The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-11-27


fairly launched today. The prelimi-
nary presentation of the case on behalf
of the government was made by Assist
ant District Attorney Hugh T. Tag
CART, and after he had concluded a
number of witnesses were heard. Mr..
Iaggar5's statement consumed only
about an hour and Is minutes and
consisted for the most part of the re-
view of the circumstances connected
with the tragedy. Mr.. Taggart stated
the theory of the prosecution to be
that Ayers was murdered by Mrs.
Bonine and that she gained admission
to his room in the Kenmore hotel
through the window, reaching that by
means of the fire escape. He attempt
ed to show that she was piqued by his
non-attention to her. Mrs. Bonine
apparently was unmoved by his repre-
sentations. Once or twice during the
address she leaned over and spoke to
her attorneys. The witnesses exam
ined did not throw any new light upon
the killing.
In his address Mr.. Taggart contend
ed that there was tie between the
prisoner and the dead man in the fact
that Ayreswas student of dentistry
and she As.astudied medicine. AS a
consequence, she became a frequent
visitor OF his room in the hotel where
they both lived, not only in the day
time, but at night as well, "and, )"
he added, 1.the door was, not always
open when she was there
He told of the. quarrels. between
oo,coI 4O
speak to her and that she complained
OF his ingratitude.
"We expect to show,' he said,
:'that while she made advances to
him, Ayres did not avail himself of
the opportunity thus afforded, beyond
dancing with her again.
He had danced with her on the night
before the tragedy, but had shown
that he was averse to renewal Of the
former familiar intercourse. AS an
instance of his attitude toward Mrs.
Bonine Mr.. Taggart said that Ayres
had refused to accept carnation from
her on the Monday before the killing.
It was therefore evident, said the
speaker, that while he was Indifferent
there was disposition on her part to
mollify him.
"We will show,'' continued Mr..
Taggart, that every act, step and
proceeding on the part of the prison
er was the act of a guilty person.
Mr.. Taggart referred to Mrs.
Bonine's confession as being principal
ly intended to exonerate herself. He
thought the facts indicated that the
shooting did not take place as Mrs.
Bonine had stated; that Ayres had
not gone to her room at all, as she
claimed.
Outlining the governments posi-
tion, 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 grasped the pistol, thus ac-
counting for the blood upon it.
Mr.. Taggart concluded after an hour
and Is minutes and Mr.. Douglass an
nounced that the defense would re-
serve 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 Francisc,. the first witness
IN the case, was then called. He is a
draughtsman who had prepared a
diagram of the fourth floor of the
Kenmore hotel, including Ayres' room.
He identified the drawing and gave
details concerning the location and
dimensions of the room.
The first witness in the afternoon
session was Harry A. Wise, a photo
grapher, who had made photographs
of Ayres' room on the day after the
tragedy occurred. The pictures taken
by him were presented and identified
by the witness. Mr.. Douglass object
ed to their acceptance as evidence on
the ground that they did not represent
the exact condition of the room when
Ayres' body was discovered. He
thought their presentation should be
delayed until testimony should be
taken showing the conditions were the
same when the body was found and
when the picture was made. The
photographs were accepted by the
court for the purpose only of showing
the permanent physical condition of
the room when they were taken.
julius Hack, another photographer,
who bad made photographs of the
Kenmore hotel and of Ayres' room,
also identified the pictures made by
him, and they were admitted in evi
dence.
The first witness who testified about
the events directly connected with the
death of Ayres was Daniel Wood
house, the colored waiter in the Ken
more hotel, who discovered the body
of the young man. He said that at
s 80 on the morning of May 15 he was
asked bv Miss Minas, who occupied
room next to Ayres, to go to the lat
ter's room, she saying that on the
night before she had heard strange
noises in the room. He first discover
ed the body by looking through the
keyhole and afterward saw it through
the transom. He also told Of giving
the alarm and of the subsequent in