Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-07
FOUND GUILTY.
Mrs. Castle Sent TO Prison-End Of Cele.
brated Case.


60, who are accused of shoplifting.
came up for trial, this morning. There
were seven indictments against the
prisoners, charging them with stealing
articles, the total value of which was
AZ pounds. ten shillings. Chairman
Mcconnell presided, and on the bench
whit him were half a dozen magis-
trates. The court room was crowded,
many of the spectators being ladies'.
A number of the officials of the United
States embassy We're present. includ-
ing Secretary Roosevelt and Chief
Clerk Hodson.
The case for the prosecution opened
promptly at 10. So when the chair
man called for the surrender of Mr..
and Mrs. Castle by their bondsmen.
they having been at liberty under
10000 bail pending their trial, there
was a pause during which the crowd
was hushed and expectant until Mrs.
Castle made her appearance. attended
by two female nurses and her hus-
band
Upon the reading of the charge. Mr..
Castle stood boldly upright and an
swered mot guilty" to each of the
seven counts. on behalf Of Mrs.
Castle, Sir Edward Clarke said that
she plead guilty to each charge and
proceeded to give the reasons for max
ing such a plea. While Sir Edward
Clarke was speaking, Mrs. Castle re-
manned seated. She was dressed in
sombre black and kept her face COW
81 ed with a handkerchief. While the
jury was being sworn the silence was
broken only by Mrs. Castles sobbing.
When the first charge was read, that
of stealing a sable tie worth nine
pounds and skin worth five shillngs,
Mr.. Avery. for the prosecution. said:
Subject to any opinion which your
lordship may express it appears to me
that Mr. Castle was not a party to
thefts. and therefore the prosecution
will not offer any evidence against Mr..
Castle. While the case was in the po-
lice court and both prisoners were de-
nying guilt it was impossible for the
prosecution to take this course, for as
long as the wife denied her guilt, ii
was possible that the husband had
taken the things"
The chairman replied: Il have read
the dispositions carefully and have ar
rived at the same conclusion. there is
nothing in the evidence that has I'M
peached the innocence of Mr.. Castle,
and / entirely approve the course you
have taken in the natter
Mr. Castle was thereupon dis
charged. Mrs. Castle was allowed to
leave the court room. attended by her
nurses and Sir Frank Lockwood, G.
c., in his opening for the defense,
dilating in the course of his address
upon the terrible position of Mrs.
Castle. who hitherto has been a repu-
to bic woman. occupying a high social
position.
Mr.. Avory replied. giving the details
of the evidence as taken in the police
court in regard to the searching OF
Mrs. Castles trunks. in which a muse
UNI of articles We're found, many Of
them still having their sale tickets at
tached. In not a single instance, he
said. was Mrs Castle detected in tax
ing anything, so that she must have
done her work SO skillfully that even
her husband, who was beside her, was
unable to see.
Sir Edward Clarke, Q. c.. for the
defence, said that in view of the cru
city to which Mrs. Castle would have
been subjected in having the facts dis
oussed before her. he had advised the
lady to plead guilty. She was not in
want of money and the insanity of her
proceedings was proved in the fact of
her handing a piece of fur with the
10 tnE atf oh 1n
of the owner, the price, etc, to another
person for the purpose Of getting the
fur. matched. Mrs. Castle. he said, had
had mental malady when she was a
girl, and that malady had been recur-
ring during the last few months.
DR.. Grigg. specialist in womans
diseases, testified that he had ex-
amined Mrs. Castle and found that her
condition was such as to justify him
in concurring in the statement made
by Sir Edward Clarke. Such a condi-
ton. he said, generally resulted in
mental disturbances, religious or other
ferer irresponsible for her actions. DR.
George H. Savage, one of the leading
specialists in female diseases in Eng
land. corroborated the testimony of
DR.. Grigg. Alderman Routedge, Mai
Egan U. s. A., Col. H. J. Hawse OF
San Francisco and other friends of Mr..
and Mrs. Castle We're in court, ready
to testify in behalf of Mrs. Castle, and
Mr.. Castle himself. who had left the
room after his discharge. now reap
peared in court.
Mrs. Castle was found guilty and
sentenced to three months imprison-
ment.
Application has already been made