of Ayres. and lights could
have been seen through the cracks.
Detectives testified to this effect. hui
Miss Minas declared she saw no light.
on the night of the shooting. She also
testified that the cries she heard com
Ing from Ayres' room We're made by a
mans voice, not by woman's. Shq
is positive the voice was not that OF
Mrs. BONNIE
District Attorney Gould said Mrs.
laonine had decided not to appear be.
fore the coroner's jury.