Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-10-13
The Canton Affair.


wife attended the funeral OF Mrs. Nc
Kinley's brother George d. Saxton at
| Canton o.
Saxton was shot and killed Friday
night, near the house of Mrs. AIT
| house, and the shooting Is supposed TO
have been done by Mrs Annie George
| whose alleged relations with Saxton
caused her husband to divorce her
Mrs. George was arrested and placed IN
| jail.
The murder occurred shortly after
dark in Lincoln avenue, a resident St.,
directly in front of the home of Mrs
Eva B. Althouse, widow of the late
| George Althouse, who was regarded as
| an intimate friend of Mr.. Saxton, and
who not long ago began peace proceed
| ings against Mrs. George, alleging that
the latter had threatened her with vio-
lence and death.
When people attracted by the sharp
report of the pistol shots reached the
spot, Mr. Saxton was found prostrate
on the ground, unconscious and appar-
emily lifeless Police officers and doc
tors were summoned, and on their ar
rival they reported life extinct The
Coroner took charge of the body, whlcn
was removed to an undertaking room
Police officers found the door to Mrs.
Althouse's home locked and the house
dark. The next door neighbor SAID Mrs.
Althouse had not been at home for three
days Another neighbor volunteered
the information that the woman
who did the shooting had Indicating
| the direction gone to the rear of the
premises, which is toward the outskirts
| of the CITY. The description was that
of q tall woman in a dark gossamer,
and in details tailed close to that of
Mrs. George.
This woman could not be found at
| her late residence, having moved. She
was heard of DIT an uptown restaurant
where she boarded at 4:45 o'clock. and
some time later mortorman said she
got off a car at Hazlet avenue, the street
next to that on which Mrs. Althouse
| lives. She is said to have threatened
before several persons on number OF
occasions to take Saxton's life because
she asserted he had not kept his prom
iSes to her.
Saxton lived in the upper floors of his
business block where Mrs George sew
eral years ago conducted dressmaking
establishment He ate his meals at the
home of his brother-in- law, Mr.. M. c.
Barber. He left Mr.. Barber's place
riding bicycle, about six O'Clock and
that was the last seen of him alive by
friends. The Coroner ordered an autop
sy. after which the body was removed
to the Barber home.
Mr. Saxton was between AZ and 30
years old and unmarried. He was a
little above the medium height, of
sandy complexion, and had round full
face. He was a successful business
man and owned considerable property,
principally in real estate According
to various cases filed in courts his con
nection with the George family began
some five or six years ago, when Mrs.
George came from Columbia county
and opened the dressmaking establish
ment in the Saxton block her husband
remaining behind.
Mrs George is tall well built more
than ordinarily good looking and not
yet middle aged, although her hair IS
pretty well silvered The first public
ity given to the alleged relations be-
tween landlord and tenant was in
petition filed by Sample G. George. hus-
band of the woman, who sued Saxton
for $50, 900, alleging the alienation OF
his wife's affections This petition as
serted that Mrs. George had gone to
Dakota to secure divorce from her
husband at the request of Saxton and
with money provided by him. This
case was kept alive by interpleading for
several years and finally was dismissed
without hearing, but not without pre-
judice to new proceedings, which were
begun for $40, 900, and on technical
grounds the case was carried through
all the courts up to and including the
Supreme Court of the State, from which
it was remanded for hearing here on its
merits on Wednesday.
The case was settled by Saxton pay
ing George 81 ,S25. Saxton from first to
last denied his obligation to pay cent
in the case, and said he only made this
settlement to avoid the unpleasantness
of further proceedings in court and to
save his friends and relations from an
noyance Mrs. George was also plain
tiff in number Of minor cases against
Saxton, which involved the possession of
furniture, and so persistent was she in
prosecuting these claims that she caused
several scenes in the Saxton block in
which police officers were obliged to in
| terfere.
The difference in these proceedings
concerned furniture which had been in
Mrs Georges living rooms and dress
making apartments. She said Saxton
was wrongfully OBTAINING them and he
| said they were held because of failure
to pay rent due Still another case in
court was an indictment by the Federal
Grand Jury sitting in Cleveland last
| fall charging Mrs. George with inprop-
er use of the mails in sending threatening
letters to Saxton. These letters, it is
said, we're based on Mrs. Georges asser-
tion that Saxton had promised to marry
her when she would be divorced from
her first husband, and contained threats
in case he failed to keep the alleged
promise. Mrs. George gave bond and
the case was never heard, but the indi-
ctment still stands.
Mrs. George, it is freely said about
town, has often said she would wait un-
til the case between Saxton and George
was settled, and that if Saxton did not
then marry her she would take his life.