The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-11-29
MRS. BONINE'S TRIAL.
A Witness Who Says She Was in the
Habit of Visiting Other Mems
Rooms Than Ayers.

Washington. Nov. 25.-The trial of
Mrs. Lola Ida Bonine, for the murder
| of James Seymour Ayres, Jr., last
| May, was resumed in criminal court
| No. /.
j. Frank Drew, the capitol police
| man, who was on the stand last Fri
day, when the court adjourned, re-
sumed his testimony. He swore that
he had several times seen the defend
| ant come out of Ayres' room. The
last occasion was about week before
the tragedy. 1t was at night, about
nine o'clock.
On crOSS-eXaminatiOn he testified
that he looked over the transom into
the room in the morning when Ayres'
body was discovered. He was closely
questioned as to the location of the
furniture, clothing and the position
of the body, to which he has testified
upon direct examination. He testified
| that there was space enough behind
the door for a person to have stood
there while the door was opened to
admit another person.
He testified that he had seen Mrs.
Bonnie come out of the rooms of 9th
| ers in the hotel, among them those
| of several single men, and her de-
| meanor was in nowise different from
| that when he saw her emerge from
Ayers room. She displayed no evil
dence of excitement. Her bearing was
natural. She had habit of visiting
| the sick. There were empty cartridge
shells in the slop-jar upon his first
vic 70 ,f,.l,
| Officer Brady broke the pistol and
took the shells out.
Thomas NJ. Baker, an employee OF
| the fish commission, who resided in
the building adjoining the Kenmore,
was then called, and testified that on
| the night of the tragedy he was
| awakened by the report of pistol
shots. He jumped out of bed, went
to the window and heard voice from
above inquiring what was wrong be-
low. He replied that he had heard
| pistol shots. Then, while standing at
his window he saw Il figure on the
| fire escape Just outside of Ayers win
dow. The figure walked the length
of fire escape in his direction, and
then descended two flights to the
peared into window. II was the fig
urge of a small woman, clad in dark.
| tight-fitting clothing. The woman
wore no hat, and as he did not hear
| the fall of her footsteps, he judged
| she was in her stocking feet. He de-
scribed the manner of her descent.
| which he said was very deliberate and
without emotion.
He did not know the defendant at
the time of the tragedy. but saw her
about 1 o'clock of the afternoon of
that day. She was at that time be-
| ing questioned by Detective Horne.
| She was smiling, and he heard her
say she knew nothing about the
| cause of Ayres' death. Shots he heard
sounded muftied. He could not tell
exactly, but judged they were about
| ten or fifteen seconds apart.
Robert p. Hopkins, a clerk in the
Kenmore hotel, where the tragedy
occurred, was the next witness. He
testified that he lived on the fifth
floor over the room of Miss Lawless,
who occupied the room adjoining that
in which Ayres was killed. His
daughter was i'll on the night of the
| tragedy. He had been attending her.
and just as he was returning to bed
he heard three loud reports. He went
| to the window and looked down. He
saw something. which looked like n
skull lying on the fire escape just out
| side the window which he afterward
| ascertained was the window of Ayres'
room. The shots were fired in quick
succession, about four seconds he
| judged between the first and last.
| There was stir in the courtroom
as a baliff called Emma A. Lawless,
who occupied the room adjoining that
in which the tragedy occurred. Miss
Lawless showed considerable nervous
ness as she took the stand. She testi-
| fed that she was employed in the
| bureau of engraving and printing. On
the night of the tragedy, about $3.50
| O'Clock. she testified that Ayres
knocked at her door, and asked if She
had any sugar. He told her he was
| going away, and wanted to make
some cocoa. She gave him the sugar.
| About ten minutes later he knocked
| again, and asked her if she did not
want cup. She replied that she did
not care for it. About ten o'clock
| she retired. She was slightly aroused
during the night, but was not awak-
ened. She formed no idea as to what
| aroused her, or what time it was.
The district attorney then turned
| the witness over to the defendants
counsel, but he asked but a single
question which brought out nothing
| additional.
King Suspends the Chamber.