The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-12
THE CANTON TRAGEDY
PRELIMINARY HEARING OF THE
CASE AGAINST MRS. GEORGE.
Testimony Given Tending to Show She
When Geo. ID. Saxton Was Shot.

CANTON, o.. Oct. 1.-THE day has
brought little change in the case against
Mrs. annie H. George, accused of murder
lhs George d. Saxton. Her preliminary
nearing was commenced in Justice court
and number of witnesses against her were
examiner. None has yet been called in her
pehaif and 1T remains to be seen whether
she will be held to answer to the higher
courts She probably will, for the evidence
thus far pretty clearly establishes that she
went to the vicinity of the tragedy about
the time it occurred and that she had made
threats against the life of Saxton. Not
only the little Justices hall. but the hall
ways and sidewalks leading to it we're
damned with the eager. anxious crowd that
was anxious to hear the evidence and see
how the accused acquitted herself
The hearing opened with eight witnesses
present for the state and three for the de-
tense, Mrs. Oberlin, from whom Mrs
george rented her room. Mrs. Althouse, in
front OF whose home the tragedy occurred
anu george Brown, uncle of the accused.
oelng the people called for the defendant
Court adjourned tonight with five wit
hesses Tor the state examined and the sixth
READY for cross-examination The testi-
mony was in line with that given in inter-
views ana taken before the coroner, as has
already been covered in these dispatches.
LIT. 4. u. Brant described the body as ii
was round and the wounds as shown in the
superficial examination and in the autopsy.
ne regarded but one of the bullet shots the
one IN the abdomen, as necessarily fatal.
street Car Motorman S, c. Rittenhouse
lestined that woman, who was pointed
out Dy the conductor as Mrs. George. rode
from up town to Hazlett avenue with hin,
ABOUT 300 o'clock Friday evening and left
the car at Hazlett avenue, which is the
hIst street east of the scene of the tragedy
lehry >. Rederman, who lives near the
Altnouse home testified that while stand
ing near the corner grocery, where he heard
TWO shots, he saw two people at the Alt
mouse steps, and one of them. woman
walked away when there was a cali for
neip, and the woman walked back. fired two
more shots and then ran AWAY oo;no
through a vacant lot to the rear of tho
street After the last shots the man fell
and later witness found him to he George
Saxton. He could not tell who the woman
was.
Foiice Officers Fred McCloud and Henry
Flero testified to arresting Mrs. George
1ney said they found burrs and Snanisb
needles on her Clothes and her hand was
ciscolored, as though from smoke. and from,
the odor they concluded that it was p,n-
powder smoke. Some of the skin was
scraped from the hand and sealed IN FOR
chemical analysis. The officers said thew
had made diligent search for the veanon
OUT mad found no trace of il. Tn this CON
hection there was some repartee between
the opposing attorneys, during which Mr.
t Mbeit r said: Il think the state knows where
Percy Van Horne, a newspaper renorter
Iestlned that Mrs. George had sent for hin;
fro UII SIX months ago to tell him of some
sne mad pointed gun at him. At this time
s sIle sald she wanted 1t written up and writ
c crm l.snt. she gave her version of the oc-
II ne ala not keep his promise to marry
h iivr altsr Inc case brought by her former
t erview ,o Mas Ssettled Inquiry as to an in
q question as to whether she remembered
nose threats received no answer from The
p pa.sJner' AS has been said in these dis
patcnes sne has spoken to no one but her
attorneys about Saxton or anvthing cor.
neeted with him since her arrest
ar tbSa G pa ene conference which took place
Judge McCarty, Prosecuting Attorney Pom
e eT the BARRIERS and President and Mrs
OF the family, who also formed one of the
party, says The prosecuting attornav
called on the Barber family, including M
Mckinley, to learn what their disnosition
was In regard to taking part in the prose
cuticn of Mrs. George. Mr. McKinIev
speaking for himself and family. said the
family would not appear as prosecutors Of
the case. but that they well understood that
the officers had a duty to perform with
which they did not intend to interfere. In
the course of the conversation a gentleman
present suggested that it might exnedite
matters If the case could be hurried hy call
ing a special grand jury and urging q
speedy trial. President Mckinley answered
that he had no desire the subject himself
and that he knew of no reason why the de-
PENDANT should be treated any differently
from any other Under like circumstances
Unless there were special reasons for ex-
pediting the proceedings he saw no reason
TO hurry matters: that the case against the
accused party should be allowed to take its
usual course of procedure by law. and he
ADDED, that he wanted ii distinctly under
STOOD that he and the family did not ex-
pect or desire that any special course should
ne taken because of their relationship to the
IL IS reported the state claims to have
evidence that Mrs. George purchased a self
aoting .3s,caliber revolver in Chicago re-
Gently and said that she expected to use it
70 Mi Saxton. She is alleged to have said
70 friend Immediately after the settlement
OF the damage case of her former husband
against Saxton last week Now there will
De either wedding or a funeral"