The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-28
TEE AYERS Case MYSTERY
4 Letter Found Which May Great
ly Aid the Authorities.

Discovered Torn into Bits in Re- ON
Adjoining the One where the
Tragedy Occurred - Efforts Made
to Identify the Handwriting.
A letter torn into scraps and found in
one of the rooms adjoining the one occu-
pied by James Seymour Ayers. jr, may
play an important part in the Kenmore
Hotel mystery II is now in the possession
OF the District Attorney and every effort
Is being made TO identify the handwrit-
ing
Just what Is contained in this commun-
icaJiOn the authorities are unwilling to
state. but 1t is understood that so much
significance Is attached TO the letter that
1t Is guarded with the greatest secrecy.
and although it has been in the possession
of the authorities for over a week they
have prevented the public from getting
any knowledge of the facts.
The address ard the signature are rath-
er indistinct but it is understood that the
text is such as to severely compromise
the writer whom the detectives and those
attached to the District Attorneys Office
are eXerting every effort to definitely To-
cate Several detectives We're also busily
engaged today IN the endeavOr to locate
the owner of the pistol with which Ayers
was shot. and which was sold at the store
OF a Pennsylvania Avenue dealer Feb
ruary 10. 1890.
One of the detectives is working upon
the theory that an error was made by
the salesman III taking the name and ad-
dress Of the purchaser, which on the
books of the dealer appear as I. G
Sweebiu. SIS h Street northwest This
detective says that at that time Nj War
field was not only the proprietor of the
kenmore Hotel but also kept a boarding
house at $50 H Street northwest. He be
ueves that 533 might very readily have
been enormously entered in place of 933,
and that as there was a number OF stu
dents from the Columbian College SIedi-
cal School at the II Street house it might
very readily have been bought by one Of
them and afJerward found its way to the
kenmore
II is also stated that the exchange OF
boarders between the H Street house and
the Kenmore Hotel was of frequent oc-
cUrrence, and that 1t would have been ex-
trsmely easy for the weapon to find its
way into the Kenmore.
The finding of the owner of it is con
seQuently a matter that the police, as well
as the District Attorney, are determined
to accomplish. Mr. WarfieId was cues
toned regarding any boarder with name
similar to SweebiU, but could recall no
such person. He stated that he was more
than anxious to lend the police every aid
II his power to solve the mystery
It is stated by Assistant District At
toTney TaggaTt- who viii have charge Of
the case before the grand jury that it is
his purpose to bring the matter TO the
attention of that body next Monday He
believes that it VIII require the entire
week for the hearing Of the witnesses
that VIII be called to testify before the
grand jury and consequently he hardly
hopes for an Indictment within ten days
or two weeks.
Mrs Bonine rested quite as well as
usual in her cell at the jail last night and
arose much refreshed this morning Her
appetite continues good, hut It is evident
that she is much disappointed by the &C
ton Of Justice Barnard yesterday, as she
had been led to believe by her advisers
that her release on bail would probably
be only matter Of q few days. Her only
caller this morning was her husband who
remained with her for several hours.
Miss Minas was at the District Attor-
neys Office this morning for an hour in
consultation with Mr.. Gould. She went
over her testimony before the C0roners
jury, but communicated nothing new To
the officials regarding the case.