The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-03
MADE BY MRS. BONNIE AS TO THE
AYRES HOMICIDE.
HER CONFESSIONS INTRODUCED
Detective Horne Details h State
ments Made to Him by the Defend
ant-She Told the circumstances
Room at That Hour and of the Assault
Case After q Few More Witnesses

Washington, November 29.-Upon the
eve OF the adjournment today of the
Z criminal court before which Mrs. Lola
Ida BONNIE is being tried for the killing
Of James S. Ayres. Jr. District Attor-
Aey Gould that the govern
ment would rest its case after the in
PRODUCTION of che or two more Tit-
nesses. and that he expected to con-
ciude at the morning session of the
court tomorrow. Mr.. T. w. Keane will
then make a preliminary statement in
Mrs Bonine's behalf and witnesses for
the defense will be intl oduced. 1t is
expected about twenty-five of these
will be heard. Mrs. Bonine's counsel
say that they ave not vet decided
whether she shall be put upon the
stand.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook today
concluded his testimony and Detective
Horne told of the confession which Mrs.
Bonine made &C him of her part in the
Tragedy. Her confession to the chief of
hice also was read. DR.. Glazebrook
ydve 1t as his opinion that the abrasions
on Ayres' legs might have been aus
by a woman kicking him with sharp
heeled slippers and aid that the bruises
Oh "A 1OO1lllIC . l. lOOhcu DIS IL lIlc
might have been made by a mans
thumb when he was gripping the arms.
Detective Edward Horne said he had
first met Mrs. BONNIE on the morning
that Ayres' body was found. He had
then asked her if she knew now Ayres
had met his death and she said she did
not She told how she had been dress
ed on the night of the killing and had,
upon request, handed over the skirt she
had worn. Her manner was perfectly
cool.
On the Monday following the killing,
while the CCIOner's inquest was in
progress she rad made her confession
to him. n had, he said, then told
him that at 2 o'clock on the morning of
Wednesday,, May 18th, Ayres had
Knocked on her door and that when she
went to the door he said he was sick
and asked her to give him some medi-
cine. He then. she had said. tried to
put his arm around her and had asked
to be allowed to go into her room to
talk over their former differences prior
to his leaving the hotel, which he was
to do the next day. She declined, say
ing she did not want to awaken her
boys and then consented to go to his
room, upon his making the plea that
there would not be time the next morn
ing for their conference before his leav-
ing the house. She told the witness
that she had dressed herself completely,
putting on clean linen, a wrapper and
slippers and had then followed AyreS
to his room, he having returned to his
apartment. When she turned the knob
of the door Ayres opened it from the
inside and she found him standing back
of the door holding a revolver in his
land. She had then started to
run away but had tripped and Ayres
caught her around the waist. She had
illustrated in a later interview with him
and District Attorney Gould her atti-
tude and that of Ayres when the shoot
ing occurred, saying that her back was
to Ayres: that HIS right hand, in which
the revolver was held, was thrown over
her shoulder and that h had caught
that hand with both of hers. She did
not know how the shots wer fired, but
she felt blood guSh over her shoulder
When Ayres fell to the floor she fell
under him and slipping out had gone to
her room, where she washed her hands
and her app and went to bed.
The wrapper was exhibited to the
witness and identified by him. 1t is a
brown colored garment trimmed with
green velvet.
On cross examination Detective
Horne said Mrs. BONNIE said to him
that she hesitated to mention the trag-
edy because she feared that in doing so
she might do Injustice to the dead. At
ter Ayres fell she found, she said. that
her W hand clasped the barrel and
that her hands were covered with blood
She had not discovered the pistol in
Ayres hand until he had bolted the
door.
Edwin B.. Hesse, st~enographer at po-
lice headquarters who reported the