The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-11
THE LADY RELEASED
Mrs. Castle il Lead Into the
Air of Freedom.
UTTERLY FRUSTRATED
Under the Strain and Broken
Down in Mind and Body.
FAlNrs IN HER HUSBANDS ARMS
But the Night Mare OF the Past is Van
ished Says the Faithful Husband
He Thanks the Associat-
ed Press.


London, Nov. 10-Mrs. Walter NJ.
Castle, Of San Francisco, who was sen
fenced at the Clerkenwell sessions on
Friday last to three months imprison-
ment without hard labor, after having
pleaded guilty, by advice Of counsel, to
the charge Of shop-lifting, was released
from Wormwood Scrubbs prison to-day
on medical grounds by order Of the
Home Secretary, Sir Matthew White
Ridley.
The commissioners Of the prisons, it
appears, directed the medical board to
inquire into and report upon the health
Of Mrs. Castle, whose condition was
causing anxiety to the prison auth0ri-
ties She was watched day and night
by special attendants in the infirmary,
and was shown every attention possible.
The commissioners, after receiving the
report Of the medical board of the static
of Mrs. Castles health, communicated
with the Home Secretary, who promptly
ordered her release from prison, and
that she be placed in the care OF her hus-
band. at once to be taken back to the
United States.
Mr.. Castle called at the Home office
at IL o'clock a. m, and was there in
formed that his wife would be released at
l o'clock Accompanied by a nurse, he
arrived at :45 p. IN. The jailers ushered
him into n waiting room, and after a
brief delay, Deputy Northy granted the
unusual permission for the carriage to
enter the gates and drive to the door OF
the hospital Of the prison.
There Mr.. Castle and the nurse alight-
ed and went to the door. A few moments
later Mrs. Castle, dressed in deep black,
was almost carried out Of the hospital
by the female attendants. She was
deathly pale, her face was tear-stained,
she appearing to be on the verge OF col
lapse, and sank fainting into her hus-
bands arms. He tenderly embraced her
and tried to console her. The nurse en-
veloped Mrs. Castles face in a veil, and
assisted her to the carriage, where her
head fell on her husbands shoulders
and she sobbed Historically
As the carriage passed out Of the pris-
on gates, the driver applied his whip and
drove rapidly away
While Mr. Castle was in the waiting
room Of the prison, he was interviewed
10y a representative of the Associated
Press. He said:
II feel twenty years younger, and as
though the nightmare OF the past had
vanished. My wife was informed last
night that would come for her to-day.
She was utterly Frustrated yesterday.
/ shall Immediately retire to the country,
place my wife under a doctors care, and
endeayor to restore her to health in order
to permit of her speedy return TO Amer
ica
II desire especially to thank the Associ-
ated Press for it's kindness to me and
mine, and for the manner in which it has
placed the matter before the American
newspapers.
LA BOUCHERE SARCASTIC
London, Nov. 10.-Mr. Henry La
Bouchere in Truth to-day deyotes a page
and a half to the Castles case, during
which he says:
Il learn that a few magistrates favor
ed a heavier sentence and a few more for
releasing the prisoner Had she been
released ON the ground of mental infrmity
she would not have been the gamer, for
she would have been sent to a criminal
lunatic asylum according to the law since
considering the circumstances. / do not
believe in kleptomania, for it only seems
to attack the rich and if it really exists,
/ am sure that the punishment Oc every
person stealing while suffering therefrom,
would have a very deterrent effect upon
it's spreading. Mrs. Castle got off
cheaply, when told of her imprisonment
for three months without hard labor. The
effect on her health seems improbable,
for / gather she has been travelling in
Europe and, except for the matter of
stealing, her health was the same as apy-
body elses. Probably the regret for what
she has done and what has come to her
for doing it will weigh on her spirits; but
this is precisely the state OF mind inn
prisonment is intended to produce in
prisoner, and il this regret really causes
her to be i'll, she will be transferred to
hospital, where she will be cared for by
all connected with it."
Mr.. La BOuchere, after sarcastic
reference to the defense and acquittal Of
another wealthy woman for stealing
hotel candlesticks, observes:
'On the morning of Mrs. Castles SEN
tence, a seamstress and governess were
sentenced at he same session to nine and
six months at hard labor for stealing a
fur necklet, and neither had ever been
previously convicted. The governess
tainted at the sentence. No medical ex-
perts testified that they were klepto-
maniacs, no eminent counsel suggested
that they would suffer in health by con
fnement, no one pitied them and no one
signed a petition to the Home Secretary
to shorten their sentences. What matters
how a poor fainting, friendless governess
or a half starved seamstress suffers? Give
them hard labor and plenty or it. What
if their health is injured? Let them die.
Let Mrs. Gastle ont 4f BFiaoR, SIR