Sunday morning globe., 1901-11-24
THE BONNIE TRIAL.
Opening Statements For and Against
the Defendant.
THE SUNDAY GLOBES THEORY
Followed BY The Prosecution - An AnaItIOaI
Red9W Of this Celebrated Case ana the
lnsurmolntable Obstacles Confronting the
Government - An Able Prosecution and q
Brilliant Defense.


Brilliant Defense.
The trial for her life Of Mrs. Lola Ida
Bonine for the murder of James Sey-
mour Ayres at the kenmore Hotel,
on the 18th day of May, 1901, COM
menced before Judge Anderson and a
jury in Criminal Court NJ. 1 Tuesday
last. The jury was not completed un-
tn Wednesday, and on Thursday as
sistant District Attorney Taggart open
ed the case for the people in a strong,
forcibe and lawyerlike statement of
what the Government claimed it would
establish by testimony. Messrs.
Douglas, Fulton, ct al, attorneys for
the defense listened attentively to the
opening statement and at its close look
ed relieved, as they evidently anti
cipated the springing Of some surprise
by the District Attorney. That able
law officer Of the Government adopted
The Sunday Globes theory of the muir
der, as published at the time, viz, that
two persons were only in the room
when the homicide was committed, the
victim and his murderer" But. Mr.
Taggart departed in a most ingenious
manner from the accepted theory when
detailing the fire escape episode. 1t
has been, heretofore, held that the
slayer Of young Ayres bolted the bt
room door after the commission Of the
homicide. and took his or her depart
ure from the room by The fire escape.
Mr.. Taggart adds to this startling the
orv that Mrs. Bonine also entered the
room. in her mission Of murder by
means of the fire escape and not, as
she asserted in her statement, by the
room door on the invitation OF Ayres.
Ine able prosecutor denied in toto that
Ayres went to her room at all that
fatal night. and, of course, brushes
away. as a fairy story, Mrs. Bonnie
statement as TO the conversation she
held with him previous TO following
him to his room. The Globe Is rather
inclined to believe Mr.. Taggarts
theory of the means of entrance ana
exist of Mrs. Bonine, viz, the nre es-
cape But such entrance and exit are
easily reconcilable with the remainder
of Mrs. Bonine's story. Ayres smut her
out by boiling the door and she gained
access to his room by the hre escape
TO make a final effort in last inter
view before he left the hotel Tor re-
conciriation. The difficulty however,
of accepting Mr.. Taggart's theory by
astute counsel for the defense is TINS:
If Mrs. Bonine admits any portion OF
her statement to be untrue at Jnls
stage of the game, her whole story
falls to the ground, and her veracity Is
successfully impeached. Hence, she
will fight II out by the open door and
Avres invitation should she be called
upon to testify, which is not at all
likely. From the assumption Of her
side of the case, it is very clear tnat
the defense is in the hands OF able
and brilliant counsel, and that the
Government will be rendered no assist
ance by admission or acceptance OF
agreed facts by the defense in the most
inconseauential or even non-commlJtal
deveIonments OF the mysterious trag-
edv. The Government will be COM
PEELED to establish beyond the shadoW
of doubt a case Of circumstanclal eVl-
dence against the accused woman
The defense will hammer out the weak
points in any such net work around
the person OF their client The de-
Tense of course Is conscious of hav-
ing lost a point in the solution OF
tbe murder mystery by Mrs. Bonine
and the state builds its structure OF
pr,ilt upon this solution or admission.
In other words the defense furnishes
the foundation for the edihce or gullI
being erected by the prosecution anu
the real issue will be whether thaI
foundation is Of sand or OF sumclenV
strength to bear the weight Whnlcn
the Government must pile upon u 10
secure a complete whole or hnlsheu
superstructure
The defendant, Mrs Bonine, is bear
ing herself with the remarkable SELF |
Dossession which friends and enemies
alike concede she possesses to an ex'
traordinary degree and beyond the ma
tural endowments Of her sex. Sup
ported by her children, brother, sister
and-husband, she sits In her assigned |
place at the bar of justice with her
life or liberty at stake, as calm and |
self-possessed as when at the Kenmore
She directed the evening ball or dance
which we're the features OF that
Inflated hotel
Mr.. Taggar's theory Of the murder |
has been built on that immortal cpl |
gram. "Hell hath no fury ike a |
woman scorned." In this he finds the |
motive for the murder Of James Sey'
mour Ayres by Mrs. Lola Ida Bonine
the cast-off and repudiated co-partner |
of the young Census clerks lusts. Sat
lated with her embraces and finding or |
enjoying "mettle more attractive he
staked his life against a dishonored |
wife and mother who had forgotten
al. in her mad sexual passion for his
young and vigorous manhood and he
lost the life he staked Even II this
were true, a jury Of men under forty
would find a mitigation in the crime
which would save Mrs Bouine from
at least the extreme penalty. This,
tha shrewd Taggert very we'll knows