Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-30
GOVERNM MENT RESTS
No More Prosecution Witnesses in
Bonine Trial.
AYRES' FATHER ON THE STAND
No Blood on Defendants Wrapper,
Says DR.. Schaeffer.
OUTLINE OF THE DEFENSE


government had rested it's case in the
Bonne murder trial. Attorney keene OF
Mrs. Bonines counsel for the defense i'm
mediately began addressing the jury, indi-
eating what the defense will endeavor to
show.
A novel scene was presented at the
morning session of the Bonine murder tria
| today. A large portion Of the effects ir
the room of young Ayres, the department
| clerk, the responsibility for whose death is
charged to Mrs. Lola Ida Bonine, was dis
played to the court and jury. The blood
stained carpet was there, as were also the
dead mans two trunks The government
| went to the pains of bringing into court
part of the front wall of the room, includ-
| ing the window sill through which the de.
fendant climbed preceding her thrilling
descent down the fire escape Immediately
following the tragedy. These were SO ar
ranged near the witness stand as to give
| to the jury fair idea of the conditions in
Ayres room on that fateful night.
Again was the brown wrapper worn by
Mrs. Bonine, when she went to Ayres' room
introduced during the examination of Lieu
tenant Moore and DR.. Schaefer, the latter
OF whom made thorough microscopical
of finding blood stains. which did not ma
terialiZe Attorney Fulton in the cross-eX-
animation of both witnesses brought out
the fact that the wrapper was torn or rip
ped under the sleeves, thus indicating or
suggesting that it was done in the alleged
struggle with Ayres, while the govern
| ment's contention was that the texture OF
| the garment was badly worn and its torn
condition was due to handling by the police
and others into whose hands it has been
since Mrs. Ronine'S arrest. DIR. Schaefer
who Is noted as an expert, was on the wit
ness stand the greater part of the forenoon.
Mrs. Bonine's Wrapper.
/ For the first time since the trial began
there were some empty seats at the fore
noon session. This was due doubtless to
the statement made yesterday by District
Attorney Gould that the government would
rest it's case today. There were the usual
number of hangers-on, though, those who
never miss session when there Is an op-
portunity of seeing fellow being tried for
a high crime. or -misdemeanor. Mrs. Bo-
nine sat throughout the day with her jack
ct on. The neat-fitting brown waist that
she has worn since the trial began was sup
planted by one of lighter color trimmed
With velvet of blood red. Mrs. Bonne and
her sister, Mrs. Meachem, both eyinced
more than ordinary interest in the search
ing cross-eXamtnation of DR.. Schaefer. At
torney Fulton left his seat at the counsel
front Of the witness, poured forth question
after question with such rapidity that Dr.
Schaefer was given scarcely time to make
thorough and satisfactory answers.
Assistant Secretary of the Interior Frank
M. Campbell occupied a seat on the bench
beside Justice Anderson during the morn
ing session and was an attentive listener to
the proceedings. The interest in the trial
was augmented when Attorney Fulton ask
ed permission to exhibit Mrs. Bonines s
wrapper to each of the jurors that they
might examine the velvet collar by the aid
of a magnifying glass. This was done in
the interest of substantiating the statement
made by the defendant in her confession
that she felt AyreS' blood pouring over her
shoulders Immediately following the dis
charges of the revolver. Mrs. Bonine pos
it1vely stated in her confession that she
washed the blood from the wrapper as soon
as she returned to her room. Several times
during Dr. Schaefer's cross-exai,1inat t ION
District Attorney Gould raised objections
to certain questions, and considerable time
was occupied in arguments by counsel as
to their competency.
Later in the crosS-examination Attorney
Fulton returned to his seat, all the time
continuing his rapid-fire questioning. He
held the wrapper in his hands and sew
eral times the defendant leaned over ana
pointed at certain places on the green vel
vet collar, at the same time prompting her
looked at the collar through the magnifying
glass that was used by the jurors.
A a Model.
Mrs Meacham, sister of Mrs. Bonine was
pressed into service as model by Attorney
Fulton to illustrate contention that per-
son standing with a woman and falling for
ward upon her, as Mrs. Bonine claims in
her confession, might bleed from the mouth
and yet no blood would strike the garments
of the woman. Mrs. Meacham, who is
slight and withal good-looking, stood in
nf ha aff I%&t =
motion as if to fal! forward. 1t was evi-
IDENTIFY the first time that she had ever ap-
peared in such role, as the crimson came
to her cheeks. r.
was when James Seymour Ayres, father
of the dead department clerk, was called
to the witness stand just before the ad-
Journment of the morning session. The
witness told in a modest way and without
interruption the story of his sons life be-
fore he came to Washington and of his
interview with the defendant on his arrival
here to take charge of the body. Mrs Bo-
nine listened to every word with eager in
tereSt.
Representative Sydney E. Mudd of Mary
land was present during the time DR.
Schaefer was on the stand, and he gave
most careful attention to the Questions
and answers. Mr.. Mudd was attorney for
the defense in the celebrated Farrell mur-
der trial in Maryland several years ago
when DR.. Schaefer was called as an expert
witness.
Ayres Furniture.
When the first witness called today in the
Bonine trial-Lieut. James A. Moore of the
sixth police precinct-mounted the stand,
he saw in front of him blood-stained car
pet, two trunks, section Of wall and
other articles. He identified these as hav-
ing been in the room occupied by Ayres at
the Kenmore Hotel when the witness made
an examination there the morning of May
15.
In response to question from United
States Attorney Gould, Lieut.. Moore said
that he procured the wrapper shown in
court from Mrs. Bonines room the after
noon of the Goth of May, soon after Mrs
Bonine had made her statement to Detec-
tive Horne and Mr.. Gould at the sixth
precinct station At that time the wrapper
was not torn. The lock In Ayres door was
out Of order the morning of May 15
on cross-examination. Lieut. Moore ad-
mftted that there might have been worn
place under the arm of the wrapper.
AS shown In court, the wrapper was con-
siderably torn under the arms and in one
place was pinned.
The next witness was DR.. Edward M.
Schaeffer. He stated that he was q physi
clan. and had made a sppcfa1tv nf ~ a xs,t,,