Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-05-21
MRS. BONNIE CONFESsR5.

4 no. DONl ON COOIOs
AZ stated in yesterdays G G,zette
Mrs. Lola Bonine has confessed that
she killed young James s. Ayres in the
the Kenmore Hotel, Washington, early
Tues day morning. The details in con.
nection with the fading OF the body
and the mystery which surrounded the
case for six days have from time to
time been published, and Mrs. Bonine
had been suspected OF knowing more
about the shooting than any one else.
The police had l. their possession The
dress sne is said o nave worn when the
| crime was committed, though 1t is ssid
lt had been recently washed. O.her
evidence was 10 their possession Tend.
ine TO connect her With tle killing.
Sunday night Detective Horne and
Lieutenant Moore, OF the Sixth pre-
cinct. had subj scted Mrs. B1nine 10 a
thorough Examination, which convinc
ed them she would break down on the
stand, if not before, and at 5 o'clock,
just before che was to be called, Lie ut.
Moore suggested they make one more
effort. The sergesnts' room was clear.
ed and the three pt ssed iD. Mrs. Bon
inc was practically given her choice be-
tween recoerving her memory then or on
the stard, and che agreed to tell her
story. II would prefer to tell it to
ore" she said. aud Lieut.. No ore retir.
ed. II coroner was Notified and i'm
mediateIy adjourned the Inquest which
was then 10 session. With Assistant
d strict Attorney Gordon he drove to
nea qusrte s, where Mrs. BoDine told
ner ory TO Msjor Sylvester. Inspector
Boardmsn aud the others mentioned, 1t
Deing taken down by stenographer.
Mrs. Bonine said that prior to March
che had disagreement with Ayres
about his habits, and that he drank too
much. They we're not on friendly
terms after that until the morning OF
the shooting, when he had spoken to
her. About 2 o'clock that morning be
tapped at tie door OF her room in the
annex. He wore at that time coat,
pair of trousers and possibly an under
shirt. He said he felt as though he
we're about to have chill and asked II
she had anything which would do him
Qood-medicine of any kind. She told
Ayres she had some laxative quioine
and entered her sons room, adjoining
hers. to look for it, but was unable to
6od 1t. He remained standing in the
doorway. When she approached him
be let his arm fall over her shoulder
and az ked her to come to his room to
talk over their differences. Mrs. Bo-
uiue ssys she slipped on wrapper and
pair OF slippers and went to bis room,
to which he had preceded her.
Ayres. according to her story, stood
slightly behind the door and sc she en-.
tered be closed it and locked 1t. Mrs.
| Bonine said she noticed that in his
right hand Ayres held q revolver. She
charged that he made an insulting prop.
ositioD to her, which she resented, {,
and would have left the room but that
he stood between her aud the door.
| Ayres then advanced, said Mrs. Bo-
niDe, and, pointing the revolver at her,
said: 81 CUES, you will listen to me
now"
Mrs. Bonine said she became fright
eued and caught the revolver In her
left hand. 1t exploded. Then, she
said, she grssped it tightly with both
hands, cleuching the right hand ovel
the left, and with great force pushed II
away. To prove this statement she ex
hibited marks on the knuckles OF bel
left hand presumably made by the flo
ger nails of the right hand when clutch
cd over the left. The revolver agar
exploded. She did not know how
MANY shots were fired. Ayres fel
against her, knocked her down, tbs
blood gushing over her shoulder. A
moment later, Mrs. Bonnie says, sh,
rose and called twice for help and sob
bed. She saw that Ayres was injured
but did not know he was dead. Th'
pistol had remained in ier hand as hii
grasp relaxed and she laid it on th'
trunk. She says she left by the win
dow, I'D down the fire escape to tb'
sc cond fl DOR, entered the parlor window
and went to her room. There sh'
washed her hands aud face and re-
moved the traces OF blood from he
person, washed the wrapper and re
tired.
During the recital the officers ques
toned her closely, but she stuck to he
text and impressed them with he
story. When asked why she ha'
waited SC LONG, to make her statement
why she asd denied under several pre-
yIous examinations knowing snythinI
about the affair, she said it was becsus
she wished Ito shield the honor OF he
boys.n She had not been advised +
confess either by ber husband or any
one else. Mrs. Bonine said shs hs'
never been unduly familiar with Ayre
and he bad never made insulting propo
sitions to her until that night in hi
room. His demeapor toward her hs'
been somewhat affectionate befor
: March 4.
; Mrs. Bonine is o small woman, fv
feet in height and weighing about IL
pounds. She says she was born 10 Ma
+ con. Mo-, about 80 years ago; had re
moved to Hamilton, Mo, and then {
Richmond, Ksu., where she marrie
Mr. Bonine, who then kept a dru
store. They lived ip Brunswick, Ga
= Serene, Fla, and then in Washington