Graham guardian., 1896-11-20
ARIsT0CRATIC CRIMINALS.

tie, a "socioty lady" of San Fran
cisco, for the crime of "shophtt-
ing" in London, in which she was
plainly detected and the offcnse
clearly proven, has elected good
deal Of comment from the press,
both in England and America.
Says the Los Angeles Times.
Mrs. Castle has the sympathy of
a great many aristocrats both in
England and America because she
is an aristocrat herself, and they
have tried to secure her release on
the ground that the thousands OF
dollars worth of pilfered goods
found in her possession were not
stolen but that she became pos
sessed of them by "kleptomania."
The word "kleptomania" occurs in
print about five times in American
papers where it occurs once in the
English journals.
We have that folly to answer for
here and pretty neatly everywhere
in the United States. When a
man makes a beast of himself by
drink, the "society ladies," sitting
in their bay windows, if he be a
wealthy man will say, "Why, Mr..
Jones has been 0ceT5ereraging him
SELF" "lIr. Jones has been looking
on the wine when it is red," and
all such stuff. But if q poor old
tramp happens to come along,
"fuller'n Il goat" the same lady
will exclaim' LA sakes, just look
how drunk that old beast is"
Just so with the crime Of which
Mrs. Castle stands accused, and of
which her husband IS so affection
ately ignorant. She conjugal
stupidity of this aristocratic Fagin
almost transcends belief. This is
not theft, it is merely 1leptomania,
disease which affects wealthy
people who "want something foI
nothing" Commenting upon this
case, Labouchero Of the IIondon
Truth very ftly says:
Il learn that some of the magis
trates favored heavy sentence
and q few were for releasing the
prisoner. Had she been released
on the ground of mental lnfrmity
she could not have been the gamer
for she would have been sent to ;
criminal Iunatic asylum, according
to the law since 1888. The sen
tence seems to me light consider
ing the circumstances. | do no
believe in kleptomanla, for i
only seems to attack The rich. ant
if it really exists l an sure tn
$ punishment of every person stoa
I ing while suffering therefor
would have a very deterrent etfec
upon Its spreading"
The American people are yer
censurable in matters Of this sor
Divorces are daily granted in OF
;. courts upon ground. ofad0ltery, br
i no effort is made TO send the d
, linquent spouse to prison for a,
ultery, a crime which ispunishabI
= by statute. Men shoot or stab OF
- another and are acquitted c
! ground of insanity, but no effort
y made TO lock them up in asylum
, for the safety of the rest Of ma
r. kind. Labouchere again says:
=. "Mrs. Castle got off cheap
. when told of her Imprisonment f,
three months without hard labo
The effect on her health seems il
probable, for l gather she has bet
, travelling in Europe and, exec,
for The matter Of stealing, b
health was the same as anybody
o else. Probably the regret II
. what she has done and what b;
:, come to her for doing it will weig
:, on her spirits, but this is precise
the state that imprisonment is i
tended to produce on a prlsonc
II and if this regret really causes h
2 to be i'll she will be transferred
c hospital where she will be care
II for by all connected with it"
z, The great London journalist,
If commenting upon the laws inco
= slstency in this peculiar case al