The times., 1901-05-18
WAITING ON THE CORONER
No Arrests Yet Made by the Poll ce
in the Ayers Murder Case.

Testimony ut the Inquest Today May
Bring to Light Facts ImpIicat ting
Some Person in the Crime - DIR.
SchaeHer AnaIyEinE Blood stains.
Theories alone occupied the police yes
terday in the Kenmore murder mystery
No development. no sign, pointed the
finger OF suspicion toward any individual
nor Aas any arrest made. Three days
have passed since James Seymour Ayers
was murdered in his room, yet detectives
and police are entirely at sea as to the
identity of his slayer. Not daring to make
an arrest, because of lack Of evidence,
there appears to be a disposition on the
part Of the authorities to await the ac-
tion of Coroner Nevitt, at and subse-
quent to the inquest which has been or
dered for IL o'clock this morning. Fifty
witnesses have been summoned to attend
the hearing, including all the boarders
at the hotel, detectives and police
An analysis OF the facts learned yes
teTday and last night serves only TO pile
mystery on mystery. -Four women. three
being guests Of the Kenmore. and one a
negress employed there. We're requested to
so to Headquarters late in the afternoon
for the purpose of diligent personal en-
Inspector Boardman. They were Miss
Mary NHnas, Miss Kate Lawlus. and Mrs.
Bonine. guests of the hostelry. and Eliza
Gardner colored, a domestic. These women
were closeted with the police officials for
hours: were examined and cross-eXam-
ined-in fact, put through a typical
''sweat-boX" enquiry; but nothing came
of il all.
The examination was conducted in the
private office Of Major Sylvester. and each
woman was questioned separately. Their
stories were practically the same as told
the detectives on several occasions, and
after all was over they We're permitted
to go their way, because. as expressed
by a detective. I'VE must wait. like
Micawber. for something to turn up"
Under examination Miss Minas, Miss
I.awlus. and Mrs. Bonine talked freely.
apparently. going over much Of what has
already been told. No new fact was es-
tablished by their statements. Eliza
Gardner says that she had seen Ayers at
various times with several women guests
of the hotel. She gave the names of such
women TO the number of four, but moth
ing has appeared against any Of them TO
warrant suspicion. After the women had
gone Major Sylvester said:
There is nothing new to relate. We are
still working on the case So far ! have
mainly the statement of physicians alone
to prove that Ayers met death at the
hands of a murderer. It seems almost i'm
possible for woman to have committed
the crime, because of the strength and
consummate nerve required, yet we have
been unable to discover facts which war
rant the suDposition that a man did the
deed. II Ayers was murdered the crime
is a most extraordinary one"
Taking up the investigation yesterday
morning. the detectives spent the day in
following supposed clues, none OF which
developed anything tangible. Neverthe-
less preparations were gradually being
pushed forward for the inquest Dr. Ed
ward NJ. Schaeffer, an expert in micro
seopical examination, was hard at work
with the analysis OF blood stains found
about the room occupied by Ayers. on the
fire-escape outside the window. and on the
stairway leading from the rear hallway
to the third floor Of the hotel.
Il have not quite completed my work,
was what DR.. Schaeffer said last night,
but shall have report to make to the
Coroner tomorrow morning. l am will
ing 10 swear. however, that another hand
than that of James Seymour Ayers, the
dead man, caused the mark on the win
dow sill of his room. Thus far have l
definitely determined by comparison and
analysis
DIR. Schaeffer was at the morgue for an
hour last night with Coroner hewitt and
Others. He took accurate measurements
OF marks and bruises of the body of
Ayers. together with about twenty iu.-
pressions of the hand Of the victim.
These measurements viii be used today
at the inquest, in showing that another
person than Ayers was in the room at the
time OF the murder
As the mystery deepens, excitement
over the tragedy grows. and last night
it reached a high pitch. Detectives were
coming ana going from the hotel, con-
ferences We're being held. while nearly
five hundred people stood waiting before
the hostelry for something TO turn up.
People began to gather early in the after
noon. and by nightfau were massed on
both sides Of North Capitol Street. in
groups. singly and in pairs They gazed
about them, almost in wonder at the ny.i-
terious movements of the police and de-
tectives, who swarmed in and out ard
about the hotel Newspaper men were out
in force. to the number of twenty. repre-
sentinS papers from every section OF the
country. Anxious glances We're cast bv
more than one timid woman up to the
window Of the room in which Ayers met
his death. Everybody had a theory, the
detectives guessed what might have been
while others talked in whispers of the
tragedy.
James s Ayers. father of the murdered
man. IS Stili at the Kenmore. ana is as
much mystlhed as anybody over the rnur-
der lie talked Of the tragedy last night
ne murder Is most deplorabIe crime
coming home TO me personally. and for
tbs community itself" " he said. MY son
was above reproach; he was steady, re-
lapie. and Industrious: he was intelli-
gent and thoroughly gentleman. That
he was murdered / am positive; that he
may nave committed suicide is a theory
winch / regard as a vile slander to his
memory"
Mr. Ayers went on to say that no mo-
tive vas apparent for suicide on the part
Of his SON The boy was young. en-
thusiastic. healthy; where. then, is a mo-
tive for self-destruction? asked Mr.
Ayers.
in his home at Port Austin Mich, my
son lived until he was eighteen years
DID, continued Mr.. Ayers His reputa-
lion and habits were excellent; his char
acter far above the average
But the question with me is, Who is
the murderer? How was such crime
possible in a city Of 10000 people? NV
son was killed in his hotel, containing A
hundred guests; there were three pistol
shots fired; there were cries and groaas,
sounds Of scuffie: a woman was awak-
eLed BY the noise at o'clock IN the morn
ing. another woman was seen t.sc-ar,iley
tAr4uTD 20 fire as4F In