The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-05-16
A MURDER
MYSTERY.
Jas. Ayres, a Census Clerk
Found Dead In His
Room in Washing
ton Hotel.

Seymour Ayres, Jr.. IA handsome
and popular young clerk in the az
ricultural division OF the Census
Bureau. was found dead with 4
bullet hole near his heart and Two
other wounds, in his room IN the
Kenmore Hotel, on North Capitol
street between b and c streets, at
s, 80 O clock this morning. The cir.
cumstances show that the theory oil
suicide is untcnable.
There are many mysterious fe at
ures connected with the tragedy,
and a mysterious woman in black
figures as the probable murderess.
People in the hotel and occupants
OF adjoining houses heard three
shots fired in rapid sucbesslon
about , O clock this morning. Cries
Tor help followed the reports, but,
strange 10 say, no investigation was
made until after s o clock, when the
police we're notified and the door ot
Ayers room broken open. Lying
on the floor beside an open window
was the body of Ayers with a bull
let wound over his heart. An cx.
animation disclosed two more
wounds, one in the thigh and
another in the left arm.
The police have been tilted that
woman wearing "A black dress
was seen to leave the room by Il
window opening on the fire escape
about three minutes after the shots
were fired. 1t is said that the wo.
man leisurely descended from the
fourth floor, on which Mr.. Ayers
room was located, to the second.
where she entered an open window
and disappeared. Along the line
she is Susposed 10 have Travelled arc
many blood marks. and the police
contend that these tend TO substan-
tiatc the statements made concern
! ing the appearance Of the woman
descending The fire escape.
Ayers (riclds have been question
ed as 10 any possible female allan
ces that he might have had, but no
satisfactory information has been
obtained as yet.
Ayers. who has passed his twenty
first birthday three months ago,
came to Washington last Juue to
a position IN the census ONCE.
He had been occupying a room
on the fourth floor. lie had arrang
ed to leave the house today, and
had packed his belongings, prepar-
atory TO having them moved to the
Flat Society, on Lstreet, near Ninth
street Northwest, where number
Of acquainlaEces had arranged to
live on the cooperative plan.
Ayers had been studying dentis-
try at the Dental Colleg: OF the
Columbian University, and the
theory was advanced thst despon-
dency over supposed failure to
pass recent examination nigh
have caused him TO commit suicide.
but this theory was afterward cX-
ploaed Ayers attended a dance
in the Kenmore Hotel last night and
appeared TO be in 4 good humor,
giving no evidences OF being des-
pondcnt, it is said. He danced with
several young women, and he is
SAID not to have taken anything 10
drink during the evening.
About - O clock he left the dane
ing hall in company with James
Burns, who is employed IN the Gov
eminent Printing Office, and stop
ped at the rooms OF several friends
on the second floor of the hotel.
Ayers next went over TO the room
Of }. V. Wigglns, on the same floor
of the house. but did not stop, as
Mr.. WIsgins was busy writin I.
Ayers then went to his own room,
it is said. in company with Mr..
Burns.
Burns says he, in company with
Ayers, went directly to the latter 8
room, on leaving Virgins room
and that he Burns remained with
Ayers until about 1880 O'Clock.
when he retired to his room. which
is in the annex about twenty yards
away, on the same floor. What
occu red after that Burns says he
does not know.
Thomas NJ Baker, who is employ
cd at the Fish Commission, and
who occupied room on the second
! floor OF the adjoining house, 222
North Capitol street, was aw akened
about midnight by voices on the
first floor OF the hotel, he says, aud
was Just going to sleep again when
he heard two shots fired. one i'm
medlately following the other. He
is positive that he heard only two
shots, but thinks that he may have
have been awakened by the first
shot, without being aware of it.
He jumped out Of his bed, which
is but few feet from the window,
he says, and looked out Of the win.
dow, but saw nothing. Some one
above him, Baker says, called out:
What wrong down there!"
Baker replied that he had heard
pistol shots. About three minutes
after that Baker asserts he saw a
woman come out OF a window on
the fourth floor OF the hotel and,
with the left hand on the railing Of
the fire escape and the right one
holding up her skirtor gown, slow.
" descend to the second floor and
pass from the balcony into an open
window.
Mr.. Baser says the woman had
on stockings, but no shoes. He
/ declares that he waited several
minutes longer, bat hearing moth
ing further closed his shutters and
lighted the gas to rearrange his
bed clothing. Looking at his clock,
which was five minutes fast, he
found that it was just 2,05 clock.
4 When Miss Miuas notified the