Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-11-06
CASTLES TROUBLES
Mr.. Castle Acquitted and his
Wife Sentenced to Three
Months Imprisonment.
HATFIELD is CAPTURED
The Stock Market in New York
Takes on a Very Healthy
Aspect, To-Day.
M'KINLEY ANSWERS BRYAN

M'KINLEY ANSWERS BRYA|
LONDON, England, November g.
A predisposition to kleptomanla wi
be the defense advanced in behalf
Mrs. Castle at to- days trial. In b,
half of Mr.. Castle, It will be urged th'
he was totally ignorant Of his wite's al
tions. There is considerable speculs
tion concerning the outcome of th
trial, especially in view of the fact tha
Americans, as rule, do not fare We
In British courts. The general opinio
is that Mr.. Castle will be acquitted.
Mrs. Castle is found Irresponsible, tn
court will have no option but to orde
her examination by mental specialists
with view toward her incarceratio
in an asylum. On the other hand
should she be found guilty, the cour
can impose as light sentence as thre
months imprisonment without har'
labor Whatever the outcome, it is es
timated that the trial and Its prelimi
naries will cost Mr.. Castle in the neigh
borhood of $4,000.
LONDON, England, November g.
Mrs. Castle has been found guilty or
ali the indictments and sentenced tt
three months imprisonment.
The case of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M
cused of shop. lifting, came up for tria
In the Clerkenwell sessions, this morn
ing. There were seven indictments
against the prisoners, charging them
with stealing articles, the total value oi
which was S43 10s Chairman Nc
Connell presided, and on the bench
with him we're half dozen magis
trates. 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 Roosevelt and Chief Clerk
Hodson. The case for the prosecution
opened promptly at 10:30 O'Clock.
When the chairman called for the sur
render of Mr.. and Mrs. Castle by their
bondsmen, they having been at liberty
under f40, 900 bail pending their trial,
there was a pause. during which the
crowd was hushed and expectant until
Mrs. Castle made her appearance, at
tended by two nurses and her hus-
band. Upon the reading of the charge,
Mr.. Castle stood boldly upright and
answered s'not guilty" to each OF the
seven counts. On behalf OF Mrs. Castle,
Sir Edward Clarke said that she plead
ed guilty to each charge and proceed
ed to give the 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 h handker-
chief. While the jury was being sworn,
the silence was broken only by Mrs.
Castles sobbing.
When the first charge was read. that
of stealing sable tie worth f9 and
skin worth five shlllings, Mr.. Avery,
for the prosecution, SAID: "Subject
to any opinion which your lordship
may express, it appears to me, that
Mr.. Castle was not party to 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 the guilt, it was impossible
for the prosecution to take this course,
as long as the wife denied her guilt it
was possible that the husband had
taken the things" The chairman re-
piled, II have read the dispositions
carefully and have arrived at the same
conclusion. There is nothing in the
evidence that has impeached the in
nocence of Mr.. Castle and l entirely
approve the course you have taken in
the matter
Mr.. Avery upon receiving the reply
of the chairman, announced. formally,
that the prosecution would not offer
any evidence against Mr., Castle. The
chairman then addressed the jury,
saying:
GAS there is no evidence to support
the Indictment against the defendant
Walter nj. Castle, it is your duty to re.
turn verdict of not guilty. Mr.. Castle
was Immediately discharged and upon
application OF Sir Edward Clarke to
the court, Mrs Castle was allowed to
leave the court room attended by her
nurses.
Sir Frank Lockwood, Queens coun- |
sell then began his opening for the de-
fense, dilating in the course of his ad-
dress upon the terrible position of Mrs.
Castle, who had hitherto been a
reputable woman occupying a high |
position. Mr. Avery replied, giving |
the details of the evidence as taken 10
the police court 10 regard to the search
ing of Mrs. Castles trunk, 10 which
OF articles was found, many OF
them still having their sale tickets at
tached. In not single instance, he
said, was Mrs. Castle deferred 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 what she was doing. Sir
Edward Clark Queens counsel for the
defense, said, that 10 view of the cruelty |
which Mrs. Castle would have been
subjected In having the facts discussed
before her. be had advised the lady to
plead Qnilty. She was not iu want Of
money and The insanity of her pro-
ceedIngs was proved in the fact of her
handing piece OF fnr with a sale
ticket attached showing the name of
Of tho owner, price etc.. to another
person for the purpose of getting the
fur matched. Mrs. Castle, he said, bad
had mental malady when she was
girl and the malady had been recurring
during the last few months. DR.. Griggs
a specialist Ia women's dieeasss, was
called 10 the stand and testified that
be bad examined Mrs. Castle and