The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-27
HAD N.ADE A | CONFESSION S Mrs. BOnine COnfided in Gardner. HE ADVISED HER TO WAIT Theory of Suicide Had Not
 Been Exploded. It Was Several Days After Her Conversation with the Attorney
 That She Admitted Her
 Crime to Police.
HE ADVISED HER TO WAIT

Washington, Nov. 26-The fact wa brought out today in the trial of Mrs Lola Ida Bonine for the killing of Jame Seymour Ayres, Jr., that She had mad d private confession of her part in th tragedy on the evening after the homi eide, several days before she took tn police officials into her confidence. Thi recital was made to George E. Gardner an attorney employed In the law divisioI of the Interior Department, who was { poarder at the Kenmore Hotel and usu ally sat at the same table at which Mrs Bonine took her meals.
 MT. Gardner on tho witness stand to day said Mrs. Bonine had sought hin out and asked his advice as to whether sne should make a pubic Stat. meat ano that he had suggested to her that she should delay her confession undl the the ory o1 suicide, which was nrst enIertain d, should be fully expIoited.
 The flrsI witness caIieu at the trial O Mrs. Lola Bonine for the murder O James Seymour Ayers, Jr., today wa William Shoenberger, keeper of th' morgue. lie testined to having takeI charge of Ayers's body at the Kenmore Hotel, and to taking it to the morgu' on the morning Of May 18th last, unael the direction or the Coroner.
 The Autopsy.
 He had also, he said, Deen present al the autopsy and had photographs snow ing the location of the wounds in the body. The films were introduced as evidence and exhibited to the jury. Mrs Bonine gave one look at the pictures as they were handed to Qne of the attor- neys, but she quickly turned her head and gave them no further attention. Sht engaged in conversation with Attorney Fulton most of the time while this testi- mony was given. The witness saId there were powder marks on the breast and arm wounds, but none on the InIsA wounds. Under the arm there was a burn Describing the condition of the corpse when he found 1t. Mir. Schoen- berger said the arms were drawn up il front of the face as if shielding the face.
 that when he entered the room where the killing occurred he saw several empty cartridge shells In the slop jar and had seen more shells and cartridges on the trunk and washstand.
 Gardiner's Testimony.
 
 The next witness was MT. George B Gardiner, an attorney in the Interior Department, who with his family occu- pied roms under the suite occupied by the Bonines in the Kenmore Hotel. His testimony was new. The fact was brought out that Mrs. Bonine had made her first confession to him. This con- fession was, the witness said, made on the evening of May 15 the day of the tragedy. Herwas followed to his room by Mrs. Bonine. She stated to me, he said. that she knew more about the death of Ayers than had been given to the public. l think she hesitated mo- ment, and either my manner or some thing I said induced her to go on, and she said she was present when it hap pened and told me that she had come to me because she wanted my advice. She told me that on the morning of Ayers's death he came to her room and knocked on her door and complained of being i'll and asked if she could not do for him; that when she got into Ayers's room, he had assaulted her and had pistol in his hand and in the scuffle which ensued he was killed.'
 Did she describe the struggle that took placer" asked the District Attorney.
 Ayers Had the Pistol.
 The witness stated that she said noth- ing more than that when the struggle followed the assault, the pistol was fired. She did not tell him in whose hands the pistol was, but later corrected himself by saying that he believed that the weapon was in Ayers's hands, "She also told me that Ayers was under the in fuence of liquor at the time of shooting '" said MT. Gardiner
 Witness also said that Mrs. Bonine had spoken to him again on the next day or the second day after the trage- day. She sat at the same table with him in the dining room and she again to talk with him concerning the tragedy.
 she said" Mir. Gardiner testified. that she was feeling badly, and that nothing was sustaining her except the of her innocence. She added that she could not get it out, and asked me if she had better destroy it.
 Referred to Garment.
 Rv this 1 understood her to refer to one of her garments. but l did not know what and told her to destroy nothing, as she had not decided upon a public con fession."
 Saw Ayres in Saloon.
 Joseph c. McCabe testified to seeing Ayres in a saloon the night of the trag- ady whe n he went in with the party from the Kenmore. At that time the young man was perfectly sober.
 Arthur E. McCubbin a member of the Ayres farewell party, in its rounds on he night of the homicide, also said that yres was sober
 John L. Downs, who occupied a room 1n the fourth floor of the Kenmore at the time of the tragedy. said that he mad seen Mrs. Bonine the morning after he killing. She did not seem in any way nore exc t d than oth boa ders.
 Jam K. Flo. d, fellow clerk of Ayres 1t the Census Office tes tified to visiting Ayres's room the morning after the kill ng. There were four or five ladies near he room in the corridor, among them Mrs. Bonine. He asked her if she had lanced with Ayres the evening before the Nlling and she replied that she had. The ieXt day she expressed regret over Ayres's death and astonishment that In 'iew of the fact that he had no enemies, le should have been killed. Her demeanor vas not different from that of other fe-