The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-26
And Also Was Intimate with Mrs
Bonine Until She Was Accused
of the Crime.
NO MOTIVE YET DEVELOPED
AND LITTLE FRESH EVIDENCE
By YESTERDAYS WITNESSES.
Testimony OF Miss Lawless, Miss Wool
ums, and Messrs. Drew, Baker
and Hopkins.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-The trial Of
Mrs. Lola Ida Bonine for the murder OF
James Seymour Ayres. jr.. at the Kenmore
Hotel last May, began In real earnest to-
day. The preliminary details as TO the find
ing Of the body, the location OF the furni-
ture, bloodstains. etc, We're all in with the
conclusion of the testimony of ]. f. Drew.
the Capitol policeman, who was on the
stand when the court adjourned last Fri
day. Baker, the man who saw Mrs. Bonine
descend the fre-escape. Hopkins. who
roomed over Ayres and raised the first out
cry, Miss Woolums. who roomed under
Ayres, and Miss Lawless and Miss Minas.
who roomed on either side OF him, testified
to-day. The two latter were regarded as
star witnesses, but they testified TO no
facts not developed at the inquest. Drew
testified that there was room enough be-
hind the door of Ayres's room for a man
to have been there while the door was
opened to admit another person, a conten-
tion which the prosecution denies. and also
that there were empty cartridges in the
slopjar in Ayress room before the pistol
with which the shooting was done was
emptied by officer Brady after the tragedy.
This would tend to establish the theory OF
the defense that the pistol belonged to
Ayres. Miss Minas testified that Ayres and
Mrs. Bonine ate ice cream and cake in
her room the night before the tragedy and
that at that time there was no evidence of
i'll feeling between them.
Mrs. Bonine, throughout the trial to-day,
when witnesses described the cries groans
and throat gurgling of the dying man, re-
mained absolutely unmoved.
DREW'S TESTIMONY.
When court opened this morning, ].
Frank Drew. the Capitol policeman. who
was on the stand last Friday when the
adjournment was taken. resumed his testi-
mony. He swore that he had several times
seen the defendant come out of Ayres's
room. The last occasion was about a week
before the tragedy. Ii was at night. about
9 o'clock. On cross-examnation he testified
that he looked over the transom into the
room on the morning when Ayres's body
discovered. He closely questioned
as to the location of the furniture, clothing
and the position of the body. TO which he
has testified on direct examination. lie
testified that there was space enough be-
hind the door for a person to have stood
there while the door was opened TO admit
another person. He testified that he had
seen Mrs. Bonine come out OF the rooms of
others I'm the hotel, among them those OF
several single men, and her demeanor was
in no wise different from that when ne saw
her emerge from Ayress room. She dis
played no evidence of excitement. Her
bearing was natural. She had habit OF
visiting the sick. On cross-examinatiOn
he testified that there were empty cartridge
shells in the slop1ar upon his first visit TO
the room, which was before officer Brady
broke the pistol and took the shells out
Thomas NJ Baker. an employe OF the fish
commission company, who resided in the
building adjoining the Kenmore was then
called and testified that on the night OF the
tragedy he was awakened by the report OF
a pistol shot. He jumped out OF bed went
to the window and heard a voice from
above inquiring what was wrong below
He replied that he had heard pistol shots
Then, while standing at his window ne saw
a figure on the 6re-escape. just outside OF
Ayres's window. The figure walked the
length OF the fire-escape I'm his direction
and then descended two flights TO the floor
OF the veranda, where IL disa ppea red into
a window. IL was the figure OF a small
woman, clad in dark, ught-ftting clothing
The woman wore no hat and as he did not
hear the fall OF her footsteps he judged she
was I'm her stocking feet. He described the
manner of her descent. which, he said was
very deliberate and without emotion. He
old not know the defendant at the time
of the tragedy, but saw her about O'Clock
OF the afternoon of that day. She was at
that time being questioned by Detective
Horne She was smiling and he heard her
say she knew nothing about the cause OF
Ayres's death. The shots he heard sounded
muffied. He could not tell exactly but
judged they were about twelve or fifteen
seconds apart.
WHAT HOPKINS SAW.
Robert p. Hopkins. clerk in the War
Department, who lived at the Kenmore
Hotel, where the tragedy occurred. was
the next witness. He testified that ne lived
on the fifth floor over the room Of Miss
Lawless. who occupied the room adjoining
that in which Ayres was killed His daugh-
ter was in on the night OF the tragedy He
had been attending her and just as he was
returning 20 bed he heard three loud re-
ports He went TO the window and looked
down. lie saw something like a skull lying
on the fire escape. just outside the window
which ne afterward ascertained was the
window OF Ayres's room. The shots were
fired in quick succession, about four sec
ends he judged. between the first and last
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Hopkins's testi-
mony there was stir In the courtroom
as the bailin called Emma a Lawless.
who occupied the room adjoining that in
which the tragedy occurred. Miss Lawless
showed considerable nervousness as she
took the stand. She testified that she Was
employed In the Bureau OF Engraving and
Printing. on the night OF the tragedy
knocked at her door nd asked II she had
any sugar. He told her he was going away
and wanted 70 make some cocoa She gave
him the sugar. About ten minutes later
ne knocked again and asked her N she did
not want "A cup OF cocoa. She replied that
she did not care FOR a. About 10 o'clock
she retired she was slightly aroused dur
ing the night but vas not awakened She
formed no idea as 10 what aroused her or
what time il was. The district attorney
then turned the witness over 90 the de-
fendant's counsel. bat he asked but a sin
Gle question which brought out nothing
additional AZ E'lS O'Clock the court took
a recess.
Miss Mary Minas a clerk IN the Census
onsca who occupied the room next q