The Washington times., 1901-11-20
chair. with his back to the counsel for the

chair. with his back to the counsel for the
defence
Every eye in the room was centred upon
the little woman in blue. Leaning over
the back of his chair, Charles A. Doug
lass. one of Mrs. Bonine's counsel, quiet
ly instructed her to stand up during the
reading of the document. She handed her
jacket to her husband and smoothing out
her skirt arose. She clasped her hands,
but constantly worked her fingers to-
gether. Tears came to her eyes as the
blunt language of the indictment was
droned out by the clerk:
The Indictment.
Whereas one Lola Ida Henry
BoniRe did. with pistol charged with
gunpowder, and with leaden bullets,
feloniously and with malice afOre-
thought, assault, strike and murder
one James Seymour Ayres. To which,
does the defendant plead guilty or not
guilty?"
There was a moment of absolute silence.
Then the tears were mastered and the
trembling lips grew firm. The little form
was drawn to its fullest height The head
was raised slightly.
Il am not guilty she said clearly and
distinctly There is music in her voice.
The tension was over for the moment
and the husband gazed at her in admira
ton. Then his head dropped again. There
was a great hustle around the room as
the attorneys prepared to qualify jury.
The Ialesmen were gathered in and
around the jury box There was a~scram-
bic for hats aud oyercoats and a second
scramble to hang these up anew
Mrs. Bonine's sons.
The door at the UPPER end of the cham
Der was opened and court usher ap-
peared leading Chesleigh and Maurice Bo-
nine. They were dressed alike. and each
wore large glasses. g.,l.cn made them ap
pear older tlAan their thirteen and fifteen
years.
The mother saw them as they passed up
the aisle and moticned them to her side,
but they moved over to where the father
sat and found seats close to him. The
, mother smiled across at them, but they
were all too deeply interested in the pro-
Tceedings, and did not see that she hun
gered for even a glance. She kept her
eyes riveted on the pair. bending over the
back of her chair to do so. while they
stared at talesmen, judge, officers. and
lawyers. They did not stay long, and left
without speaking a word to their mother.
Mrs. Bonine raised the thin black veil
which covered her face. and with tiny
bit Of linen wiped away the swelling tears
Her husband leaned over to her and spoke
earnestly for a few moEients. She seemed
composed when he had finished. and leay-
ing the veil as it rested she crushed the
handkerchief firmly into one hand and
became an interested spectator. She
seemed more hopeful. and at times her
hand sought that of her husband. Find
ing it. she rested her arm upon his and
smiled into his face.
Examining the TnIesmch.
4. All through the few hours yesterday
rang the words capital punishment" ana
they seldom failed to arouse both husband
and wife to an eager strain. Each tales
man was questioned as to whether CT no
he had any scruples against capital pun
ishment. and the woman seemed to dwell
upon the replies made. In nearly every
case the reply was an off-hand negative.
Three OF the talesmen. however. refused
TO serve on the ground that they believed
capital punishment to be unjust and il
legal. These We're greeted with eager vel
come by both husband and wife, but bath
settled back seemingly hopeless waen
these were disqualified.
The challenging of tales a,en proceeded.
In a. little box 10 the left OF the bench
Ashley NJ Gould. the District Attorney,
sat primed with surprises. but conceaIing
his powers beneath bland and pleasant
demeanor This was merely incidental
with him, nothing cut Of the ordinary.
This was his trade, and was purely
professional. At his side sat H. T. Tag
CART. the assistant. who occupied the day
in brushing back his snowy hair from his
forehead.
Counsel for the Defence.
20 the right, beside his opponents. was
stationed Charles Douglass. the chief
counsel for Mrs. Bonine. Dignifed and
waiehful, he thrashed each talesman- His
handsome features ard glossy hair at
tracted much attention from the spec
tators, while his flow Of oratory at times
won him several disputed points with
him, carefully jotting down notes sat ms
partner. another Douglass. with an eye
fer detail also.
Beside these were A z. L. Lecliie. the
genial, one-armed lawyer, who proposes
to spring some surprises later on; Greed
NJ. Fulton, who strongly resembles VIII
liam J. Bryan, and Attorney KeeRe-he
who on the day after the tragedy placed
a slip of paper in a sealed envelope which
was to be opened when the coroner's
jury had returned a verdict The envelope
was opened. and within was found written
on the slip. Mrs. Bonine."
Crowd of Witnesses.
Contrasts were everywhere in the court
room The gay dresses of the ladies' pres
ent found background of bare grey wall.
Lined along the right side were massed
more than 100 Witnesses who are 10 tes-
tify in the case These included men and
wosuen, and covered the list from the
negro laborer TO the renowned scientist
with his analysis Of bloodprints. and from
the burly policeman to the woman Gov
ernment clerk. The left side was occu-
pied by talesmen OF every degree, some
reluctant and others willing. In the CEN