The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-08-06
Former Actress Tries to
Kill Friend at Waldorf.
COUSIN OF BENJAMIN HARRISON
Mary Scott Castle Fires at William
B. Craig In Hotel, but His
Fountain Pen Defects
the Bullet.

New York, Aug. 4.-Just when the
crush In Peacock alley" in the Wal
dorf-Astoria was at its height smart
ly dressed woman tried to kill Viii
liam Il. Craig, Il lawyer She fired a
shot from Il bulldog revolver point
blank at his breast, and but for Il sill
yer incased fountain pen In his vest
pocket, which detected the bullet, it
would probably have entered his heart.
The woman who did the shooting
was Mrs. Neville Castle, Il notable fig
ure in the smart set of San Francisco.
AS Miss Mary Scott she created SEN
sation nine years ago by going on the
stage.
The man she tried to kill comes from
the Pacific coast, is member of the
Rocky Mountain club and numbers
among his friends John Hays Ham
mond, United States Senator Clark, +.
Augustus Heinze and many western
mining millionaires.
A wild infatuation for him on the
part of Mrs. Castle was responsible for
the attempted murder, according to
Mr.. Craig. On the other hand, Mrs.
Castle declared Craig had grievously
wronged her, and, driven to despera-
ton. she had sought to punish him.
Mrs. Castles life has been one Of ro-
nance. AS Mary Scott she gave so
ciety shock when she joined the COM
pany of Tim Frawley at the Califor-
mia theater, In San Francisco, Jan. 9,
1900 She made her debut as Fay
Zulain in 1.-The Princess and the But
terfy," part created in New York by
Mary Mannering.
All of the coast "Four Hundred"
turned out for the debut. She was the
daughter of the late H. H. Scott, and
her brother, Lieutenant II. Scott, now
of the coast artillery, married n daugh-
ted of the late Admiral William L.
Sampson. Mrs. Castle used her maiden
name of Mary Scott on the stage.
From the west she came to New
York, where she appeared at Proctor's
in vaudeville skit called in Wash
ington's Time" While playing here
March %, 1901, friends of the young
woman had police headquarters send
out general alarm for her. She had
mysteriously disappeared, and her
friends dreaded suicide Her cousin.
Mrs. Fred Goodwin; Mrs. Eugene Del
mar. an intimate friend, and Law
renee Griffith, another cousin, joined
in IL search that lasted for days.
She finally returned to her friends.
Mrs. Castle married in 1893 Neville
Castle, an attorney in New York.
He lost his fortune and went to the
Klondike. His sister-in-law. Mrs. Wal
ter NJ. Castle, figured in an intcrna-
tional scandal when arrested at the
Cecil hotel, London, Oct. q, 1896, on a
charge of shoplifting. She was held
III the unusual bail of S25O,OO0.
Minister Bayard interested himself
in her case, and as result the Castles
came home and she entered sani-
tarium. One Of her connections, AL
bert Castle lived then in Philadelphia.
Mrs. Neville Castle, during the early
days of her stage work, let it be
known that she was cousin of the
late President Benjamin Harrison.
Mrs. Craig. wife of the lawyer whose
life was attempted, told the police that
Mrs. Castle had fallen in love with
her husband and had urged him to
give up his wife for her. Mrs. Craig
insisted that both she and her husband
had befriended and protected the wo-
man.
"She seemed to be insane upon the
subject of possessing my husband"
Mrs. Craig said.
At the police station after being
locked in n cell Mrs. Castle said:
81 have known VIII Craig since we
were babies, and if he hadn't told me
so himself I would never have be
lieved he would want to quit me. He
has visited my studio many times"
She then went on to say that she
had waited for him az the Waldorf
and that after he had refused to talk
to her she had fired. Even after her
arrest she pleaded with Craig to stand
by her, but he appeared obdurate. He
said he was weary Of Mrs. Castles
attentions.