The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-27
Mrs. Bonine Made a Private Con-
fession of Her Part of the
Tragedy Several Days Before
She Went to the Police
FACT BROUGHT OUT
AT THE MURDER TRIAL
Story Told for the First Time by
George B. Gardner, a Boarder
at the Kenmore Who Usually
Sat at the Same Table atWhiCh
Prisoner Took Her Meals

Sat at the Same able atWnlGn
Prisoner Took Her Meals
Washington, Nov 26.-The first wit
ness called today at the trial of Mrs
Lola Ida Bonine for the murder of
James Seymour Ayres, Jr., was Will
liam Schoenberger, keeper Of the Nor
que He testified to having taken
charge of Ayres's body at the Kenmore
Hotel. He was present at the autopsy
and took photographs showing the To-
cation of the wounds on the body. The
films were introduced as evidence
Mrs. BONNIE gave one hasty look at the
pictures as they were held by one of
the attorneys but she quickly turned
her head and gave them no further at
tention.
Describing the condition of the
corpse when he found it Schoenberger
said the arms were drawn up in front
of the face I'm order that the stem
ographer may describe the posture"
said Mr.. Gould, Il suppose there will
be no objection to his noting that the
attitude was one of defense?"
I'VE do object most decidedly re-
sponded Mr. Douglass.
The court agreed that it would be i'm
proper and it was decided that he
should say that the arms were placed
as though shielding the face.
On cross-eXamination the witness
said he saw several empty cartridge
shells in the slop jar and had also seen
some shells and cartridges on the
trunk and on the wash stand in Ayres
room.
The next witness was George B.
Gardner an attorney in the interior de-
partment, who with his family occu-
pied rooms in the Kenmore Hotel. His
testimony was new. The fact was
brought out that Mrs. Bonnie had made
her first confession to him. This con-
fession had, the witness said, been
made on the evening of Nov. TO- the day
of the tragedy He was followed to
his room by Mrs BONNIE.
'tShe stated to me" he said that she
knew more about, the death of Ayres
than had been given to the public. She
said she was present when it hap
pened and told me that she had come
to me because she wanted my advice,
She told me that in morning of yres'
death he came to her room and
knocked on her door and complained
of being i'll and asked if she could not
do something for him, that when she
went into Ayres' room room he had
assaulted ueT anu Hdu d plSIul III Hlo
hand, and in the scuffie which ensued
he was killed.
did she describe the struggle that
took placer" asked the district at
torney The witness stated that she said
nothing more than that when the strug-
4 gle followed the assault, the pistol was
discharged. The, witness said she did
not tell him in whose hands the pistol
was but later corrected himself. by
saying that he believed she said the
weapon was in Ayres' hand. "She also
told me that Ayres was under the in
fluence of liquor at the time of the
shooting" said Mr.. Gardner.
The witness also said that Mrs.
BONNIE had spoken to him again on the
next day or the second day after the
tragedy. "She said" Mr.. Gardner tes-
tilted, THAT she was feeling badly and
that nothing was sustaining her except
the consciousness of her innocence. She
added that she could not get it out and
asked me if she had better destroy it..
By lit" l understood her to mean that
she referred to one of her garments, but
l didn't know what. l told her to de-
strOy nothing as she had not decided
upon a public confession"
On cross-examination Mir. Gardiner
testified that he could not exactly say
that Mrs. Bonine was excited. She
was hurried and her manner was tense.
She had asked his advice as to the ad-
visibility of making public statement
and he had advised her to remain quiet
until it was determined whether the
suicide theory would hold good
James Burns, who was Ayres' inti-
mate friend, and who had accompanied
him to his room the night of the trag-
edy, testified that on the night of tie
tragedy Ayres had gone with him and
others to two or three saloons around
the cornerwhere hesaid Ayres had drunk
sparingly. He had then at about II. 80
o'clock accompanied Ayres to his room,
leaving him in apparently sober con-
dition. The witness said that while
originally Ayres and Mrs. BONNIE had
been on friendly terms, these relations
became strained and on the occasion of
the Monday dance before the killing,
when she had approached Ayres with
a carnation, he had treated her with
contempt. Mrs. BOnine told witness
that she had reproved Ayres for drink
ing.
On cross examination Burns said that
before starting out with Ayres he him
self had had six or seven drinks, but
that he was not intoxicated. Burns said
that on the night succeeding the trag-
edy he had not remained in his room in
the hotel Asked why he kept away
he said: LAS Mrs. Bonine knew that
Jimmy Ayres and myself were friends,
I did not know but that she might
think Ayres had told me enough to con-
Wet her. l did not propose to take
any chances"
"Afraid?" asked counsel for the de-
Tense.
yes, and the next night too"
In reply to further questions Burns
said that Mrs. BONNIE had nursed him
through a serious illness.
After recess Michael Hogan, IS years
old. who said he had been a police
Judge in New York and who was one
OF the party out with Ayres the night
of his death, was called. He said that
he lived at the Kenmore. He had
spoken quite a little piece-just to
jolly Ayres'' and then the party left for
the saloon around the corner, returning
about - o'clock.
He said that when Ayres returned
he was perfectly sober.
Joseph c. McCabe and Arthur z. Nc
Cubbin, who were friends of Ayres, tes-
titled that he was sober on the night
of the tragedy.
James K. Ford. a fellow clerk Of
Ayres, at the census office, testified to
visiting Ayres' room the morning after
the killing. There were then four or five
ladies standing near the room in the
corridor, among them being Mrs.
BONNIE. He asked her if she had
danced with Ayres the evening before
the killing and she replied that she
had.
The next day she had expressed her
regret over Ayres' death and her as
constituent that in view of the fact
that he had no enemies, he should have
been killed. Her demeanor was not
different from that of other lady guests
of the hotel.
The court at this point adjourned for
the day.
ca TO EE