New-York tribune., 1901-05-21
AYERS KILLED BY WOMAN
wAsHINGTON'S MURDER MYSTERY PAR
TALLY CLEARED UP.
IBT TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1Rrxr ,

the Kenmore Hotel at early hour last
Wednesday morning. was partially cleared ,n
this afternoon by the confession of a woman
guest OF the MOTEL The woman. Mrs l. /
Bonine' IS frall looking blonde the wife of
commercial traveller and the mother of two
sons. twelve and ten years old Ayers u,.s
twenty-one years old and an athlete Ar-s
Bonine told Superintendent Sylvester of the
Washington Police that unaided she overcanoe
Ayers III MS room and turned on him the pistol
with Whlch ne was trying to kill her and shot
him TO protect her honor and her life. During
the recital Of this remarkable story there was
not trernor in her voice nor tear in her eve
The story inconsistent it sounds impressed
nearly ali who heard il as true
THE WOMAN'S REMARKARIE sTopv
According to the story told by Mrs Bonine,
she was awakened some time after midnight on
Tuesday night by & loud rapping on her door.
When she asked who was there the reply came
that il was Ayers, who was sick He thought
he was threatened with congestive chill and
wanted Mrs. Bonnie TO give him some medicine
Mrs Bonine. by the testimony OF numerous
guests OF the hotel, has been a sort of volunteer
nurse and physician AS she had frequently
prescribed for and nursed Ayers, she promised
10 prepare some tablets and bring them to his
room / hurrledly dressed myself in the room
occupied by my two boys without waking them"
Mrs. Bonine told Major Sylvester. and as 7
stepped out of my door into the hallway Mr.
Ayers, who 1 thought had gone back to his
room attempted to embrace When 1 re-
pulsed him and started back in nv room he
apologized, and I told him TO go back TO his
room and lie down and wait for me- At that
time he was fully dressed, even 10 his hat. In
a little while I went up to his room, 10 see
what effect the tablets I had administered had
had on him The door few open at my ap-
proaoh, and as I stepped in Mr.. Ayers. whom
then had nothing but undershirt.
threw his left arm around my neck, roughly
dragged me inside, slammed the door and bolted
il Before I could realize what had happened he
poked pistol in my face and swore if I did
not submit he would kill me. Summoning all
my strength. I grasped his right hand with
both Of mine, and all I remember Of the struggle
is that the pistol was fired several times. was
moving best ] could all the while toward
the window. where I knew there was fire
escape landing. Just as I reached the window I
fell and Mr.. Ayers's dead body fell on me. The
blood from his wounds spurted over my face
and dress. I descended the fire escape and
quietly got back TO my room without being OBJ
served by anybody in the hotel Upon reaching
my apartments I carefully washed the blood
from my hands and face, and also washed the
blood from my dress-the one I have turned over
10 the detective. Then I went 10 bed, and re-
ncained quiet until the regular breakfast hour
The reason have heretofore denied all knowl-
edge Of Ayers's death was because I thought It
barely possible to shield my children and my
husband from the inevitable disgrace which will
folloE my connection with it."
Mrs. Bonine told her story thus far without
halt in speech or a quaver OF voice. Then she
exclaimed: las God is my judge, l am pure
woman, and l killed this young man 10 save
both my honor and my lifei'
She also related how young Ayers had made
& proposal TO her the first OF last March' ana
said she had not spoken 10 him from that time
until the night of the tragedy. when, early IN
the evening, she met him in the ballroom Of the
hotel and danced with him. Ayers was prepar-
ing TO leave the hotel the next day for another
boarding house and at his suggestion they had
made up their quarrel" in celebration OF his de-
parture from the Kenmore
HELD FOR THE GRAND JURY.
Immediately after her confession Mrs Bonine
was taken TO the city Jail in closed carriage,
and will await the action Of the grand jury. AS
she was escorted from Major Sylvesters Office
10 the carriage she passed unfinchingly through
a long line Of staring men She wore clothing Of
ordinary make and price, and a small hat
trimmed with red. She probably does not weigh
over a hundred pounds, and her height does not
exceed 5 feet inches.
Now that Mrs Bonine has helped them out
bv declaring that she knows all about the crime.
the police are holding 10 the theory that she had
q confederate q witness who dreads for OBJ
FlOuS reasons 10 let nSr OF HIS 4uSI4|ty DC
known
Mrs Bonine is about thirty-three years old,
and was born at Macon, Mo Her maiden name
was Lola Ida Henry. and since her marriage
she has lived in Hamilton, Mo; Richmond. Kan;
Brunswick Ga: Sorano, Fla, and this city. her
husband has been a druggist IN eacn pace eA-
cept Washington, and bears a good reputation
Two or three years ago he went out OF business
for himself and became travelling salesman
for Chicago firm of patent medicine manufact-
IJrers He has made his headquarters IN WASH
tngr0n and when the Kenmore Hotel Tragedy
Cc51-re5 he was two hundred miles away, in
Virginia He knew nothing Of the afalr, ne
saws until his regular weekly WISH 10 w WasHlLs-
Ton saturday to see his family. He believes his
wife's story and viii provide money Tor her
defence.
Tia aaa+b Of Ayers was discovered about $50
o'cIocl, on "Wednesday morning May Is, when his
Foav was discovered in his room at the Kenmore
q small family hotel not far from the Capitol IN
W-sebfnp+on He formerly lived in Port Austin,
Mich His father is man or consloeraple proln-
fnence IN Republican politics in Michigan an eA-
animation OF the body showed that ayers mao oeeh
shot three times, bullet entering the ie1I les'
another the left arm, and the thIfd Peheli ati45
the heart and causing death SUICIDE was 'lie His'
theory advanced, but statements from t"o VII
nessAe thar IN the night Of the murder they had
seen @ woman descending fire escape Leading
frorn n front of the room occupied by ayers ana
disar,sar into the parlor of the house ended TINS
fbeorr nd the killing quickly developed AIIo
Tnvsrs-5oe and sensational affair tnat paIned lne
poice The whole detective force OF
TVss work case, aIlo gfduudilS laSIS
p1lesr ~ +Se hotel with whom Ayers had peen, on
friendly terms and with whom ne mao ldu q
falling out On Saturday the coroner peEd n enb nb
inquest, summoning many "l'ies7'' W
anita a1s1lax wa