Birmingham state herald., 1896-11-07

the price, etc, to another person for the purpose of getting the fur matched. Mrs. Castle. he said, had a mental mala- dy when she was girl, and that had been recurring during the last few months.
 pr. Grigg. a specialist in women's dis eases was called to the stand and testi- fled he had examined Mrs. Castle and found that her condition was such as to justify him in coneurring in the state ment made by Sir Edward Clarke. Such condition, he said, generally resulted in mental disturbances, religious and other forms of mania and rendered the sufferer irresponsible for her actions
 Dr. George H. Savage, one of the lead ing specialists in female diseases in Eng land; Dr. Gabriel of the college of sur geons and Dr. Scott. another specialist in nervous diseases, corroborated the tes- timony of pr. Grigg.
 While this testimony was being given the court room had become almost suf- locating and a number of ladies in the crowd were allowed to take seats upon the magistrates bench, an unusual oc- currence while others found seats upon the stairs and in and around the coun- sels benches, until every inch of avalla- ble space was filled.
 Sir Edward Clarke here interposed, saying 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. Castle was one
 which must fbe considered elsewhere. The chairman and the magistrate then retired to another room for the purpose of deliberation.
 After fifteen minutes absence the mag
 iStrate returned to the court room, in
 which profound silence reigned. 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: "The court has had great difficulty in dealing with an exceedingly painful case. upon which sympathy so powerful has been brought to bear as to almost interfere with jus | tice. The court knew" he said, that the sentence which it became his duty to | pass upon the prisoner would be well eighed elsewhere and, if any suffering dangerous to her life or intellect should | follow it would be immediately met by another authority. He would not pro- | long the painful scene and, therefore. would a once proceed to pass sentence. which was that the prisoner be confined | in jail, without hard labor. for three months.
 l As the chairman pronounced the sen | tence all eyes turned upon Mrs. Castle who stood daZed for moment and then, | as the full import of the chairman's s | words came to her, became hysterical, | obliging the nurses and the prison war | den to support her. She then began to | moan piteously and finally to scream and l struggle violently. 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 | room exhibited strong emotion, several | of them weeping and all expressing deep | sympathy with the unfortunate prisoner. | whose screens could be heard faintly | issuing from the underground passage | through which she was taken, even after | the court room had been cleared. l petition was lodged at the home office l this afternoon praying for the queens 1 clemency in the case of Mrs. Castle, on l the ground that the lady's physical and l mental condition is not equal to the strain l of imprisonment.
 Dr. Scott one of the expert witnesses, expressed surprise that in view of the | evidence Mrs. Castle had been convicted, | and said that even after her conviction | he had believed that the sentence would | be merely nominal. Everything possible | would be done for her in a medical way,
 he said, during her imprisonment.
 Several of the merchants who had tes- tifed 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 expectations that she would | he convicted