The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-27
Leads all Dailiesim News mdC Circulation


flied that he could not exactly say Mrs.
Bonine was excited. She was hurried
and her manner was tense. She had
asked his advice as to the advisability
of making q public statement and he had
advised her to remain quiet till it was
determined whether the suicide theory
will hold good.
James Burns, who was Ayres' intimate
friend and who had accompanied him to
his room the night of the tragedy was
next called. He said that on the night
of the tragedy Ayres had gone with him
and several others to two or three saloons
around the corner where he said Ayres
had drunk sparingly. He had then, at
about 12:30 o'clock accompanied Ayres
TO his room, leaving aim in a perfectly
sober condition. The witness said that
while originally Ayres and Mrs. Bonine
had been on friendly terms, these rela-
ticns became strained. He did not know
OF Ayres having a pistol.
On cross examination Burns said that
he had not spent more than two minutes
in Ayres' room when he accompanied
him up, and that he had had no, conf
Dental conversation with him. Il do
not know that Icould have had conf
Dental talk. There might have been
some one under the bed, but | do not
know that there was" he said.
Burns said that on the night succeed
ing the tragedy he had not remained in
his room in the hotel. Asked why he
kept away he said: Mrs. Bonine knew
that Jimmy Ayres and myself were
friends, ] did not know but that she
might think Ayres hal told me enough
to convict her. l did not propose to take
any chances"
"Afraid?" asked counsel for the de-
fense.
YES, and the next night too
In reply to further questions by Mr..
Douglass Burns said that Mrs. BOnine
had nursed him through serious illness,
coming to his room day and night, both
alone and with others, and also that he
had told persons since the tragedy that
he never had heard Ayres talk as though
he had been intimate with Mrs. Bonine.
After recess Mr.. Douglass sought to
show that Burns knew that Ayres owned
a pistol He asked the witness if he had
not advanced the theory in letter to a
friend in Michigan that Ayres had taken
the weapon found in his room from his
old trunk. The witness said that he had
written letter expressing the opinion
that if Ayres had a pistol at all he had
taken it from his trunk and laid it on
the dresser. He also had expressed the
opinion in that letter that there had been
a struggle in the room.
Michael Hogan, So years old, who said
he had been police judge in New York
and who was one of the party out with
young Ayres the night of his death, was
called when Mr.. Burns was excused. He
said that he lived at the Kenmore. The
boys, he said, had asked him to pro
nounce the valedictory' as Ayres was
to leave the hotel the next day. l had
spoken quite a little piece, just to jol-
ly Ayres,'' and then the party left for
the saloons around the corner, returnins
about N12 o'clock. He said that when
Ayres returned he was perfectly sober
JOS c. McCabe and Arthur e. Nc
Cubbin testified that Ayres was sober
when he returned to the hotel. James
X. Ford, friend of Ayres, saw Mrs
Bonine on the morning after the tragedy.
He asked her if she had danced with
Ayres the evening before the killing
and she had relied that they had danced
together. The next day she had eX-
pressed her regret over Ayres' death and
her astonishment that, in view of the
fact that he had no enemies. he shou<t
have been killed. Her demeanor was
not different from that of other lady
guests of the hotel.