Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-21
MYSTERY IS SOLVED
BY WOMANS CONFESSION.
n HOW SHE KILLED JAMES
SEYMOUR AYRES.
WAS SHOT DURING A STRUGGLE
AYRES ENTICED HER TO HIS
ROOM AND THREATENED
TO MURDER HER.

teTy ditcuuluS IHc hlIiHs OF James Sey-
mour Ayres, a census Office clerk, in the |
Kenmore hotel, early last Wednesday
morning, and which because of the pc
culiar circumstances surrounding it, has
aroused Washington on more than any
tragedy in several years, vas solved to-
day by a voluntary confession from Mrs.
Lulu I. BONNIE, a married woman and a
guest at the house, that the three shots
which ended Ayres' life, were fired in
a struggle between herself and Ayres.
Mrs. BONNIE, whose husband is a
drummer for the wholesale drug house
of Dewitt & Company, of Chicago, ex-
planned her presence in Ayres' room at
2 O'Clock in the morning by saying that
he had come to her room complaining
of a chill and asking for medicine and
had induced her to follow him to his
room to talk over some matters of diff
ference 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 that 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 undressed and had a revolver
in his hand and in a struggle for its
possession which ensued Immediately
after she entered, it was discharged
three different times, the snots 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. Bonnie was placed
under arrest and taken to the house of
detention where she will be held pend
ing the result of the ~coroner's inquest.
which has been in session since Satur-
day, and t which Mrs. Bonine was to
have appeared tomorrow as a witness.
The tragedy which resulted in Ayres'
death was discovered first about half
past 8 o'clock last Wednesday morning
when his dead body was discovered in
his room at the Kenmore, a small fam
lily hotel of very moderate prices. stu
ated not far from the capitol. The lead
mans full name was James Seymour
Ayres. He was between 20 and 81 years
of age and lived in Port Austin. Mich.
before coming to Washington as a clerk
in the census Office. His father is a
man of some standing in Republican
State politics in Michigan. An exami-
nation OF Ayres' body showed hat he
had been shot three times. one ball en-
tering the left leg, another the left arm
and lie third penetrating the heart and
causing death. Suicide was the first
theory advanced, but statements from
two witnesses that on the night of the
murder they had seen a woman de-
scending a fire escape leading from in
front Of Ayres' room at the hotel and
disappear into the parlor OF the house.
Nh0Nt Shfo IhNOts w TIC hiltluk uuiCk-
ly developed into a mysterious and SEN
sational affair that bafied the police
until to-day The police were hamper
ed In their efforts to find the party who
did the killing from the fact that it was
eight hours after the crime was com
mitted before it was reported to them.
The whole detective force was put to
work on the case and gradually facts
were developed which pointed to Mrs.
BONNIE as a guest OF the hotel with
whom Ayres had been on very friendly
terms and with whom he had had a
falling out. Saturday the coroner be-
gan his inquest summoning guests and
employees of the hotel, experts and 9th
ers but no substantial clue was found
to connect any person specifically with
the tragedy. The inquest was resumed
to-day, and had developed nothing d.
rectly bearing on the tragedy except
that Mrs. Bonine was much in Ayres'
room when il was suddenly adjourned
on information that the district attor-
enys and others were wanted at police
headquarters to hear a statement made
by Mrs. Bonine. Detective Ed. Horne.
who was assigned to abserve Mrs. Bon
ines doings and to keep in as close
communication with her as possible.
mad subjected her to several rigid ex-
aminations but without result until this
afternoon when she told her story to
him in his private capacity and then
asked his advice as to what was the
best course TO pursue under the circum-
stances He promptly advised her to
tell all she knew and arrangements
were made for a full and complete re-
cital OF the deed at the Office OF Major
Sylvester. the superintendent oil police.
before going to police headquarters.
however. Mrs. Bonine asked that she be
allowed to tell the story to her husband
who was at the police station at the
police station at the time. This she
was permitted to do. She asserted with
much feeling that she went 10 Ayres'
room simply Al the latter's request and