The times., 1899-04-29
THE JURY FINDS MRS.
GEORGE NOT. GUILTY
Acquitted of the Murder Of
George D. Saxton.
The Defendant Set Free Amid
Loud Cheering in Court.
She Receives m Offer to Go on the
- stnge-Her Interview With
Juror Miller.

Canton, Ohio, April 2S.-Mrs. Anna E.
George is again a free woman. At 1880
today Judge Taylor formally dismissed her
from the custody Of the law in the words:
THE accused is discharged and may go
hence"
few minutes before this the sealed
verdict of the jury had been opened and
read. 1t was Not guilty and referred to
the indictment for the murder OF George
d. Saxton, on the evening of October Z,
for which she had been on trial since the
morning of April 3.
When Mrs. George entered the court
room at 1875, answering the summons to
hear the verdict of the jury. she seemed
TO be entirely composed. and when the
verdict was announced her face lighted up
with a smile Of pleasure.
Before calling for the verdict Judge Tay-
lor announced that there was to be no
demonstration and instructed the officers
TO enforce the injunction. His words were
unavaiiing, for there was loud cheer from
the audience when the verdict was an
nounced. The cheering was taken up by
sympathiZing friends on the streets below.
Mrs. George did not leave the courtroom
Immediately on being told that she was
at liberty, but stood for considerable
and receiving congratulations from many
people who had assembled to hear the ver-
dict She went to the jury box shook each
jurors hand, and thanked him. Then she
went to the Hotel Conrad with her cousins,
Mr.. and Mrs. McElvaine, for dinner. An
other impromptu reception preceded the
meal, number of people, among them
number of strangers. calling to offer con-
gratulations.
Juror Miller called on Mrs. George and
had a long talk with her. She said to him
that he and his family would always have a
friend in her. He invited her to his home.
She said she knew he was her friend from
the start, and he said he was for her be-
cause he believed her innocent and would
have held out for her all summer
During the afternoon Mrs. George made
an extended call at the Office OF Mr. ST
ling, one of her attorneys. where a number
of women met her. Juror Steinmetz called
there and received her thanks. She also
called at the Jail to thank the sheriffs
family for fayors shown her. She has re-
ceiyed a number of kilograms, mostly of
sympathy and congratulations. One of her
relatives said one telegram was from
dramatic company in Columbus offering
her $500 for q weeks engagement with the
company, and another from a Pittsburg
lecture bureau, offering her $500 for lee
ture on woman's rights. Both offers were
declined. In an interview, Mrs. George
said:
Il cannot say what my future plans will
be. The first thing l will do will be to
visit my mother at Hanoverton. Yes, the
boys will go with me and will remain
with me for the present. After visiting
my mother l will return to Canton for a
time to gather up my belongings, to
straighten out my affairs. and to arrange
for the future. / have always confidently
expected the verdict TO be just what it
is, but, nevertheless, it is great COM
fort to actually realize it, and TO be at lib
erty. l am very grateful to the court and
to the officials for the kindness and con-
sideration shown me-"
The jury was out twenty-five and three
fourths hours, and all night long the sit
uation was eight for acquittal and four for
guilty of manslaughter, or some degree of
guilt. The first ballot was eight for first
degree murder, as charged, and four for
not guilty of that offence.