The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-22
TRIAL NOW
UNDER Way
First Witnesses in Case Against
Mrs. Bonine Were Placed on
the Stand Yesterday but Little
Testimony Was Heard
ATTORNEY H. F. TAGGART
OUTLINED PROCEDURE
He Claimed Killing of Ayers Had
Been Malicious and Therefore
Constituted Murder as Charg-
ed - CoIored Waiter DesCrib-
ed Finding of the Body

Washington, Nov. 21.-The trial Of
Mrs. Lola Ida Bonnie for the murder Of
James S. Ayres, Jr., the census office
clerk, began in earnest today, a jury
having been secured yesterday.
The first order of the day was the
outline Of the Government case by
Assistant District Attorney Hugh T..
Taggart, and after he had concluded,
the witnesses for the prosecution were
introduced. Mr.. Taggart contended that
the killing of Ayres had been felonious
and malicious and therefore was muir
der, as charged in the indictment.
There was, he said, a tie between the
prisoner and the dead man in the fact
that Ayres was student of dentistry
and she had studied medicine. AS q
consequence she became a frequent
visitor of his room in the hotel where
they both lived. He told Of the quarrels
between them, saying that Ayres
ceased to speak to her and that she
complained Of his ingratitude. He had
danced with her on the night before
the tragedy, but had shown that he
was averse to a renewal of the former
familiar intercourse.
1--WE will show" continued Mr.. Tag
CART, that very act, step and pro-
ceeding on the part Of the prisoner
was the act Of a guilty person" Out
lining the Governments position Mr..
Taggart said it would be contended
that Ayres had retired when the person
who killed him entered the room, and
that she came in through the window;
that he arose and started toward her;
that she shot him, the first wound be-
ing the fatal one in the breast. Natur-
ally his mouth had filled with blood
and as naturally he had put his hands
to his mouth. Then he had grasped
the pistol, thus accounting for the
blood upon it. When Mr. Taggart con-
cluded Mr.. Douglass announced that
the defence would reserve it's presenta-
ton of the case
The first witness in the afternoon
session was Harry A. Wise, a photog-
rapher, who identified photographs he
made of Ayres room on the day after
the tragedy occurred. Mr.. Douglass
objected to their acceptance as evil
dence, on the ground that they did not
represent the exact condition of the
room when Ayres' body was found. He
thought their presentation should be
delayed until testimony should be TAX
en- showing whether the conditions
were the same when the body was
found and when the picture was made.
The photographs were accepted by the
court for the purpose only of showing
the permanent physical condition of
the room when they were taken.
julius Hack, another photographer,
who had made photographs of the Ken
more Hotel and Of Ayres' room, also
identified the pictures made by him,
and they were admitted in evidence.
The first witness who testified about
the events directly connected with the
death of Ayres, was Daniel Woodhouse,
the colored waiter in the Kenmore Ho-
tel, who discovered the body of the
young man. He recounted the circum-
stances leading up to the finding of the
body. Before Woodhouse had conclud-
ed the court adjourned until tomorrow.