The San Francisco call., 1896-11-07
malady had been recurring during the last

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dition he said, generally resulted IN men
tai disturbances religious and other forms
OF mania, and rendered the sufferer IRE
sponsihle for her actions.
DR.. Savage one of the leading special
isis in female diseases in England, next
took the stand and corroborated the testl-
mony OF DR.. Griggs.
AT this point in the proceedings the
crush in the courtroom had become almost
suffocating, and q nun Der of ladies in the
crowd were allowed 10 take seats upon the
magistrates bench, an unusual occur
renee, while others found seats upon the
stairs and in and around the counsePs
bench, until every inch of available space
was filed.
Alderman Roitlege, Major Egan of the
United States army. Colonel II. j. Hawes
of San Francisco and other friends of Mr..
and Mrs. Castle were in the court ready to
testify In behalf OF Mrs. Castle. Mr.. Castle
himself, who had left 1 he room after his
discharge, now appeared IL court.
Dr.. Gabriel of the College OF Surgery
supported the testimony already given by
medical experts, and said that uterine
troub es had affected Mrs. Castles mind.
He had warned her several times 10 avoid
ell excitement. He, together with Drs.
Scott and Savage, had seen her1profes-
sionaIly On October 18 while she was in
jail, and the three had discussed her case
exhaustively ut the time. They had
a reed that her further imprisonment
would imperil her reason.
DR.. Scott, who was the next witness,
testified that the nervousness from which
Mrs. Castle suffered had continued during
the entire time she was in Jail, and he had
made report of his examination to the
Home Office, advising against her further
Imprisonment. The lady has no fixed de-
lusions, he said, but she was of unstable
mind and liable TO do eccentric things
unless she was carefully looked after by
her friends.
Sir Edward Clarke here interposed. say
ing that Mrs. Castles friends were only
too anxious to remove her to a place of
quiet, # 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. Castle was one which
must be considered elsewhere. The chair
man and the magistrate retire to another
room for the purpose OF deliberation.
After fifteen minutes absence the magis-
trates returned to the courtroom, IN
which profound silence reigned.
Mrs. Castle was then brought into coHrt,
and the clerk of the court announced that
Ella Castle had been convicted upon all of
the seven indictments.
Chairman Mcconnell said: ''1he court
has had great difficulty in dealing with an
exceedingly painful case, upon which
sympathy so powerful had been brought
to bear until almost TO interfere with JUS
tice.'' The court knew that the sentence
which ii became his duty TO pass upon the
prisoner would be well weighed elsewhere,
and if any suffering dangerous to her life
or intellect should follow it would be i'm
mediately 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 in jail without hard labor for
three months.
tence all eyes turned upon Mrs. Castle, who
stood dazed for a moment, and then as the
full import of the chairman's words came
to her became hysterical, obliging the
nurses and the prison warden to suppress
her. She then began to moan piteolsly
and finally to scream and struggle vio-
lently. She was removed from the room
as quickly as possible, and as she was
being taken away cried out: What does
it mean?' "My God, what does it
mean?"
A good many of the ladies in the court
Apom exhibited strong emotion and sew
efal wept. All expressed 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 court
room had been cleared.
After the excitement following the con-
victlon and sentence of Mrs. Castle had
been allayed the stolen articles found in
her possession were ordered to be restored
to their owners.
Upon the application OF Mr.. Avery.
counsel for the prosecution, DR.. Scott, one
OF the expert witnesses, expressed sur
prise that in view of the evidence Mrs.
Castle had been convicted, and said that
even after her conviction he had believed
IL
nal. Everything possible would be done
for her IN medical way, he said, during
her imprisonment.
Several of the merchants who had testi-
fed to having lost property found in the
possession of Mrs. Castle said after the
trial that they were convinced that the
lady was mentally irresponsible and that
they had no expectation that she would
be convicted.
Mr.. Hodson of the United States en-
bassy expressed the opinion that Mrs.
Castle would be released inside OF week,
and Mr.. Abrahams of counsel for the de-
tense said that measures for a reprieve
had already been taken.
Mr.. Castle expressed the thanks of him
self ana his wife for the unceasing kind
ness of their friends and the hope that
Mrs. Castle would speedily be relieved
from the terrible condition in which she
is placed.
Mr. Castle was congratulated upon his
own release from custody. He said that
1t was only justice that he had received,
but he was not satisfied with the result
OF his wife's case. He was exceedingly
anxious about her, he said, and deslrous
OF removing her to place of rest at the
earliest possible moment.
Application has already been made to
the Home Office for Mrs. Castles release.
and II is understood that her sentence is
practically formal and that she will be
liberated in few days.
That she was in deplorable physical
and mental condition was asserted, but.
on the other hand. the jury that was to
try her was made up of men devoid OF
sentiment and from whom mercy could
not be expected.
Sir Edward Clark says he expects that
Mrs. Castle will be released tomorrow.
commenting upon the conviction of Mrs.
Castle, the Chronicle will to- morrow say
that II ever there was a distinct case o.
kleptomania it is that OF Mrs. Castle.