The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-21
Says She Was Induced to Visit the
Mans Room. and that He
Made Improper Proposals.
SHE SEIZED HIS REVOLVER
AND 1T WAS DISCHARGED THREE
TIMES WITH FATAL EFFECT.
Left His Room by the Fire Escape,
Described by Witnesses, and
Returned To Her Own Quarters.


attending the killing of James Seymour
Ayres, a Census Office clerk, in the Ken
more Hotel, early last Wednesday morning,
and which, because of the peculiar circum-
stances surrounding it, has aroused Wash
ington more than any tragedy in several
years, was solved to-day by voluntary
confession from Mrs. Lulu L. Bonine,
married woman and a guest at the house,
that the three shots which ended Ayres's
life had been fired in a struggle between
herself and Ayres Mrs Bonine, whose
husband is a drummer for the wholesale
drug house of Dewitt & Co.. of Chicago.
explained her presence in Ayres's room at
o'clock in the morning by saying that he
had come to her room complaining of
chill and asking for medicine, and had in
duced her to follow him TO his room to talk
over some matters of difference there had
been between them. She said she dressed
herself in a wrapper and went to his room.
He had preceded her and when she opened
the door and walked in he quickly closed it
and informed her he had enticed her to the
room for his own purposes and said If she
did not submit to his wishes he would kill
her. Ayres, she said was undressed and had
a revolver in his hand, and in the struggle
for its possession which ensued Immediately
after she entered, 1t was discharged three
times. the shots striking Ayres at each dis
charge, the last one proving fatal. After
her statement, which was made to the chief
of police and a number of other officials,
Mrs Bonine was placed under arrest and
taken to the house of detention, where
she will be held, pending the result of the
coroner's inquest. which has been in ses-
cior eli
Bonine was TO have appeared tomorrow as
a witness.
The tragedy which resulted in Ayres's
death was discovered first about half past
s o'clock last Wednesday morning, when
his dead body was discovered in his room
at the Kenmore, a small family hotel. Of
very moderate prices situated not far from
the Capitol. The dead mans full name was
James Seymour Ayres. He was between
twenty and twenty-one years of age and
lived in Port Austin, Mich. before coming
TO Washington clerk in the Census
Office. His father is man Of some stand
ing in Republican state politics in Michi-
gan.
SUICIDE THE FIRST THEORY
An examination OF Ayress body showed
that he had been shot three times, one ball
entering the left leg, another the left arm
and the third penetrating the heart and
causing death. Suicide was the first the
ory advanced, but statements from two
witnesses that on the night of the murder
they mad seen a woman descending a fire
escape leading from in front of Ayres's
room and disappear into the parlor of the
house ended this theory and the killing
quickly developed into a mysterious and
sensational affair that bafiled the police
until to-day.
The police were hampered in their efforts
to find the person who did the killing from
the fact that it was eight hours after the
crime was committed before 1t was re-
ported. The whole detective force was put
10 work on the case, and gradually facts
developed which pointed TO Mrs. Bonine as
a guest of the hotel with whom Ayres had
been on very friendly terms and with
whom he had falling out Saturday the
coroner began his inquest, summoning
guests and employees of the hotel, experts
and others, but no substantial clew was
round to connect any person specifically
with the tragedy
The inquest was resumed to-day, but had
developed nothing directly bearing on the
tragedy except that Mrs. Bonine was much
In Ayres room, when ii was suddenly ad-
Journed on information that the district
attorney and others were wanted at police
headquarters TO hear statement made by
Mrs. Bonine. Detective Ed Horne who
was assigned to observe Mrs BonIne's do
ings and to keep in as close communica-
tlon with her as possible, had subjected
her 10 several rigid examinations but with
out result until this afternoon. when she
told her story to him in his private ca
pacity and then asked his advice as IN
what was the best course 10 pursue under
the circumstances. He promptly advised
her TO tell all she knew and, in the pres
ence of District Attorney Gould and the
detective, she again told the story of the
deed IN her own words. Mr. Gould would
make no promises as to immunity from
punishment, however, and arrangements
were made for complete and full recital
o. the deed at the office of Major Sylvester
the superintendent of police. Before going
to police headquarters. however, Mrs Bo-
nine asked that she be allowed to tell the
story TO her husband who was at the police
station at the time. This she was permit
ted 10 do. She asserted with much feeling
that she went 10 Ayres's room simply at
the latter's request. and without any evil
intentions. She then went TO police head
quarters where stenographic report was
taken OF what she had 20 say.
MRS. BONINE's CONFESSION.
Mrs. Bonine's statement was entirely vol
untary and. during its recital. she ap-
peared perfectly calm and collected. It's
substance. as related by Major Sylvester.
chief of police. follows:
Mrs. Bonne acknowledged that she was
present when the shooting occurred she
said that some time prior to March
there had been a disagreement between
herself and Ayres and that their friendly
relations had been broken until the morn
ing before the tragedy, when she became
friendly with him again. She said she had
no watch or clock TO tell the time but
some time in the morning. presumably
about 2 o'clock. Ayres knocked on her door
She opened il and he told her he thought
he was going TO have chill and wanted to
know II she had anything that would pre-
vent it. She said she thought she had
some laxative quinine and went 10 her
boys room, adjoining hers, to get IT, In