The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-07
HER HUSBAND ACQUITTED
PLEADED NOT GUILTY AND WAS RE-
LEASED By THE MAGISTRATES.
Expert Testimony Introduced to Show
that the WOnian's Mind Was In
balanced at Times by illness.

" PioNt III tit
sessions house at Ciarkenwen to-day and
resulted in Mr.. Castle being acquitted and
Mrs. Castle being sentenced to three months
imprisonment without hard labor.
AT 1880 o'clock, when the case was
opened, the courtroom was filled, many
women, among whom were several Ameri-
cans, being present. Mr.. Castle stood up
calmly as the clerk read the Indictment
and called or the male prisoner to plead.
Not guilty" answered Mr.. Castle. Mrs.
Castle was then called upon to plead, but
Sir Edward Clark arose and said that his
client, Mrs. Castle, would plead guilty to
all the indictments. which were then read
separately, Mr.. Castle pleading at the same
time, not guilty to each separate charge.
The scene was a distressing one. The sobs
OF Mrs. Castle were heartrending, in spite
OF the efforts made by her husband to soothe
her distress. She was heavily yelled and
rocked to and fro moaning and Historically
sobbing. She kept a handkerchief up 10
her face throughout, concealing her fea-
lures from the inquisitive, searching
glances of the newspaper artists and others
present in court to illustrate or describe the
proceedings.
After the wearisome work of reading the
indictment had been completed, Horace f.
Avery opened the case for the prosecution.
He said he appeared in behalf of the public
prosecutor. He said that, after careful
consideration, unless his Lordship expressed
a view to the contrary, there appeared to
be no evidence against the male defendant,
Il shall proceed on that assump-
ton and shall not offer evidence against
him. AT the Police Court We were obliged
to proceed against both prisoners, but now
the wife pleading guilty, permits a with
of the evidence against her hus-
The judge thereupon replied: II nave
read the deposition and can see nothing
in them inconsistent with the husbands
innocence. Therefore, am prepared TO ac-
cept prosecuting counsers view of the
case. The Judge thereupon directed the
jury that. they could not convict a man
against whom no evidence was presented.
Mr.. Castle then left the dock. and was
permitted to visit his wife, who had been
removed from the courtroom to a cell. Sir
Gill and Mr.. Graham Campbell, appeared
for Mr.. Castle. next made a statement,
after which Mr.. Avery. for the prosecution.
recounted the case as it presented itself
against Mrs. Castle and in so doing he re-
hearsed the general statement as it was
made at the Marlborough Police Court.
Sir Edward Clarke then spoke in behalf
of Mrs. Castle. He maintained that Mrs.
Castle was not in her right mind when she
thefts. because she was well
supplied with money at all times. Clearly.
then. some explanation is required" he
said, "of these circumstances and we are
prepared to call medical witnesses for. of
course. such matters are not fit for forensic
The husband did not know that
his wife. when fifteen years Of age. was
Obliged to be sent away from her home.
owing to the troubles incidental to female
life at that period. These disorders have
since reappeared.
EXPERT TESTIMONY.
DIR. William Chapman Grigg, a specialist
in diseases of women and a leading ply
stefan Of Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hos
.pital, having thirty years experience, tes-
titled that after repeated examinations of
Mrs. Castle, he had formed the opinion
that the disease from which she was suf-
fering was one of those which are almost
always accompanied by great mental dis
turbance. causing different manias, as
kleptomania. religious mania. etc, in diff
ferent women Mr.. Grigg added that this
disease would take a different form at the
time of each disturbance. He asserted that
Mrs. Castle was clearly u~naccountable for
her actions and not able TO distinguish the
consequences of her actions. The detention
in prison of such a woman, he concluded,
would be the most serious.
DR.. George Henry Savage, senior ply
en- women's diseases at Guys Hospital.
who has fO- thirty years devoted himself
to the study of women's diseases. in
mony, and DIR. Leonard Gabriel. a member
of the Royal College Of Surgeons, gave
similar evidence. He said that imprison-
ment to a woman in the condition of Mrs.
Castle would have the most serious effect.
1t would not endanger her life, but il would
certainly endlnger her sanity.
DIR. Scott. the medical officer of Hollo-
way jail. gave evidence of similar tenor.
which, perhaps. was the strongest of all
on account of his position. DR.. Scott said
he believed that any continuance of the
Imprisonment of Mrs. Castle would be in
furious to her mental and bodily health.
Replying to a question by the judge. DR..
Scott said: Il can order prisoners to the
infirmary at my discretion The Jail
physician then produced a draft of his re-
port. which was read by Sir Edward
flee, and said that Mrs. Castles physical
health was fairly good. with the excep-~
ton of uterine trouble, which had affected
able that this has affected her mental con-
ditiOn. She is nervous. excited. hysterical
and emotional, and has complained of pains
and seeing things, and is Liable to commit
eccentric acts unless she is looked after"
VERDICT OF THE MAGISTRATES.
After another address by Sir Edward
Clarke, the magistrates, twenty-five in
number, besides the presiding judge and
Colonel Rotton, General Birch, Mr.. Davis,
Sir John Micks and the deputy judge, Mr..
Loveland, retired for elaboration. At 12:0l
p. m. the magistrates returned and Mrs.
Castle was again brought up from the
cells with difficulty. sobbing violently. She
staggered to the front of the dock and
touched the rail, while the clerk of the
court read the Indictment, TO which she
pleaded guilty. The unfortunate woman
then sank exhausted on the chair placed
in the dock for her accommodation. The
judge then summed up. He said that the
court had great trouble in dealing with
such q difficult case, in which sympathy
was almost interfering with justice, anu.
knowing that whatever sentence ne might
pass would be carefully reviewed e.se-
where. so that any danger TO the prisoner
mental health would be carefully guarded
against. The Judge then passed sentence
of three months imprisonment without
hard labor on Mrs. Castle. He added that
he did so with the knowledge that the SEM
tence would be revised elsewhere, and the
general impression which afterwards pre-
vailed in court was that this means that
the Home Office will shortly release Mrs.
Castle on her own recogniZance.
The unfortunate woman. on hearing the
Sc ntence. went into Mysteries. crying, "Oh.
nv Cod" .rOh, my Cod for nearly five
minutes. She threw up her arms and stag
gered about muttering at times incohe-
Tently and then shrieking in wild agony.
There was no doubling that she had the
full sympathy of her friends and relatives.
and that the counsel and presiding judge
were also greatly affected by her distress.
Mr.. Castles face turned ashen gray as he
witnessed his wife's agony and all the
physicians present hurried down TO the as
sistance of the suffering woman. At l:45
D.. m. thanks to the attention of the ply
sicianS. who had administered sedatiyeS to
her. Mrs. Castle was calmer, but fearful.
and was able 10 enter a cab, accomp2 MED
by her husband and the chief jailer. and
started TO Scrubs prison. The
mafron at ClerkppWelI DriSQu- WlO had