The Grave of George Saxton, a President’s Brother-in- Law Murdered by His Mistress

Canton, Ohio

George Dewalt Saxton led an interesting life before meeting a grizzly end. He was born into the Saxton banking family in Canton, Ohio. He watched his sister, then known as Ida Saxton, marry future U.S. President William McKinley. Not only did he follow in his father’s footsteps, career-wise, but George enjoyed the company of the ladies, and he was murdered by a jilted lover who was later found innocent of the crime. Also, he’s buried in Canton’s West Lawn Cemetery, not far from where Ida and William McKinley rest.

How did this sordid tale unfold? Here are the details.

Introducing George Saxton

If there were socialites in late 19th century Canton, Ohio, the Saxton family would be on the list. Consisting of father James Saxton, his wife Kate DeWalt Saxton, and their three children, Ida (the future First Lady), Mary (called “Pina”), and George, all lived in what is now downtown Canton in the Saxton House (which holds the National First Ladies’ Library.)

While his sisters were models of decorum, getting proper educations and marrying up, as was normal in their social circles at the time, George was a little different. He worked for the family business, banking, and spent his time wildcatting around town, if you know what we mean.

Among his many jilted fiances and secret girlfriends was one woman who was incredibly angry that she blew up her marriage for him: Annie George.

Who Was Annie George?

Anne Elizabeth (Ehrhart) George, born in Hanoverton, Ohio in 1858, lived in Canton, Ohio with her husband, Sample C. George with their children: Warren, who died in infancy in 1880, Robert, and Charles. Married in 1878, Annie and Sample lived in Canton, where she eventually crossed paths with George Saxton. They lived on the Saxton block, and he was their landlord.

As he did with all of his “women,” George Saxton swept Annie off of her feet. Despite avoiding his advances for years, and even moving once to ensure that he was no longer their landlord, Saxton remained persistent. He word down Annie, gained her affection, and eventually paid for her 1892 divorce from her husband.

She went to South Dakota to secure a quick divorce, paid for by Saxton. He also paid her now-ex-husband $1,500 ($52,000 in today’s money), despite his lawsuit demanding the larger sum of $30,000 ($1 million.)

Annie moved back to Canton, expecting Saxton to fall through on his promises to marry her and make her an honest woman again. He did not, and started flaunting his other affairs in her face. Naturally, she became angry, but was she mad enough to kill him?

The Murder of George Saxton

The murder occurred on the steps of the home of yet another of George’s paramours: Eva Althouse. He wore a three-piece suit with a flower in the lapel, despite the fact that he arrived at her home by bicycle. She wasn’t home, but someone was lying in wait for him that fateful October 7, 1898, at 6pm.

As the stories go, two shots rang out and he quickly crumpled onto the steps to Althouse’s porch. Two more gunshots, both at closer range, made sure that he was dead.

The President, William McKinley, was pulled out of a meeting as an aide told him that his brother-in-law had been brutally murdered. He had to carefully break the news to his wife, who was in fragile health and would be devasted to hear that her baby brother was dead.

Who did it? Annie George was really the only suspect, given that she claimed to her friends that if Saxton kept messing around with Althouse, she would kill him. But did she?

Annie George on Trial

A mere two hours later, Annie George was arrested for the murder. She supposed hopped on the local streetcar in the area with a torn and dirty dress. Police investigators reportedly found gunshot residue on her hands. Add on that she’d threatened Saxton’s life (even possibly in jest) and she was the one being blamed. She refused to answer any of the investigator’s questions and merely remained calm and requested her lawyer.

Later on, during the trial, the investigation fell apart. Not only was Annie the fourth woman who’d recently been jilted by Saxton, she had several friends claim she was with them at the time, providing her with an aliby. Plus, the murder weapon was never found, and a neighbor of Althouse’s who claimed to see the entire thing go down was proven to not have been able to see a thing from her upstairs window due to heavy curtains, the darkening October skies, and a lack of streetlights.

Annie George walked free, found not guilty of the crime.

The Rest of Annie George’s Life

What happened to Annie George after she regained her freedom? She married Dr. Arthur Cornelius Ridout, a man who allegedly drank and gambled too much and treated her poorly. He supposedly hung himself in 1906.

Afterwards, Annie became a speaker, talking about women’s rights. She spent some of her time at the Chautauqua Institution in New York State, before dying of cancer in 1922. She is buried in Green Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, sharing a burial plot with her son, Charles George, and his wife.