The age-herald., 1901-05-21
After Shooting Young Ayers She Climbed Down Fire Escape
 to the Lower Floor
MRS. BONINE'S STRANGE TALE
She Says the Young Man Made Im- proper Proposals to Her and Was Shot-Washington' Greatest
 Mystery Cleared.

Washington, May 2o-The mystery att tending the killing of James Seymour Ayers. a census office clerk in the Ken more hotel early last Wednesday morn ing, and which, because of the peculiar circumstances attending 1t has aroused Washington more than any tragedy in several years, was solved today by a vol untary confession from Mrs. Lulu I. Bo- nine, married woman and a guest at the house, that the three shots which ended Ayers life had been fired in a struggle between herself and Ayers. Mrs. Bonine, whose husband is a drummer for the wholesale drug house of Dewitt & Co, of Chicago, explained her presence in Ayers room at o'clock in the morning by say ing that he had come to her room com blaming of a chill and asking for nedi- cine and had induced her to follow him to his room to talk over some matters of difference there had been between them. She said 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 1t and in- formed her he had enticed her to the room for his own purposes and said if she did
 
 Ayers, she said, undressed and had re- volver in his hand and in a struggle for it's possession which ensued immediately after she entered the room 1t was dis charged three times, the shots striking Ayers at each discharge, the last one proving fatal.
 Discovered Wednesday.
 The tragedy which resulted in Ayers death was discovered at 8:30 clock last Wednesday morning when his dead body | was found in his room at the Kenmore, a small family hotel not far from the | Capitol. Suicide was the first theory ad- vanced, but statements from two witt l nesses that on the night of the murder | they had seen woman descending fire escape leading from in front of Ayers ] room and disappear into the parlor of the | house ended this theory. and the killing l quickly developed into a mysterious and l sensational affair that baffled the police | until today. The police were hampered in | their efforts to find the person who did the killing from the fact that 1t was eight hours after the crime was committed be- fore 1t was reported. The whole detec- tive force was put to work on the case and gradually facts developed which pointed to Mrs Bonine a guest of the hotel with whom Ayers had been on very friendly terms and with whom he had falling out. Saturday the coroner began his inquest, summoning guests and em- ployes of the hotel experts and others, but no substantial clue was found to con- meet any person specifically with the tragedy. The inquest was resumed today and had developed nothing directly bear Ing on the tragedy except that Mrs Bo- nine was much in Ayers room, when 1t was suddenly adjourned on information that the district attorney and others were wanted at police headGuarters to hear e ct yf1ad da " ROnfna.
 How She Escaped.
 Mrs. Bonine says that after the shoot ing she passed though the window of Ayers room onto and down the fire es- cape laouer and entered the parlor win dow of the second floor, passed through the parlor and back up the stairway of the hotel to her own room on the fourth floor. She then washed her hands, un- dressed and retired. Mrs. Bonine was en- tirely sef-possessed when she made her confession. She Is apparently about 2 years of age and says she was born in Macon Mo. She then removed to Hamil- ton in that State, and afterward to Rich mond Kan, where her husband was en- gagged in the drug business. Subsequent- ly she went to Brunswick Ga. and then to Florida, where her husband was en- gagged in orange growing. She says 1t was at her husbands solicitation that she learned to practice with a revolver. and that he had made the suggestion that she should learn this art for self-defense against possible assaults. She said she had twice in her life fired a revolver to frighten burglars and that she had brought a bull dog revolver with her to Washington. but had given 1t away to a negro man.
 Mrs Bonines confession was entirely voluntary.
 After she had concluded her statement the woman was sent to the house of de- tention.