The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-04
MRS. n. CASTLE
FIRES SHOT AT
WILLIAM CRAIG
Former Society Leader of San
Francisco Causes Stampede
in Peacock Alley"
Insists She Tried TO Kill Former
Lawyer of This City Because
He Quit Her
Especial Dispatch TO The Call

-
NEW YORK, Aug. 3.-when the
crush in Peacock alley" in the Wal
dorf-Astoria, was at it's height late
this afternoon. with scores of gorgeous
ly gowned women promenading along
its length and numberless leaders of
finance occupied the lines OF chairs, a
smartly dressed woman tried to kill
William B. Craig, a lawyer.
She fired shot from a bulldog re-
volver point blank at his breast, and
but for silver encased fountain pen
in his vest pocket. which detected the
bullet. it would probably have entered
his heart.
Confusion in "AIIey"
The noise of the pistol shot threw the
ALLEY" into tremendous confusion
Dozens of women screamed and ran in
all directions, trampling upon one an
others gowns and wrecking finery
Half dozen tainted and had to be car
ried TO their rooms
The woman who did the shooting and
gave Peacock alley" the greatest SEN
sation in its history was Mrs Neville
Castle formerly notable figure in the
smart set of San Francisco AS Miss
Mary Scott she created a sensation nine
years ago by going on the stage.
Craig Is Prominent
Craig. the man she tried to kill, is a
member of the law firm of Craig &
Craig has a suite of Offices at Rector
street, is married anG lives at 321 West
Ninety-fourth street. He comes from
the Pacific coast is a member of the
Rocky Mountain club, which has its
rooms in the waldorf-Astoria. and
numbers among his friends John Hays
Hamn1ona,. United States. Senator Clark,
F. Hugustus Heinze and many western
mining millionaires.
Craig refused to utter a word of ex-
pIanation of the affair The woman.
who was overcome by hysteria when
she was taken to the tenderloin police
station, kept crying:
He brought me to trouble and dis
tress and deserted me- He will not
even let me talk to him, though he
ruined my Iife."
In her excitement she alternately de-
nounced Craig and then pleaded with
him. "oh, Will. WILL" she cried as he
departed from the station. don't let
me stay here; help me-"
Craigs wife declared over the tele-
phone that Mrs. Castle was "foolishly
infatuated with the lawyer, who had
merely been a good friend to her when
she was in need, but had never had
any sentimental affair with her.
Craig Is Unhurt
When examined at the police sta
ton Craig was found to be unhurt.
The bullet had gone through a linen
outer pocket, had passed through the
cloth of his waistcoat, made a dent in
a silver fiIigreed fountain pen in his
waistcoat pocket and finally dropped
harmlessly within the pocket.
When Mrs. Castle was searched a
bottle of brandy was found in her
handbag, also S29 in cash and a check
for s35 drawn by Goodwin Brothers,
proprietors of the official turf guide.
Frederick Dean, who is a lawyer as
well as music publisher. will appear
before Magistrate Barlow tomorrow
morning to defend Mrs. Castle The
latter subleases from Mr. Dean apart
ments in the Colonial studio building.
a building used exclusively by artists.
He said tonight:
81 will appear before whatever mag
istrate hears the case in the morning
and will defend Mrs Castle She is
Mrs. Craig's cousin. There is much more
in the case than appears upon the sur
face. 1t will all come out at the hear
ing.
Il see Mrs. Castle gave her occupa-
ton at the station here as an insurance
agent, but l never knew that she was
engaged in that manner
About the charges made by Mrs. Cas-
tie in her hysteria Dean would say
nothing.
1T will all be explained at the hear
ing he repeated. Mrs. Castle tells
me- he said, that she wasn't follow
| ing Craig in the Waldorf; it was he
who was following her."
! Mrs. Castle, through Dean, sent this
statement to the public from her cell
tonight:
Mrs. Castle wishes to thank the
boys OF the press for their Kindness to
her She wishes to deny emphatically
the statement that she was following
Mr. Craig. On the contrary, she asserts
that Craig had been following her for
many months, and that she had come
to the Waldorf on her own account
much ahead of him and was surprised
to see him there
! She had known Mr.. Craig from
childhood. The additional fact that Mr..
Craig had married her cousin gave her
more interest in his life She felt a
friendly interest only in his affairs
Mrs Craig was a widow with a son