The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-22
FIRST WITNESS
IN BONNIE TRIAL
Prosecution Opened Their Side Of
Case Yesterday.
THE STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY.
Says That the Government Will Show That
the Prisoner Made Advances to Victim,
of Which lie Did Not Avail
Himself.
lHx Asso :iatad Press.l

WASHINGTON, D. c., November I'll
The trial OF Mrs. Lola Ida BONNIE, for the
murder OF James Seymour Ayres. Jr., the
Census Office Clerk, began in earnest to-
day, the jury having been secured. The
first order of the day was the outline of
The Coy elnment's case by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Hugh T. Taggart and af-
ter he had concluded, the first witness for
prosecution was introduced There was
an appreciate increase in the proportion
OF the attendance.
In his address, Mr.. Taggart contended
that the killing of young Ayres had been
felonious and malicious, and therefore
was to be characterized as murder, as
charged in the indictment. There was,
he said, a tie between the prisoner and
the dead man in the fact that Ayres was
a student of dentistry and she had studied
medicine.
AS a consequence. she became fire.
quent visitor Of his room IN the hotel,
where they both lived, not only in the
daytime, but at night as well, and he
added, the door was not always open
when she was there He told OF the
quarrels between them, saying that Ayres
ceased to speak to her and that she COM
plalned OF MS 1nSTdLlluuc.
1--WE expect to show he said, that
she made advances to him. Ayers did
not avail himself of the opportunity the--
afforded. beyond dancing with her again.
He had danced with her on the night be-
fore the tragedy, but had shown that ne
was ayerse to a renewal Of ,.Ae former
familiar intercourse.
AS an instance of his attitude toward
Mrs. Bonnie, Mr. TaGgert SAD that
Ayres hai refused to accept a carnatlon
from her on the morning before the kill
ine II was. therefore, evident. said the
speaker, that. while he was indifferent,
there was a. disposition on her part to
mollify him.
we will show" continued Mr.. Tag
CART, that every act or step IN the pro-
ceedings on the part OF the prisoner was
the part of a guilty person.
Mr.. Taggart referred to Mrs. Bonines
confession as being principally INTENDED
to exoneratc herself. He thought that
the facts indicated that the ahoounS olo
not take place as Mrs. BONNIE had stated;
that Ayres had not gone to her room
al all, as she claimed.
HAD RETIRED.
Outlining the Governments position.
Mr.. Taggart said it would be contended
that Ayres had retired when the person
who killed him entered the room. and
that she came in through the window;
that he arose and started toward her:
that she shot him. the first wound being
the fatal one. in the breast. Naturally
his mouth had filed with blood and as
naturally he had put his hands to his
mouth. Then he had grasped the pistc%
thus accounting for the blood upon it.
When Mr.. Taggart had concluded, Mr.
Douglass announced that the defense
would reserve its presentation Of the case.
Several ladies left the room While Mr.
Taggart commented upon Mrs. Bonine's
visit to Ayres room, but their places
were Immediately taken by others.
Thomas Francis, the first witness in
the case. was then called. He is
draughtsman, who had prepared a dia-
gram of the fourth floor of the Kenmore
Hotel, including Ayres room. He identi-
fed the drawing and gave details con-
corning the location and dimensions, of
The room.
The first witness in the afternoon ses-
sion vas Harry A. Wise. photographer.
who had made photographs Of Ayres'
room on the day after the tragedy oc-
CURED. The pictures taken by him were
presented and identified by the witness.
Mr.. Douglass objected to their accent
ance as evidence, on the ground that they
did not represent the exact condition of
tie room when Ayres' body was discov-
cred. He thought their presentation
should be delayed until testimony should
be taken showing whether the conditions
We're the same when the Cody. was found
and when the picture was made Tie
We're accepted by the court
for the purpose only of showing the per-
manent physical condition of the room
where they We're taken.
Julius Hack, another photographer. who
had made photographs of the Kenmore
Hotel and of Ayres' room also, identified
the pictures made by him, and they were
admitted in evidence.
FIRST. WITNESS.
The first witness who testified about the
events directly connected with the death
Of Ares was Daniel Woodhouse. the col
ored waiter in the Kenmore Hotel who |
discovered the body of the young man.
He said that at $50 on the morning of |
May 18th he was asked by Miss Minas,
who occupied 4 room next to Ayres. to
go to the latter's room, she saying that
on the night before she had heard strange |
noises in the room. He first discovered |
th,. body by looking through the keyhole |
and afterward saw it through the tran
som.
He also told of giving the alarm and OF
the subsequent investigation into the |
asedy He said that Ayres' body lay |
upon the floor and was doubled up
Before Woodhouse had concluded the |
>,i,rt adjourned for the day.