The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-14
Declared Mrs. George, Would
Follow Settlement
Of Her Husbands Suit Agains1
Geo. ID. SaXtOn.
PLANS FOR KILLING
Discussed With Her Attorney
at Various Times.
Was Willing to Serve Ten Years
in Prison.

Canton. o.. April 14-Additional cross
examination of Mrs Mary Finlay
opened today's proceedings in the trial
Of Mrs. George for the murder of George
D. Saxton This was chiefly directed
toward proving that the witness had
been coached for her direct testimony
Mrs Mary Nauman related converse
tions Of Mrs George In one the latter
told of having kept SaxtOn from enter
ing the Althouse home by pointing a
pistol at him and making him come
away with her. Mrs George asked
Saxton if he was ready to die then and
said she could have killed him then, but
wanted her husband, Mr.. George, TO
get some of his money first Witness
also detailed other threats made by Mrs
George
The feature of yesterdays proceed
Ings was the testimony of Attorney w
o. Werntz. who has represented Mrs
George in a number of civil actions
prior TO the tragedy of last October
when George D. Saxton was killed. and
until less than a year ago was the law
partner of James E Sterling. one OF the
attorneys now defending her. He sought
10 evade testifying on the grounds that
what he knew had been told hln Dy
Mrs George and was privileged COM
TnunicatiOn between counsel and client
The defense insisted upon the same
ground y long argument ensued, end
ing in a declaration from the Dencn
that counsel could not be retained in
connection with a contemplated crime
and without a professional engagement
there could be no professional conf
dences- Under this ruling the witness
told in answer to the state OF a series
of threats and plans for their execution
on the part of Mrs George against me
life OF George D. SaxtOn. and the de-
fense brought the remainder OF the con-
versatiOn out which proved TO be three
recitals of Mrs Georges version OF her
relations with SaxIOn and the wrongs
she claims to have suffered at his
hands
After a decision by the judge that
Mr. WerntZ should relate what Mrs
George had said to him regarding Sax
ton, the attorney said in answer to the
states question
-WERNTz'S EVIDENCE
We talked about the Althouse case.
She said she was going out TO the Alt
house residence to raise hell with Sax
ton. I told her not to go, and she said
she would not CO.
she said she had a 3s-caliber re-
volver in her trunk; she had bought it
in Chicago. She did not say what she
was going to do with it. She did not
say what she paid for it,
I had another conversation with her
IN my office the afternoon of that day
She said:
alternating affections brought against
Saxton by Sample c George is settled
there will be a funeral or wedding
She asked what effect it would have
on the suit il she killed Saxton. I told
her the result might be the same. but if
she was going to kill him she had better
wait until the case was settled 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 with
she asked if it would be 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 be-
lieve she had killed him in self-de-
fense.'
The answer as to what the witness
told him was objected to and stricken
She asked me how it would do To
shoot him in the back and throw the re-
ToIver away"
Another conversation is to be fixed by
this witness if the state succeeds in
establishing the date which could not
be done today
BROKEN PROMISES.
In CrOss-examinatiO 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 a divorce from her husband and
that he had persuaded her to get a di-
VOrce, furnishing money with which she
went TO Dakota to get the divorce:
that after this he had abandoned her
prosecuted her and had her arrested:
that she was left without home: that
she had separated. from a husband
whom she loved until SaxtOn aIieuatesf
her affections. She also said that after
these occurrences Saxton had her meet
him IN Pittsburg. where they settled
their differences and each agreed 10
withdraw all actions pending that she
kept her agreement. but that he had
not failing to dismiss an Injunction
asa1nSt her visiting his block to give
her boys property in the city worth s.
goo and TO support her till ne settled
with her former husband On a pending
suit and then marry her. She also said
thaU SaXton had pursued her for sew
eral years before she yielded to his ad-
Nances- that he had given her presents
which she at first refused. but that ne
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 an
otner conversation in which Mrs George
asked what the penalty would be if she
killed Saxton and said she would do If
II there was nothing worse than ten
years IN the penitenriary. She said she
cad suffered everything but death AT
SaNton's hands
Mrs Mary Finlay. with whom Mrs.
George roomed for over two wears vas
on the stand when court adjourned So
mad testified on behalf of the stare to
Mrs Georges having on three or for1-
times threatened to kill Saxton and ~
.