Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-29


the case of Mrs. Anna Z. George, tried
for the murder of George d. Saxton.
came into court at 1913 a. m, with 3
verdict of not guilty.
A cheer went UP from the crowd in
the court room when the verdict was
announced and it was instantly taken
fup by the people who packed the
streets.
Mrs. Georges face lit up with smile
as the words were spoken that made
her free woman. She was immedi-
ateiy surrounded by great throng
who desired to congratulate her.
Mrs. George remained in the court
room for some time after the verdict
was announced acknowledging the con-
CALCULATIONS of her friends. She then
went to the Hotel Conrad. a block from
the court house, in company with Mr..
and Mrs. McElheny. her cousins. who
have been with her during the trial.
and at 12:45 lunched with them at the
hotel. The jury was out % hours and
As minutes. and during that time twen-
ty-two ballots were cast. The interval
between these ballots was spent in dis
cussing the cases various phases. After
the jury reported, 1t was said that
THE PRELIMINARY BALLOT
was taken at 1890 o'clock Thursday
afternoon, or half an hour after they
had been closeted in the jury room.
This ballot showed four favoring YER
dict of guilty of murder in the first
degree and eight jurymen for verdict
of not guilty, or acquittal. The Sec
ond ballot was taken at 2 p. m. and re-
suited the same. This was also the re-
suit of the third ballot. taken is min
utes later at 315 o'clock. The fourth
ballot was taken and the result is said
to have been two for guilty In the first
degree and seven not guilty, enc for
second degree and two for naanslaugh-
ter. At p. m. yesterday the fifth ball
lot was taken with eight for not guilty
and four for manslaughter. This was
the result of all the succeeding ballots
up to the fourteenth ballot at 2 O'clock
Friday morning. The fifteenth ballot
was taken at Ass Friday morning, re-
sulting in nine for not guilty and three
for manslaughter The sixteenth bal
lot was not taken until 6:15 this morn
ing, when the ballot stood eight for not
guilty, three manslaughter and one for
assault and battery.
At 10 a. m. to-day the twentieth ball
lot was taken, showing IL for not
guilty and one for first degree murder.
The same result was obtained in the
twenty-frst ballot. The twenty-second
and last ballot was taken at.10:22, with
a unanimous vote for not guilty.
A NUMBER OF WOMEN FRIENDS
and acquaintances called on Mrs.
George In the parlor OF the Conrad
Hotel. Juryman Miller was one OF the
callers, and to him Mrs. George ex-s
pressed her warmest thanks, saying she
had known him as her staunch friend
from the first.
A number OF congratulatory tele-
grams were delivered to her. She said
she would go to her old home In Han
overton tomorrow and visit her mother
for few days. As to the future she
said she had no definite plans as yet.
Mrs. George, continuing. said to an
Associated Press reporter:
1.-THE verdict was what I had ex-
pected from the start. am very
grateful to the court and to the off,
Gals for the consideration they have
to the gentlemen who represented the
press. ! cannot finds words TO express
my feelings towards my attorneys.
Their work was beyond all praise.
They left nothing undone In my be-
half and | shall remember them and
appreciate them as long AZ live
She added that her two boys win ac-
company her to visit her mother.
The indictment for murder in the
first degree under which Mrs. Anna r..
George was tried was based on the
shooting OF George d. Saxton about
O'Clock on the evening Of October Z, In
front OF the home Of Mrs. Eva Ait
house, a widow to whom Saxfon had
been paying considerable attention.
People living in the vicinity OF the Ait
house home on Lincoln avenue, a rath-
er secluded residence section about
mile from the business center. who
were startled by the first shots. reach-
ed their door yards In time TO see
A TALL WOMAN
in black. who was walking away from
the Althouse steps, turn quickly, adj
vance 10 man at the steps and flre(
the fourth shot, wh,eh penetrated Sax
tons body. Until they reached the
steps and found Saxton breathing his
last neither party had been identified.
Suspicion that the woman who was
seen to fire the fourth shot and that
the person who fired the others was
Mrs. Anna =. George was based On