The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-14
SHE PLOTTED MURDER
LAWYER WERNTZ TESTIFIES
AGAINST MRS. ANNIE f. GEORGE.
Relates Conversations He Had with
tempIated killing of G. ID. saxtOn.

CANTON, o., April 13.-The feature OF to-
days proceedings in the trial of Mrs. Annie
L. George for the murder of George D. Sax
ton was the testimony of Attorney w. y.
Werntz, who had represented her in a num-
Der of civil actions prior to the tragedy OF
last October, when George ID. SaXton was
killed, ard who, until a little less than a
year ago. was the law partner Of James S.
Sterling, one of the attorneys now defending
her. He sought to evade testifying on the
grounds that what he knew had been told
him by Mrs. George and was privileged
communication between counsel and client.
The defendant insisted on the same ground
A long argument ensued, ending in decla-
ration from the bench that counsel could not
be retained in connection with a contem-
plated crime, and without a professional en-
gagemert there could be no professional
condolences Under this ruling the witness
told, in answer to the state, of a serious of
threats and plans for their execution on the
part OF Mrs. George against the life Of Geo.
D. Saxton. and the defense brought the re-
| mainder OF the conversation out, which
| proved to be three recitals of Mrs. Georges
| version of her relations with Saxton and the
| wrongs she claims to have suffered at his
| hands
At the opening of court Attorney Lorin c.
Wise testified TO seeing Mrs. George get
| on a car on which he was riding on the even
| ing of the tragedy and TO seeing her leaving
| the car at Hazlette avenue at o'clock He
also described the topography of that sec
tion Of the city and the routes from it TO the
| city with particular reference to the streets
over which it is claimed the assassin passed.
| w. o. Werntz was here called to testify
! as TO what Mrs. George said TO him of her
| alleged contemplated crime on the Monday
| before the tragedy. After a decision from
| the judge that Mr.. Werntz should relate
| what Mrs. George had said to him regarding
| Saxton, the attorney said in answer to the
! States question: 1--WE talked about the Alt
house case. She said she was going out to
| the Althouse residence to raise HI with
| Saxton. 1 told her not to go. and she said
| she would not go. She said she had a S.
| calibre revolver in her trunk; she had bought
| IL in Chicago. She did not say what she was
going TO do with IL. She did not say what
| she paid for it. / had another conversation
| with her in my Office the afternoon of that
| day. She said: When the suit for damages
| for alternating affections brought against
Saxton by Sample C. George is settled there
will be a funeral or a wedding She asked
what effect it would have on the suit if she
| killed SaXton. ] told her the result might be
| the same, but if she was going TO kill him
| she had better wait until the case was set
tied. She said if she shot him she would
make a good job of it; would give him all
| the balls she had"
What did she say she would do will the
| revolver"
"she asked if it would be a good plan to
| have two revolvers, throw one at his feet
| and shoot him with the other. 1 told her, in
( view of the threats she had made against
| Saxton, no one would believe she had killed
| him in self defense" The answer as 10 what
the witness told him was objected to and
| stricken out.
She asked me how il would do TO shoot
| him in the back and throw the revolver
away" concluded the witness. Another con-
versation is to be fixed by this witness if the
state succeeds in establishing the date
which could not be done to-day.
| In cross-examinatioa witness said Mrs
| George had told him in the course OF the
conversations that Saxton had promised to
| marry her as soon as she got divorce from
| her husband. and that he had persuaded
| her to get a divorce, furnishing money with
! which she went 10 Dakota to get the di-
| vorce; that after this he abandoned her
| prosecuted her and had her arrested: that
| she was left without home; that she had
| separated from husband whom she loved
| until Saxton alienated her affections. She
| also said that after these occurrences Sax
| ton had her meet him in Pittsburg, where
| they settled their differences and each
| agreed to withdraw all actions pending; that
| she kept her agreement. but that he had
| not, failing to dismiss injunction against
| her visiting his block. failing TO give her
boys property in the city worth 5000 and TO
| support her till he settled with her former
husband on a pending suit and then marry
| her. She also said that Saxton had pursued
| her for several years before she yielded to
his advances; that he had given her pres
ents which she at first refused. but that he
had finally accomplished her ruin and left
her without means OF support TO herself and
children. During these conversations Mrs
George was excited and sometimes in tears
the witness said.
In redirect examination he told OF anOth-
| er conversation in which Mrs. George asked
| what the penalty would be il she killed
| Saxton, and said she would do IL il there
was nothing worse than ten years in the
penitentiary. She said she had suffered ev-
erything but death at Saxtons hands.
Mrs Mary Finlay. with whom Mrs
| George roomed for over two years was on
| the stand when court adjourned. She had
| testified on behalf OF the state to Mrs
George having three or four times threat
ened TO kill Saxton and also TO the writing
of the letter TO Saxton, which was followed
by proceedings In the United States Court
for improper use OF the malls