Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-07

Il
DR. Grigg, a specialist In woman's d's-
eases. was called TO the stand. and tes-
| titled that he had examined Mrs. Castie
and found that her condition was such rs
| to justify him i'm concurring I'm the state
ment made by Sir Edward Clarke. sucn
n condition, he said. generally resulted
in mental disturbances. religious. ana
other forms Of mania, and rendered the
/ sufferer irresponsible for her actic s.
DR.. George H. Savage, one Of the lead
ing specialists I'm female diseases In
England: Or. Gabriel OF the CollGse
| of Surgeons. and Or. Scott. another spe-
| cialist in nervous diseases. corrobo-
rated the testimony OF DR. Grigs.
COURTROOM CROWDED.
| While this testimony was being given
| the courtroom had become almost sut-
focating and number OF ladies in the
crowds were allowed 10 take seats upon
the magistrates bench, an unusual oc-
currcnoe. while others found seats upon
the stairs and in and around the coun-
ss's benches. untli every inch Of avail
able space was filled:
! Sir Edward Clarke here intorposed. say
| ing that Mrs. Castles friends were
only anxious to remove her to a place
OF quiet, If the Court took a favorable
view Of the matter The chairman said
that the question as to the effect which
! imprisonment would have upon Mrs. Cas-
tie was one which must be considered
elsewhere. The chairman and the
magistrates then retired to another room
| for the purpose OF deliberation.
After fifteen minutes absence the ma
gistrates returned to the courtroom, in
which profound silence regned. Mrs.
Castle was then brought into court, and
the Clerk Of the Court announced that
Ella Castle had been convicted upon all
OF the seven indictments against her.
| Chairman Mcconnell said: "rhe court
has had great difficulty in dealing with
an exceedingly painful case. upon which
! sympathy 50 powerful had been brought
to bear as to almost interfere with JUS
tice. The court knew" he said that
the sentence, which it became his duty
20 pass upon the prisoner would be well
weighed elsewhere, and. II any suffering
dangerous to her life or intellect should
follow, It would be Immediately met
| by another authority. He would not
! prolong the painful scene, and. therefore,
would at once proceed to pass sentence.
which was that the prisoner be confined
I'm jail, without hard labor, for three
| months"
MRS. CASTLE HYSTERICAI..
AS the chairman pronounced the sem
tence, all eyes turned upon Mrs. Castle.
VINO stood oazed for a moment, and then.
as the full import OF the chairman's
| words came to her. became hystericaI.
| obliging the nurses and the prison war
den TO support her She then began to
moan piteously. and finally to scream
and struggle violently. She was removed
from the room as quickly as possible,
and as she was being taken away cried
out: What does IL mean? My God.
what does il mean?'
A good many Of the ladies IN the court
room exhibited strong emotion, several
Of them weeping. and all expressing deep
/ sympathy with the unfortunate prisoner.
/ whose screams could be heard family
Issuing from the underground passage
/ through which she was taken even after
the courtroom had been cleared
A petition was lodged at the Home
| Office this afternoon. praying for the
| Queens clemency In the case of Mrs.
| Castle on the ground that the lady's
| physical and mental condition is not
| equal 10 the strain Of Imprisonment.
Dr. Scott. one of the expert witnesses.
! expressed surprise that i'm view of the
| evidence Mrs. Castle had been con-
victed and said that even after her
| conviction ne had believed that the SEN
tence would be merely nominal. Every
thing possible would be done for her IN a
medical way, he said, during her i'm
prisonment.
Several Of the merchants who had testi-
fled 10 having lost property found in the
possession OF Mrs. Castle, said after thS
trial that they were convinced that the
lady was mentally irresponsible, and that
they had no expectation that she would
be convicted.