The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-11

London, Nov. 10.-Mrs. Walter NJ
Castle, of San francisco, who was sen.
fenced at the Clerkenwel sessions on
Friday last to three months imprison-
ment. without hard labor, after having
pleaded guilty, by the advice of counsel.
to the charge of shoplifting, was released
from Wormwood Scrubs prison to-day
on medical grounds, by order of the
home secretary, Sir Matthew White
Ridley.
The commissioners of the prison. it an
pears, directed the medical board TO in
quire into ana report upon the health of
Mrs. Castle. whose condition was caus-
ing anxiety to the prison authorities.
She WAS watched day and night by spe-
cial attendants in the infirmnrv and was
shown every attention possible. The com.
miSsloners, after receiving the rcport of
the medical board on the state of AIrs
Castle health, communicated with the
home secretary who promptly ordered her
release from prison and Tint she be
placed in the care of her husband. who
has undertaken to take her bnck in Tho
United States with the least possible de-
lay.
Mr. Castle called ut the home Office Mt
| o'clock II. III. and was there informed
that his wife would be released M /
o'clock. Accompanied by nurse he en-
tered Il carriage and drove to Wormwood
scrubs prison, where he arrived mt 1915
p IN. The jailor ushered him into n
waiting room and after II brief DELAY,
Deputy Northy granted the unusual per
mission for the carriage to enter the
gates ana drive to the door of the hos
pital of the prison.
There Mr. Castle and nurse alit,htod
and went to the door. a few moments
/ later Mrs Castle, dressed in deep black,
was almost carried out of the hospital by
the female attendants She was deatblv
pale, her face was tcarstained She nm
pcared TO he on the verge of collnpse. nnd
sank fainting into her husbands arms
lie tendery embraced her and tried to
console her The nurse enveloped Mrs.
! castie race IN a heavy VEIL wrapped her.
IN IL shawl, and assisted her to the car-
riage where her head fell on her his
bands shoulder and she sobbed hysteri
cally. AS the carriage passed OUT the
prison gates, the driver applied his whip
and drove rapidly away.
Nhile Nlr. Castle was in the waiting
room OF the prison he was interviewed nv
representative of the Associated Press
He said
II feel twenty years YOUNGER and AS
though the nightmare of the past month
had vanished. My wife was informed
last night that would come for her to-
aay. She was utterly FRUSTRATED yester
day. shall immediately retire to the
country, place my wife under a doctor's
/ care, and endeavor to restore her to
health III order to permit of her speedy
Z return to America. desire especially to
thank the Associated Press for its kind
ness to me and mine and for the manner
III winch 1t has placed the matter before
the American newspapers
Bernard Abrams, of counsel for the
castles, received the following note from
the home Office last evening:
The prisoner, Ella Castle. will be re-
leased on account of her mental ma
physical condition and other circum-
stances. DIGBY, Under Secretary ;,
Henry Labouchere in Truth TODAY de-
votes Il page and II half to the Castles
case, during which he said:
learned that Il few magistrates fn.
vored u heavier sentence and IL few were
Tor releasing the prisoner. Had she been
released on the ground of mental intirm
lty, she would not nave been the gamer
FOR she would have been sent To n crimi.
nal lunaric asylum, according To the law
since 1883. The sentence seems To be
liSht, considering the circumstances.
do not believe in klcptomnnia for il only
seems to attack the rich. and if il really
exists, am sure that the punishment If
every person stealing. while suffering
therefrom, would have very deterrent
effect upon its spreading Mrs. Castle
got OH cheapiy, when told of her mpris-
Confined n fp,,