The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-26
PRISONER WAS
QUITE uINIMOVED
Mrs. Bonine Listened At
te:ntively to Testimony.
NO NEW FACTS TOLD.
Baker Told Of Seeing Woman Descend
Fire Escape
STAR WITNESSES A FAILURE.
One Told of Hearing Pistol Shots, a Cur
Cling Sound and Fall-She Was
Frightened Nearly TO Death,
and Piled Things Against
the Door of Her
STAR WITNESSES A FAILURE.
(By Associated Press. J

trial of Mrs. Lola Ida Bonine for the
murder of James Seymour Ayres at the
Kenmore Hotel last May began in real
earnest to-day. The preliminary details
as to the finding Of the body, the location
OF the furniture, blood-stains. etc, were
all in with the conclusion Of the testl-
monyz Of J.ssF. Drew, the Capitol police
man, who was on the stand when the
court adjourned last Friday.
Baker, the man who saw Mrs. Bonine
descend the fire escape; Hopkins, who
roofned over Ayres and raised the first
outcry,a Miss Woolums, who roomed under
Ayres, ana MISS LawIess and Miss Mnas,
who roomed- on either side of him, tes-
titled to-day. The two latter were re-
garGBd as star witnesses, but they testl-
fled to no facts not developed at the IN
quest.
Drew testified that there->was room
enough behind the. door of. AyreS' room
for man to have been there while the
door wsis opened to admit another person.
q contention which the prosecution deny,
and also that there were empty cart
ridges in the slop jar in -Ayres' room be-
fore the pistol with which the shooting
was done&was emptied by Officer Brady
after the atragedy.' This would tend to
establish the theory OF the defense that
the pistol belonged to Ayres.
SHE REMAINS UNMOVED.
Mrs. Bonine throughout the trial to-
day when witnesses described the cries.
| groans and throat g,wgling of the dying
man remained absolutely unmoved.
]. Frank Drew, tho Capitol policeman
wllo-1s .el,-tl,e- stand last. Friday 2wne:l
the 9urE=i az lour1ied, res,Ged his testi--
mo iy:s%IT e2t sNore that he had seterar
times seen the defendant come out.5of
Ayers: room. The last occasion was
about week before the tragedy. 1t was
at 11ight--about Q o'clock. on cross-eN--
animation he testified that there was
space enough behind the door for a per-
son to have stood there while the door
was opened to admit another person; also
that there were empty cartridge shells
in; the slop gar upon his first visit to the
reehLs whiaA6was before Officer Brady
broke -tiieaf,fatol and took the shells out.
He testified that he had seen Mrs. Bonnie
+ come 9ollt1dff2the rooms of others in the
hQtel. iamonE them those of several sim
gle men, and her 2demeanor was IN no.
wise different from that when he saw her
emerge from Ayres' room.
|. Thomas Baker, an employe of the Fish
Commission, who resided in the building
adjoining the Kenmore, testified that on
the night of the tragedy he was awakened
by the reports Of pistol shots. He Jumped
out of the "bed, went 30 the window and
heard a voice from above, inquring wnat
was wrong below. He replied that he
had heard pistol shots. Then, while stand
ing at his window, he saw a. figure on the
fire escape just outside of Ayres' WIN
dow. The. figure walked the length Of
the fire escape in his direction and then-
descended two fights to the floor of the
Nveranda, where 1t disappeared into
window. II was the figure of u small wo-
man, clad in dark tight-itting clothing
The woman wore no hat, and as he did
not hear the fall of her footsteps, lie
judged she was in her stocking-feet. lie
described the manner of her descent which
he said was very deliberate and without
motion. He did not know the defendant
at tho time of the tragedy. but saw her
about one O'clock the afternoon of that
day. She was at that time being qucs-
toned by Detective. Horne. She was srnil-
ing, and he heard her say she knew moth
ing about5the cause of Ayres death.
WITNESS GREW NERVOUS.
Emma A. Lawless, who occupied the
room adjoining that in which the ira gedy
occurred, showed considerable nervous
ness as she took the stand. She was
slightly aroused during the night of the
tragedy. hut was not awakened she
Iciii1GS ~; i0eSL 10 NildC aroused I.S.-
or what time it was.
After the recess Miss Mary r. Minas,
a clerk i'll the Census office. who occu-
pied the room next to Ayres, testified
that she was a friend OF Ayres.
And of Mrs. Bonine?7 asked the Dis
trict '-ittorney?''
3 ..Of, Mrs. Bonine up TO that time" re-
Piled the witness.
Continuing, Miss Mnas testified that
1ef RI, -,
met Mrs 5Bonine and remarked that she
was up late.
Yes. i am looking for Maurice (N1rs.
Bonine's son). replied Mrs. eBonne. Mrs.
Bonine went to Miss Mnas' room and
after aFfew moments left. Miss Minas
then retired. That was ABOUT IL o'clock.
AWAKENED BY SHOTS.
Miss Minas described what she knew
of the Tragedy. She had been wakened
by three pistol shots. followed by cries
for, help and a gurgling sound; then a
fall. aud then all was quiet Il was para
lyzed with fright" she testified. 1 rush.
edtsto tEeS door and piled several chairs,
against it to protect myself. 1 then sank
into a rocking chair / think 1 must have
tainted. After some tine 1 went to the
wind dowS and looked out All was as still
as9deatE.< ]. walked the floor, suffering in
tense agony. made up my mind that /
aWolld Wait until daylight and then look
aout in the hall: When it got.light 1 open
e6 the door. and looked out: but there.
was nothing outsideato occasion the dis
turbance Il had heard. concluded that
it5;had all been a nightmare"
is3Then, She said, she busted herself in
ller room until breakfast time. when she
weritifdown stairs. There she met Mr.
ficpkinsa EfwhD told her what he had
5ly,ard,i aid She became satisfied it was
,lft all a dream She then sent the hoy
Dan up to call Mr. AyreS: After the