Evening star., 1896-11-06
SENT TO A PRISON
Mrs. Castle Sentenced to Three
Months Confinement.
THE FAMOUS SHOPLIFFING Case
Universal Surprise at the Decision
in the Matter.
TES OF DOCTORS
TIE FAMOUS SHOPLIFTING Case
TESTIMONY OF DOCTORS

cisco, charged with shoplifting, took place
at ClerkeEv ell today. and resulted in Mr..
Castle being acquitted and Mrs. Castle
being sentenced to three months imprison-
ment without hard labor.
By 1918 am many of the seats usually
occupied by justices were filled with we'll
dressed ladies. Mrs Castle when she came
in to the court room with the prison at
tendants and professional nurse, who had
her in charge, was given seat in the
dock. Soon afterwards Messrs. Lewis and
Williamson, solicitors for the treasury, ar
rived, and few minutes later the magis-
trates filed in.
The decorous quiet of the court room was
broken by the sound of hysterical sobbing
by Mrs. Castle, whose husband supporte l
her in the dock. Both prisoners We're at
tired in black and seemed to be weighted
down with sorrow. Traces of deep suffer
ing were visible on their faces. Mrs.
Castle. especially, appeared to have aged
considerably since her arrest a month ago
at the Hotel Cecil, on the charge of hav-
ing stolen various articles, such as furs,
&c, from different stores in this city.
After the wearisome work of reading the
Indictment had been completed, Horace
f. Avory opened the case for the prosecu-
ton. He said he appeared in behalf of
the public prosecutor. He said that after
careful consideration. unless his lordship
expressed view to the contrary, there
appeared to be no evidence against the
male defendant, adding:
II snail proceed on that assumption and
shall not offer evidence against him. At
the police court we were obliged to pro-
ceed against both prisoners, 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 hus-
bands innocence. Therefore ! am pre- pre-
pared to accept prosecuting counsels view
of the case
The Judge thereupon directed the jury
that they could not convict a man against
whom no evidence was presented.
Mrs. Castle was removed to an ante room.
Mr.. Avory, for the prosecution. then re-
counted the case as it presented itself
against Mrs. Castle, and In so doing he
rehearsed the general statement as 1t was
made at the Marlborough street police
court. He described the articles stolen, and
gave the details of the arrest, not omitting
what Mrs. Castle said to the officer who
arrested her.
Sir Edward Clarke. in speaking for Mrs.
Castle, said: 1.-The facts which the prose-
cution has recited suggest that there must
be something extraordinary to account for
them. In five or six days this lady, who
had no possible temptation, goes about
London and takes articles under pres
sure of need. When arrested she had plenty
of money. Mr.. Castle had started from
home with credit of $500 "a 1900. of which
ESQ was not exhausted, and his wife also
had plenty of money.
your lordship must have noticed the
testimonials to the Castles character, and
how instantly this vast amount of bail was
found. A man or woman in such circum-
stances did not need more money, and did
not need to steal in order to get 1t. Sud-
denly this lady takes to these practices Of
taking things and packing them away. The
insanity of these proceedings is proved
q
fur with private mark upon 1t. Insanity
is further proved by her taking the toast
racks. etc. of the Hotel Cecil.
DR.. VIM, Chapman Grigg, DR.. George
Henry Savage, DR.. Leonard Gabriel and
DR.. Scott, medical director of Holloway
Jail, gave testimony indicating that Mrs.
Castle was unaccountable for her actions
on account Of diseased mental condition.
Sir Edward Clarke then drew the attention
Of the court to the pitable condition of the
woman. and suggested that her friends,
who were in court were deeply concerned
and greatly desfrous of removing her to
some asylum, where her mental health
could be guarded.
The judge replied: Questions of this
kind. Sir Edward. must be considered else
where"
Continuing, Sir Edward Clarke said that
no one could say at what moment a dis
ordered or unhinged mind might give way
utterly.
At 11:45 the magistrates, who numbered
t"Shly UeSluSS lue presiding 1uORe,
and Colonel Rotton. General Birch, Mr.
Davis, Sir John Micks and the deputy
judge. Mr. Loveland, retired.
During the absence of the court Mr..
Castle remained in the room, surrounded
by his friends, who discussed the probable
outcome Of the case.
At 1906 o'clock pm. the magistrates re-
turned and silence once more fell upon the
court Mrs. Castle was again brought up
from the cells with difficulty. sob5ing vio-
lently. She staggered to the front Of the
dock and touched the rail while the clerk Of
the court read the indictment 10 which she
bad pleaded guilty. The unfortunate wo-
man then sank exhausted upon the chair
placed in the dock for her accommodation
The Sentence.
The Judge then summed ND. He said that
the court had great trouble in dealing with
this difficult case, sympathy was almost
interfering with justice, and knowing that
whatever sentence he might pass would be
carefully reviewed elsewhere, go that any
danger to the prisoners raental health
would be carefully guarded against
The judge then passed sentence of three
months Imprisonment without hard labor
upon Mrs. Castle. He added that he did so
with the knowledge that the sentence
would be revised elsewhere, and the gen
eral impression which afterward prevailed
in court was that this means the home
office will shortly release Mrs, Castle on
her own recogrizance.
The unfortunate woman, on hearing the
sentence, went into Mysteries, shrieIing:
"Oh, my God; oh, my God,' for nearly five
minutes. She threw up her arms and stag
gered about, muttering at times incoher-
emily, and then shrieked in wild agony.
There was no doubling that she had the
full sympathy of her friends and relatives.
and that the court, counsel and the presid-
ing judge were also greatly affected by her
distress.
All present in court remained motion]ess
and silent while Mrs. Castle was being as
sisted out Of the dock and down the iron
stairs by a nurse and two prison wardens.
her .shrieks becoming gradually fainter and
fainter as she was removed further away
from the court room.
= Mr.. Castles face turned an ashen gray
as he Witnessed his wife's agony. and ali
sthe physicians present hurried down to the
assistance Of the suffering woman
.-, Taken tor Prison.
. At 1:45 o'clock pm, thanks to the at
-tentions of the physicians who administered
sedatives to her. Mrs Castle was caImer
but fearful. and was able to enter a cab.
accompanied by her husband and the ch:ef
=iailer. and started for Wormwood Scrubs
prison. :.
The matron OF Clerkenwell prison. who