The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-14
Verdict of the Jury in the Case
of Mrs. Bonihe.
Find Her Not Guilty of Killing
Young Ayres.
GIVEN HER FREEDOM.
The Jury Was Out Less Than
Five Hours.
This Termination Of the Case
Was Generally Expected.

Washington. Dec. 1.-THE jury in the
case of Mrs. Lola Ida Henry Bonines
charged with the murder of James Sey-
mour Ayres. Jr., in the Kenmore hotel
in this city, on the night of May 13.
last night returned a verdict OF not
guilty and the defendant was set at
liberty.
Such a conclusion of the trial was
generally expected. the popular impress
sion here being that. from the evidences
submitted, the prosecution had failed ia
prove its case against Mrs. Bonine.
The jury was out less than five hours,
retiring few minutes after o'clock in
the afternoon and reporting their YER
dict shortly before o'clock in the even
ing. The attendance in the court room
when the jury returned was limited to
the members of the bar, representatives
of the press and the employees of the
court. There was some little attempt
at dem onstration of approval, but this
was quickly suppressed by Judge An
derson. who had previously warned the
spectators against manifestations OF
any character.
Mrs. Bonine was in court at the time,
and with her were her husband and her
two boys and several of her relatives.
all of whom have shown their sympathy
for her by their constant attendance
during the long trial.
The jury were discharged and Mrs.
Bonine and her friends left the court
house by a back door
The trial of Mrs Bonine had been in
progress for almost four weeks, and at
tracted more attention than any trial
before the local courts in years. Extra
ordinary interest was caused at the time
young Ayres was killed because of the
mystery surrounding the case, until the
statement made by Mrs. Bonine of her
part in the tragedy. while the coroner's
inquest was in session She said she
was the only person in the room when
young Ayres was shot, and that he WAS
killed in struggle with her over the
possession of a revolver with which he
was trying to frighten her into compli-
ance with his demands. Mrs. Bonine
had been in jail since the tragedy. She
did not go on the witness stand during
the trial.
Judge Anderson's charge to the jury
was very general in character. He wound
| up by saying that the jury could bring
in any one of four verdicts, viz, that OF
guilty as indicted with capital punish
ment; guilty indicted, without cap
ital punishment, which would mean jn-
| prisonment for life; manslaughter, tha
punishment under which would be i'm
prisonment for term of years; or, last
of all, a verdict of not guilty.
Mrs. Bonine maintained the calm de-
meanor which had characterized her
conduct throughout the trial, and smiled
apprOVingly when the jury returned its
verdict. Her husband threw his arms
affectionately around her neck and
kissed her, followed by her sons and
sisters and brothers, who clustered
around her. embracing and kissing her.
Others in the court room also added
their congratulations. After leaving the
court house Mrs Bonine accompanied
her husband to the house where he and
their sons and other relatives have been
living, where It is announced she Will
reside in the future, her intention being
to make Washington her home.