Evening star., 1896-10-20
CASE TO BE TRIED
The Castles Released in London on
$l50,000 Bail.
TESTIMONY REGARDING THE THEFT
Mrs. Castle Almost Frustrated
While in Court.
HUSBANDS EXPLANATION

| Copyright. 1885, by the Associated press.)
LONDON, October 20.-Directly after the
| routine police cases had been disposed of
| today, the court room was cleared Of the
| throng which had been interested in them,
| and was almost Immediately afterward re-
| filled, this time by an overflowing gather
| ing of storekeepers, city men and others.
| All the bondsmen Of the Castles, the
Americans charged with larceny from
London tradesmen, were among those
present, and H. Hodson, representing the
United States embassy. was accommodated
with a seat at the solicitors table.
There was a humming of excited COM
ment, which was quickly hushed by the
magistrate, Mr.. Robert Mines Newton, as
| Mr.. Castle, calm and dignified in demeanor,
| entered the court. He was followed by his
| wife, who was stylishly and becomingly
! dressed in a tailor-made dress Of gray ma
| terial Mrs. Castle carried handkerchief
| in her right hand, and held 1t almost con-
| tinuously up to her face, as If to thwart
| the efforts of the police court artists, If
| there were any in the vicinity, to sketch
| her features. She was more composed
than last week, when her distress touched
| everybody present. But, in spite of this
| gain in strength. due, no doubt, to her re-
lease from prison and rest at the residence
| of a friend, Mrs. Castle no sooner found
herself in the prisoners dock than she
showed symptoms of faintness, verging on
| collapse, which caused the policeman on
| duty at her side to fetch a chair and put
1t in the dock for the use of Mrs. Castle.
| The latter then sank wearily upon it.
| closed her eyes and leaned her head upon
| he: husterd's shoulder, as if seeking there
the strength necessary to enable her to
| bear up against such a trying ordeal. Mr.
Castle, as on Tuesday last. placed his arm
| anectionately around his wife and support
| ed her as best he could.
During the further hearing of the case
against her, and incidentally against her
husband. Mrs Castle frequently moaned
SO pi,eoUsly that finally the hearted
] policeman harded her bottle Of salts, and
| Mr.. Castle was kept busy whispering words
of comfort in the sufferers ear, holding
her hand while striving in every possible
way to encourage the half-fainting woman.
Mrs. Castles Visit to Regent Street.
Miss Patty Atwood. a saleswoman in
the employ of Gustave Ellus. a furrier of
Regent street, testified that on Thursday,
October l, Mrs. Castle and her son, ten
years old, visited the store. The female
prisoner, witness added, asked If the con-
cern could make chinchilla cape and was
Informed that the work could be done.
The witness further testified that the
| prisoner showed her two small chinchlla
skins and remarked, Il should like to have
| those Matched
Continuing Miss Atwood said: IT went
| to another part of the shop to speak to
Mr.. Ellus and on returning, the female
| prisoner said that she could not wait any
| longer as she wanted to take her son to
| lunch, and would return in half an hour
| But did not see her again until October
q, when was summoned to the Vine street
police station. There 1 saw this sable
muff. which 1 identify as the property
of Mr.. ElluS. / last saw the muff In the
| before 10 ia
er entered. The muff was in glass case
close to where she was standing
Replying to questions on the subject, the
witness said that the door of the case
| must have been opened in order to get the
muff, and that the door was not properly
closed when the prisoner left the shop.
Replying to another question. Miss ALL
wood stated that 1t was after the female
prisoner had left the store that she no
| ticed that the door of the case WAS hot
properly closed.
Her Visit to Great Portland Street.
The next witness was Alexander Swert-
eel, furrier of Great Portland street. In
substance he testified that on September 20
Mrs. Castle went to his store alone and
asked to see a chfnchlla cape. Her son
came in later alone, and while Mrs Castle
was in the store she followed by Mr..
Castle. Witness. continuing, said:
q continued talking to Mrs. Castle, while
Mr.. Castle stood looking at some furs on
the right-hand side of the show room
There were fur trimmings and ties near
where he was standing. He continued Jock
ing at the furs; but 1 can't say he touched
them. Mr. Castle and the boy left the
shop first, and they were followed soon
afterward by Mrs. Castle, and l saw no
more of them until October l. Then The
wife came, during the morning, alone, and
1 showed her some chinchilla skins 20 be
matched. l named forty-five pounds as the
price of the cape she wanted made, then
she offered forty-two pounds, which l de-
clined. The boy then entered and asked
her to call somewhere at 4 o'clock. She
said she would think over my proposition
and they left the shop after she promised
to return. 1 did not miss anything until
October s. when / went to Vine street
police station and found two ties. one a
sable and one Kalinsky fur, belonging to
pounds, respectively. They were in the
right-hand part Of the. show room, WHARF
MIR. Castle stood"
Mr.. Castle Explains.
| At the conclusion of the court proceed
ings a representative of the Associated
Press had an interview with Mr.. Walter
M Castle. The California merchant said:
| IT have been Instructed by counsel not
to talk for publication, but am glad Of the
chance to explain certain things. 1 must,
however, ask you not. to divufse our pres
ent abode, as my wife is very Ill, and any
published notice of our whereabouts would
cause US to move on.
II cannot sufficiently thank our friends
in California and elsewhere for their kind
ness 1 am IN deep Trouble, but am en-
tirely innocent
1T will be clearly proven at the trial
that my wife has bee. suffering from a
disorder which makes her irresponsible,
and she is now un Ter the care of physi-
clans and of d professional nurse.
Last May. while In London. was
obliged to call III doctors to examine her,
and we are now living where she has alb
| solute quiet"
Mr.. Castle was asked how he explained
1 that, living with his wife in one room at
the hotel, he did not know she lad stolen
articles in her possession. He said:
LET me tell you that at least Is per
cent of the articles the p)lice found among
our effects I, myself paid for. OF this
1 have proof, which will be produced at
the trial I am not millionaire, but 1
gave my wife plenty of money to buy what
she wanted. She also has money of her
| own.
II did not know the contents of her
| trunks. but II I had seen twice as much in