The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-07
PATHETIC SCENES
When Mrs. Castle was Sentenced
to Prison In London.
THE WEALTHY CALIFORNIA LADY
Pleads Guilty, but No Question About Her
Mind using Unbalanced-Iier Husband
misunderstanding Scene In tho Court
Room and at the Prison IIospital-E1-
perts who believe the Court was too
Severe on Her.


and Mrs. Walter II. Castle. OF San
Francisco. charged with shop lifting.
took place In the sessions house at
Clerkenwcll to-day and resulted In Mr..
Castle being acquitted and Mrs. Castle
sentenced to three months' imprison-
mcnt without hard labor.
There was much interest taken In the
case, especially among the members OF
the American colony. and several la
dies arrived in court together at 9i5
n. IN. They included among their num-
Der the wife OF Chairman Mcconnell, OF
tho Clerkenwcll sessions, and q Miss
Chapman. OF Kentucky,
Mrs. Castle, when she came Into tho
court room with the prison attendants
and professional nurse who had her In
charge, was given n seat In the dock.
Soon afterwards Messr9. Lewis and
Williamson. collectors for the treasury,
arrived and few minutes later the
magistrates filed In. Among the late
arrivals was Mr.. L. P. Clarke, n son
Of Sir Edward Clarke, Q. c.. eN-sollcltOr
general, who had been engaged as ad-
ditional counsel In behalf OF Mrs. Castle.
At 1890 u. m. the court was opened
with the names OF the Castles being
called By the clerk of the court to sur
render their bail OF Sl50.OO0. Then Coun-
sci for the defense took the floor al
though Charles Mathews. senior coun-
sci for the prisoners, was not present.
The dccorous quiet OF the court room
was broken by the sound of hystcrical
sobblng OF Mrs. Castle. whose husband
supported her in the dock. Both pr!s-
oners were nttired In black and seemed
to be weighted down with sorrow.
Traces OF deep suffcrlnSs were visible on
their faces. Mrs. Castle especially ap-
pearcd TO have ngcd considerably since
her arrest month ago at the Hotel
Cecil on the charge OF having stolen
various articles, such us furs, ETC., from
different stores In this city.
When Mrs. Castle had become some
what more composed the business of the
day was resumed. Mr.. Castle stood up
calmly as the clerk OF the court, In mo-
notonous tone, read the indictment and
called upon the male prisoner 10 plead.
Not guilty" answered Mr.. Castle in
n strong voice rs u flush passed across
his face, only 10 leave him paler than
ever.
D., Mrs. Castle was then called upon to
plead. but Nr. Clarke arose and said
that his client. Mrs. Castle, would plead
guilty 10 all the indictments. which
were then read separately. Mr.. Castle
pleading Mt the same time not guilty
20 each separate charge. The scene
was n distressing one. The sobs OF Mrs.
Castle we're heartrcndinS, In spite OF
the efforts made by her husband to
soothe her distress. She was heavily
yelled and rocked to md fro. moaning
and Historically sobbinE. She kept
handkerchief to her face throughout,
concealing her features from the in
qulsitive. searching Glanccs of the
newspaper artists and others present
in court 10 illustrate her or describe the
proceedings.
The Trial.
After the wear!some work OF reading
the Indictment had been completed.
Horace E. Avory opened the case for the
prosecution. He said he appeared in be-
half OF the public prosecutor. He said
that, after careful consideration,
unless his lordship expressed n view TO
the contrary. there appeared TO be no
evidence against the male defendant
Mr.. Clarke suggested that Mrs. Castle
should be removed from the court room
during counsels' plea for her husband.
as the presence would only add to her
distress. Accordingly Mrs. Castle was
removed. sobbing plteously. Sir Frank
Lockwood then turned to Mr.. Castle and
said: You may leave the dock, Mr..
Castle"
The prisoner, however, apparently did
not hear counscls remark. for the lat
ter had to repeat, saying:
Come out OF there. Mr.. Castle"
1t was exactly 1885 n. m. when Mr..
Castle stepped out OF the dock and twas
informed that II he so desired he could
80 down and see his wife. But Mr.
Castle preferred to take up n position
beside counsels' bench. whereupon Sir
Frank Lockwood continued. saying:
II must touch upon the position occu-
pied by the wife"
Counsel described the European tour
of the Castles from the time of their
leaving San Francisco md said that
the court room to-day was crowded with
men OF high commercial positions who
were ready to testify to the Castles, In
tcGrity.
Later Mr.. Avory, for the prosecution,
rccountcd the case as Il presented itself
against Mrs. Castle, and in 80 doing
he rehcarscd the general statement as
1t was made at the Marlborough street
police court. He described the articles
stolen and gave the details OF tho ar
rest, not emitting what Mrs. Castle
satd to the officer who arrested her.
Mr., Castle nj this stage OF the pro-
cccdings descended the little iron stair
case 10 the cells In order TO comfort his
wife. At about the same time MIR. Hod-
sop, the representative OF the United
States embassy, entered the court room
In order TO watch the case for the
United States representatives here.
Continuing, Mr.. Avory described the
articles found In the rooms OF the Cas-
ties Mt the Hotel Cecil ns being "a per-
feet museum OF valuable things" and
laid stress on the fact that many mr.
tlCles had upon them their original
ticket marks, adding:
''lt IL not unreasonable Ia assert on
this fact. that while many of the things
were bought during the European tour.
there Is intrinsic evidence that other
things were stolen from time to time.
The police have evidence that one fur
article was stolen IN Vienna. am nlso
imnnllCd 10 sRy that, while aho (Mrs.
CuStlc) was going about doing these
thefts. IN not q single instance was she
detected IN the act, which also tends
to chow that the husband also could
not notice II, 30 skillfully were the
thGftH made"
Mr., Clarke, for Mrs. Castle, said:
II do not complain of the prosccu-
tions statement. II the Inv In this
stood rs II did up to lSSSS ]
should have advised her to plead not
guilty. But the extra act rnsEcd In 1889
provides that II can satisfy the jury
That sho was not responsible, then the
Jury Ii bound 10 convict. Therefore
advised her 10 plead guilty.
"rhc facts which tho prosecution has
rcc!tcd suggest that there must he
extraordinary TO account for
hem In ilyc or glS diva thIa ,ndy WIN