The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-27
HER COME FESSION
HEARD BY JURY
Witness Repeated What
Mrs. Bonine Told Him.
ADVISED AGAINST 1T.
Prisoner Had Nevertheless Told Him
About Tragedy.
VICTIM WAS QUITE SOBER.
Several Testified to This Fact, Though
They Admitted That He Had Visited
Several Saloons and Had Drinks.
Mrs. Bonlne Would Not
Look at Photograph
of Wounds.
VICTIM WAS QUITE SOBER,
(Ey Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 25.-The
fact was brought out to-day in the trial
of Mrs Lola Ida Eonine for the killing
of James Seymour Ayres, Jr.. that she
had made a private confession Of her
part in the tragedy on the evening after
the homicide, several days before she
took tho police officials into her conf
dence. This recital was made to George
3. Gardner, employed in the law division
Of the Interior Department, who was
looardcr at the Kenmore Hotel, and who
usually sat at the same table at which
Mrs. Bonine took her meals.
Mr.. Gardner was on the witness stand
to-day and told his story for the first
time He said that Mrs. Boninc had
sought him out and asked his advice as
to whether she should make q public
statement, and that he had suggested
to her that she should delay her confess
sion until the theory of suicide, which
was first entertained, had been fully eN-
plotted. A number Of other witnesses
were heard during the day, several OF
them being men who had taken AyreS out
to the nelghborng saloons during the
evening of May 14th, and one of whom
had taken him to his room after mid
night, about two hours before he met
his death. These witnesses said Ayres
was perfectly sober.
TURNED HER HEAD.
William Schoenberger, keeper of the
morgue,s testified to having taken charge
of Ayres' body.&I1e had been present at
the autopsy and had taken photographs
showing the location Of the wounds on
&C
evidence and exhibits TO the jury. Mrs.
Bonine gave one hasty look at the pic
lures as they were held by one of the at
torneys, but she quickly turned her head
and gave them no further attention.
She engaged in conversation with Attor-
ney Futon most of the time while this
testimony was being given
The witness said there We're powder
marks OH the breast and arm wounds, but
none on the thigh. Describing the con-
dition Of the corpse when ne found it,
Mr.. Schoenberger said the arms were
drawn up in front of the face. In order
that the stenosrapher may describe the
posture" /" said Mr.. Gould, Il suppose there
will be no objection to his noting that
the attitude was one of defense?"
1--WE do object, most decidedly" re-
sponded Mr.. Douglass.
The. court agreed that the description
NOuiu DC OIel, stiiI IL htS dSI1oCo
that he should say that the arms were
placed as if shielding the face.
On cross-examina ton the witness said
that when he entered the room where the
killing occurred, he saw several empty
cartridge shells in the sop jar, and had
also seen some shells and cartridges on
the trunk ana on the washstand.
PRISONERS CONFESSION.
The next witness was George B. Gard
ner, to whom Mrs. Bonine made her first
confession on the night after the Tragedy.
.tShe stated to me-, he said, that she
knew more about the death of Ayres than
had been given to the public. l think she
hesitated a moment, and then my manner
or something I said induced her to go on.
anG' she said she was present when 1t hap
pened and tod me that she had come to
me because she wanted my advice. She
told me that the morning of AyreS' death
he came to her room and knocked Oh her
door and complained Of being i'll and ask
ed if she could not do something for him.
that when she got into Ayres' room he
had assaulted her and had pistol in his
t-r' and in scutfle which ensued he was
killed.
Did she describe the struggle that
took place?" asked the district attorney.
The witness stated that she said moth
ing more than that the struggle followed
the assault and the pistol was fired. The
witness stated that she did not tell him
in whose hands the pistol was. but later
corrected himself by saying that he be-
iieved she said that the pistol was in
Ayres hand.
UNDER INFLUENCE OF LIQUOR.
.:She also told me that Ayres was ln-
der the influence Of liquor 1T ,he time OF
the shooting said Mr.. Gardner.
The witness also said that Mrs. Bonne
1,s
day, or the second day, afte: the trag-
edy. She sat at the same table with him
in the dining-room and she again sought
to talk with him concerning the tragedy.
she said Mr.. Gardner testified "that
she was feeling badly, and that nothing
was sustaining her except the conscious
ness OF her innocence. She added that
she could not get it out and asked me If
she had better destroy it. By it un-
derStood her to mean that she referred
to one Of. her garments. But I did not
know that. I told her to destroy ;othing.
as She had not decided upon public
confession
On cross examination. Mr.. Gardner tes-
titled that lie could not exactly say Mrs.
Bonne was excited. She was buried
and her manner was tense. She had ask
ed his advice as to the advlsa oilitN or
making public statement, and he mad
advised her to remain qiuet until it was
determined whether The suicide theory
would hold good
VISITED SALOONS.
James Burns. who was Ayres' intimate
friend. and who had accompanied him
to his room the night of the tragedy, was
next called 1ia said that on the right
OF the tragedy Ayres had gone with him
and several others to two or three sa-
looms around the corner. where he said
Ayres had drunk sparingly. He had then
at about 1890 o'clock accompanied Ayrcs
to his room, leaving him in a perfectly
sober condition. The witness said that
while originally Ayres and Mrs. Bonine