The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-11-06
MRS, CASTLES FATE
Three Months lmprison-
ment for the American
Millionaire Klep-
tomaniac.
CLEARLY PROVEN INSANE
She Pleads Guilty By Advice of
Counsel, Who Feared a
Trial Might Kill
Her.
BrutaIities of the British .sense
Of Justice Her Husband
Honorably Cleared.
Bu cable @ the United press.

iC-SOOlN, NOV. b, lSSb--Ihe case OF MT.
and Mrs. Walter NJ. Castle of San Fran
cisco, who are accused of shoplifting
came up for trial in the Clerkenweu Ses-
sions this morning. There were seven in
dictments against the prisoners, charg-
ing them with stealing articles the total
value of which was fa3 los. Chairman
Mcconnell presided and on the bench with
him were half dozen magistrates. The
court room was crowded, many of the
spectators being ladies' A number of the
officials of the United States Embassy
were present, including Secretary Roose-
welt and Chief Clerk Hodson
The case fer the. prosecution opened
promptly at 1890 o'clock. When the chair
! man called for the surrender of Mr.. and
Mrs. Castle by their bondsmen, they hav-
ing been at liberty under f40,90 bail pend
ing their trial, there was a pause. during
which the crowd were .hushed and ex-
peetant until Mrs. Castle made her ap-
pearance attended by two female nurses
and her husband. Upon the reading of
the charge Mr.. Castle stood boldly up
right and answered Not guilty. to each
of the seven counts. On behalf of Mrs.
Castle, Sir Edward Clarke said that she
pleaded guilty to each charge, and pro-
| ceeded to give reasons for making such a
plea. While Sir Edward Clarke was
speaking Mrs. Castle remained seated She
was dressed in sombre black and kept her
face covered 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 fS and a skin
worth 5s., Mr.. Avory, for the prosecution.
said.-"Subjeet to any opinion which your
Lordship may express, it appears to me
that Mr. Castle was not a party 10 the
thefts, and. therefore, the prosecution
will not offer any evidence against Mr..
Castle. While the case was IN the police
court and both prisoners were denying
guilt it wes impossible for the prosecu-
ton to take this course, for as long as the
wife denied her guilt it was possible that
the husband had taken the things.
The Chairman replied:-"I have read the
dispositions carefully and have arrived at
the same conclusion. There is nothing
in the evidence that has impeached the
innocence of Mr.. Castle, and I entiEsly
approve the course YOU have taken in
the matter.
Mr.. Avory, upon receiving the reply of
the Chairman, announced formally that
the prosecution would not offer any evil
dence against Mr.. Castle The Chairman
then addressed the jury. saying
.'As there is no evidence to support the
indictment against the defendant, Wal
ter NJ Castle, it is your duty to render
verdict of not guilty"
The jury responding with verdict Of
discharged. and upon the application OK
Sir Edward Clarke to the Court, Mrs.
Castle was allowed to leave the court
room attended by her nurses.
Sir Frank Lockwood, @. c., then began
his opening for the defence. dilating in
the course of his address upon the ter
hitherto been reputable woman, occu-
pying a high social position.
Mr. Avory replied, giving the details OF
the evidence as taken in the police court
ties trunks, in which a museum of ar
ticles was found, many of them still hay
ing their sale tickets attached. In not
single instance, he said, was Mrs. Cas-
tie detected in taking anything, so that
she must have done her work so skill |
fully that even her husband, who was
beside her, was unable to see what she |
was doing.
Sir Edward Clarke, Q. c., for the de-
which Mrs. Castle would have been sub
jected in having the facts discussed be-
fore her. he had advised the lady to |
plead guilty. She was not in want of |
money and the insanity of her proceed |
ings was proved in the fact of her hand |
ing a piece of fur with the sale ticket |
attached, showing the name OF the owner. |
the price, etc, TO another person for the |
purpose of getting the fur matched Mrs
Castle, he said had had a mental malady |
when she was a girl and that malady had |
been recurring during the last few |
months.
DR. Grigg, a specialist in women's dis
eases, was called to the stand and testi- |
fled that he had examined Mrs, Castle |
and found that her condition was such /
as to justify him in concurring in the I
statement made by Sir Edward Clarke |
Such condition. he said, generally re- ]
suited in mental disturbance religious /
and other forms Of mania and rendered |
DIR. George II. Savage, one of the lead
ing special sts in female diseases in Eng
land, next took the stand and corroborated
the testimony of DIR. Grigg.
At this point in the proceedings the I
crush in the court room had become all
most suffocating and a number Of ladies /
upon the magistrates bench, an unusual |
occurrence, while others found seats upon
sells benches. until every inch of available
space was filed.
Alderman Routledge. Major Egan, u.
S. A; Colonel H. J. Hawse OF San Fran
cisco, and other friends of Mr.. and Mrs
Castle were IN court ready to testify in
behalf of Mrs. Castle. and Mr. Castle
lliiiSttl, WIG iistu ltll the room dIt6T MS
discharge, now reappeared in court.
DIR. Gabriel. of the College of Surgeons I
supported the testimony already given by
medical experts. and said that medical
troubles had affected Mrs. Castles mind |
He had warned her several times to
avoid all excitement. He together with
Drs. Scott ard Savage. had seen her
professionally on October IL while she
was in jail. and the three had discussed
her case exhaustiveiy at that time. They
had agreed that her further imprison~
ment would imperii her reason.
DIR. Scott. who was the next witness
testified that the nervous illness from,
which Mrs Castle suffered had continued
Jail. and he had made a report Of his 1
examination OF the case to the Home
Once. advising Against her further inn
siqns' ne said but she was of unstable