The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-07
SENT UP FOR NINETY DAYS.
EXCESSIVE UNDER THE CIR
CUMSTANCEs.
CASE AGAINST CASTLE DISMISSED.
Strong Pressure Will BE Brought to
Bear to Secure Mercy for the
Convicted Woman,

tie, Of San Francisco, charged
with shoplifting, took place in
the sessions house at Clerkenwell
today and resulted in Mr.. Castle being
acquitted and Mrs. Castle being SEN
fenced to three months imprisonment
without hard labor.
There was much interest taken In the
case, especially among the members of
the American colony and several ladies
arrived in court together at 9:45 a. m.
They included among their number the
wife of Chairman Mcconnell. of the
Clerkenwell sessions, and Miss Chap
man, of Kentucky. 1t was noticed
that there were quite a number of He
brews present and during the morning
a Soodly number of artists, represent
ing different newspapers. put in an APP
pearance for the purpose Of making
sketches of the Castles in their strange
surroundings.
At 1890 a. M, the case was opened
with the names of the Castles being
called by the clerk Of the court, to
surrender to their bail of $150,0OO Then
counsel for the defense took the floor,
although Charles Matthews, senior
counsel for the prisoners, was not pres
ent.
The decorous quiet of the court room
was broken by the sound Of hysterical
sobbing by Mrs. Castle, whose husband
supported her in the dock. Both pris-
oners were attired In black and seemed
to be weighted down with sorrow.
Traces Of deep suffering were visible
on their faces. Mrs Castle, especial
W m CnT do =
since her arrest month ago, at the
Hotel Cecil, on the charge of having
stolen various articles, such as furs,
ETC., from different stores In the city.
When Mrs. Castle had become some
what more composed, the business Of
the day was resumed. Mr.. Castle
stood calmly, as the clerk of the court,
in monotonous terms, read the indict-
ment and called upon the male pris-
oner to plead.
mot guilty" answered Mr.. Castle
in strong voice, as flush passed
across his face, only to leave him
paler than ever.
Mrs. Castle was then called upon to
plead, but Mr.. Clarke 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 tc each separate charge. The
scene was a distressing one The sobs
of Mrs. Castle were heart-rending, in
spite of the efforts made by her hus-
band to sooth her distress. She was
heavily yeiied, and rocked to and fro,
moaning and historically sobbing.
She kept q handkerchief up to her
face throughout, concealing her feat
ures from the tnquisitive, searching
glances Of the newspaper artists and
others present in court to illustrate or
describe the proceedings.
After the wearisome work Of read
ing the Indictment had been COM
pleted, Horace e. Avery opened the
case for the prosecution. He said he
appeared in behalf of the public prose-
cutor. He said, after careful consid-
Grafton, unless his lordship expressed
view to the contrary, there appeared
to be no evidence against the male
defendant. adding:
MR.. CASTLE ACQUITTED.
II shall proceed on that assumption.
and shall not offer evidence against
him. At the police court we were
obliged to proceed against both pris-
oners, but now the wife pleading guilty,
permits a withdrawal of the evidence
against her husband
The judge thereupon replied:
II have read the dispositions and can
see nothing in them inconsistent with
the husbands innocence. Therefore. !
am prepared to accept prosecuting
ccunsel's view Of the case"
The judge thereupon directed the
jury that they could not convict a man
against whom no evidence was pre-
eEted.
During the formalities, Mr.. Castle
stood in the dock, cool and impa ssiye
Sir Frank Lockwood, Q. c., then
arose and said:
IT appear with Mr.. Gill and Mr..
Graham Campbell, for Mr.. Castle. Be
fore the prisoner is discharged, | wish
to say word on the terrible position
which he is in
Mr. Clarke here suggested that Mrs,
Castle should be removed from the
court room during counsels plea for
her husband as her presence would
only add to her distress; Accordingly
Mrs. Castle was removed, Sobbing pite-
ously. Sir Frank Lockwood then
turned to Mr.. Castle and said:
You may leave the dock, Mr.. Cas-
tle''
The prisoner, however, apparently
did not hear counsePs remark, for the
latter had to repeat, saying:
Come out Of there, Mr.. Castle"
1t was exactly 10:45 a. M, when Mr.
Castle stepped out of the dock and was
informed that if he so desired he
could go down ana see his wife But
Mr.. Castle preferred to take up q po-
sition beside counseFs bench, where
upon Sir Frank Lockwood continued
saying:
Il must touch upon the position oc-
cupied by the wife,
Counsel described the European
tours of the Castles from the time of
their leaving San Francisco, and said
that the court room today was crowded
with men Of high commercial posi-
tons who were ready to testify to the
Castles integrity.
Later Mr.. Avery, for the prosecution,
recounted the case as it presented it
self against Mrs. Castle, and in doing
so he rehearsed the general statement
as it was made at the Marlborough
street police court. He described the
articles stolen and gave the details OF
the arrest. not emitting what Mrs.
Castle said to the officer who arrested
her.
Mr. Clarke, for Mrs. Castle, said:
II do not complain Of the prosecu-
TONS statement. If the law in this
country stood as it did up to 1888,
should have advised her to plead not
guilty. But the extra act passed in 1888
provides that, If I can satisfy the jury
that she was not responsible then the
jury Is not bound to convict There
fore I advised her to plead guilty. The
facts which the prosecution have
recited suggest that there must be
something extraordinary to account
for them. In five or six days. this
lady, who had no possible temptation