Evening star., 1901-11-26
Usual Number of Spectators at the
Trial of Mrs. Bonine.
TESTIMONY OF TEE MORGUE MASTER
Rehearsal of Statement Made by
Defendant to Attorney Gardner.
LAWYERS HAVE A TILT

Court crowds have keen partiality for
the gruesome especially court crowds that
are attracted by such a cause as the trial
| OF Mrs. Lola Ida Bonine for the murder of
James Seymour Ayres. Accordingly, the
opportunity to make the acquaintance OF
the morSue master of the District, If only
by sight, was an esteemed privilege to the
throngs in Justice Anderson's court room
this morning. In Schoenberger they recog-
n1zed the caretaker of the cadavers of
those unfortunates who are thrown UP on
the shore of silence by the tides of crime
and vice, and if observers of the man had
| creepy feelings when they watched him and
summoned up all kinds of imaginings about
his experiences in that awful shudder cham
berthe morgue-they quickly subdued any
ultra nervousness and stuck gamely to
their seats. They were fully recompensed
for this bravery by the detail with which
the morgue master described the condition
OF Ayres' body: of the wounds upon it of
the powder marks, and of the burn on the
left arm of the dead youth.
The crowd listening to all this was even
OF better character, judged from super
hclal observation, than any of those which
| have hitherto attended the trial. 1t would
have formed a creditable audience at any
function of a public character. 1t indi-
Gated most emphatically that Mr.. w. u.
| in charge of this important responsibility,
had used excellent judgment in issuing the
tickets of admission made necessary in
order to prevent overcrowding of the court
room.
Mrs. ROnine Calm.
Mrs. Bonine seemed to be somewhat
brighter this morning when she entered
court. She wore blue scarf tied on a lace
collar around her neck, over the collar of
her light brown flannel waist, which she
has worn ever since the trial began. She was
awaited by her husband, brother and sister
and two boys as usual and the sextette
grouped themselves behind the counsel for
the defense. Mr.. Leckie of the latter oc-
cupied the chair to Mrs Bonine's left, occu-
pied every day last week by Deputy Mar
shal Springmann. Mr.. Springmann was not
with Mrs. Bonine yesterday except to bring
her to and from court and the same course
was followed today.
Mrs. Bonine was visibly satisfied at the
testimony of Mr.. Gardner in which the lat
ter recited what she had told him about
occurred; how she had detailed to the wit
ness her visit to Ayres' room, Ayres' al
legged attempt to assault her while he had
pistol in his hands and the scuffie that
ensued with the fatal result already so
well known. She evidently regarded it as
confederation of her subsequent account
OF the affair, given to Major Sylvester. Sat
isfy1ng to her also was Mr.. Gardners tes-
lie statement until it was seen how far the
suicide theory would be followed.
During recess the general opinion seemed
to be that the defense had scored heavily
In the cross-examination Of Mr.. Burns, in
showing by inference, at least, that Ayres
had been one of a party which was playing
practical jokes and indulging in a rather
over-animated time after having paid visits
to two saloons at different times the night
or May Il. several hours preceding the
tragedy. Taken in connection with Mr..
GARDENERS testimony that Mrs. Bonine had
told him Ayres was intoxicated when she
went to his room just previous to the kill
ing. 1t was evident Mr.. Douglass intended
to lay stress at all times on the condition
of Ayres as affected by liquor at the time
of his death.
There was a larger attendance after re-
cess and the court room was cool enough
to make wraps and overcoatS comfortable
Mr.. Burns was still up for cross-examina-
tion and there was a long haggle over q
question propounded by Mr.. Douglass re-
garding letter Burns had written to one