The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-26
Was lust Outside of Ayers Win
dow and Clad in Dark, Tight
Fitting Clothing, Said Witness
at Bonine Murder Trial
TWO YOUNG LADIES
ALSO ON THE STAND
Occupied Rooms Near Ayers at
the Kenmore and Their Evil
dence Was Damaging-TeII of
Hearing Pistol Shots, Cries for
Help and Fall of Body to Floor

1
trial of Mrs Lola Ida BONNIE for the
murder of James Seymour Ayers, Jr,
last May, was resumed today.J. Frank
Drew of the Capitol police who was on
the stand Friday when the court adj
journed, resumed his testimony.
/ He swore that he had several times
seen the defendant come out of Ayers
room. The last occasion was about
a week before the tragedy. 1t was at
might, about o'clock
On cross-examination he testified that
he looked over the transom into the
room on the morning when Ayers body
was discovered. He was closely ques-
toned as to the location of the furni-
ture, clothing and the position of the
body, to which he had testified upon
direct examination.
He testified that he had seen Mrs.
Bonine come out of the rooms of others
in the hotel, among them those of sew
eral single men, and her demeanor was
in no way different than when he saw
her emerge from Ayers room. She
displayed no evidence of excitement
Her bearing was natural. She had a
habit of visiting the sick.
| Thomas M. Baker, an employe of the
fish commission who resided in the
IUulAOill5 duJOlulilB TIE NSHIIlOIS, lGSll-
| fed that on the night of the tragedy
he was awakened by the report Of
pistol shots. He jumped out of bed
and went to the window. While stand
ing there he saw a figure on the fire
escape just outside of Ayers window.
The figure walked the length of the fire
escaDe in his direction and then de-
scended to the floor of the veranda
where it disappeared into a window. 1t
fInOA o1o Il
in dark tight fitting clothing. He de-
scribed the manner of her descent
which he said was very deliberate.
He did not know the defendant at
the time of the tragedy but saw her
about l o'clock in the afternoon of
that day. She was smiling and he
heard her say she knew nothing about
the cause Of Ayers death.
There was a stir in the court room 80
the bailiff called Emma A. Lawless.
who occupied the room adjoining that
in which the tragedy occurred Miss
Lawless showed considerable nervous
ness as she took the stand She testi :
fed that she was employed in the bu-
reau of engraving and printing. On
the night Of the tragedy, about $50
o'clock. Ayres knocked at her door and
asked if she had any sugar. He told
| her he was going away and wanted to
|
sugar.
| About 10 minutes later he knocked
again. and asked her If she did not
want CUP. She replied that she did
not care for it. About 10 o'clock she
retired. She was slightly aroused dur.
ing the night. but was not awakened.
She formed no idea as to what aroused
her or what time 1t was. The district
attorney then turned the witness over
1 In he Hafn 6Ilf he
asked but a single question, which
brought out nothing additional.
The court then took a recess until 1
o'clock. After the recess, Miss Mary
Minas. a clerk in the census office, who
occupied the room next to Ayres, took
the stand. She testified that she was
a friend Of Avres.
And of Mrs, BONNER" asked the dis
trict attorney.
"Of Mrs. Bonine up to that time" re-
oiled the witness.
Miss Minas detailed the manner in
which she passed the evening of the
| tragedy. Mrs. BONNIE was in her room
for few moments before II O'Clock
when the witness retired.
Miss Minas then described what she
knew of the tragedy. She had been
awakened by three pistol shots, fol-
lowed by cries for help and gurgling
sound: then a fall and then all was
quiet. Her first idea was that a burg
lar was in the hall, but it all happened
so quickly that she really was not sure
1t was not a nightmare. st was para
lyzed with fright" she testified I
rushed to the door and piled several
chairs against it to protect myself I
then sank into a rocking chair 1 think
l must have tainted. After some time
went to the window and looked out.
All was as still as death. I walked the
floor. suffering intense agony. I made
up nv mind I would wait until day.
light and then look out in the hall.
When 1t got light l opened the door
and looked out. but as there was moth
ing outside to occasion the disturbance
I lad heard / concluded that it had all
been a nightmare"
After the discovery of the body Miss
Minas said she was very much un-
strung and blamed herself for not hav-
| ing cried out. She wept at her place
at the table in the dining-room Mrs.
Bonine, she said, came over and sat
beside her and comforted her She tes-
titled that Mrs. Bonine was very COM
posed. She ordered her breakfast and
inquired about all the details of what
she miss Minas) had heard. Mrs.
Bonine remarked: What a pity it was
you did not cry out when you heard
the groans."
On cross-examination witness said
she heard no evidences of a struggle.
On the Monday night before the trag-
edy Ayres and Mrs. BONNIE were en-
tertained in her room. She saw no evil
dence of Ill feeling between them on
that night. sa tao1 d
When Miss Minas was excused Miss
Mary Woolums was called. She had
the room under that occupied by Ayres
and saw the shadow of person pass
her window at O'clock on the morn
ing that Ayresl was killed She said
she had retired the night before about
10 o'clock and was awakened by sounds
1 in the room over her own. She heard
voices, pistol shots and something fall
ing. The next morning Miss Woolums
left and did not return until Thursday
night. She then expressed a fear of
going to her room, whereupon Mrs
Bonine volunteered to go with her.
After they arrived there Mrs. Bonnie
asked her about the shadow and re-
quested her to explain how it appeared.
The witness said that Mrs. Bonine's
manner was at that time composed.
Miss Woolums testified that Mrs.
Bonine generally got up and superin-
tended the weekly dances at the Ken
more Hotel, but the court declined to
permit INSTRUMENTATION as to how
Mrs. Bonine had demeaned herself to-
ward Ayres at the dances.
Mrs BONNIE, the witness said, always
participated in the dances and fire.
quently importuned people to dance,
devoting herself to securing partners
for the participants.
On redirect examination. Miss Wool
ums said the sounds Of voices and the
/ sound caused by the falling body
which she heard in Avres' room on the