Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-18
AGED WEST VIRGINIA WOMAN
SEARCHES LONG FOR MISS
ING BOY.
SERVING LIFE sENrENcE
IN FORT MADISON
Sentenced 20 Life Imprisonment For
Shooting Northwestern Conductor in
Humboldt county-Fsli in With Bad
Company While Enrouts Homo
From Harvest Fields.

Des Moines, Sept. 1s.-When he left
his 6o-year- mother, on her West
Virginia farm q little more than year
ago TO come west and make his for
tune Oakley Casteel promised to write
to her regularly.
For = few months he kept his prom
ise. Then the rural postman ceased to
bring letters from her son. The last
letter she received arrived at the farm
late last fall. It said the he was work
ing in the harvest fields. and that he
planned to return to her as soon as ne
had been paid off.
Mrs. Casteel looked for him to re-
turn some time in November, when
she knew harvesting would be com
pleted. But he did not come. De-
cember passed and the boy had neither
arrived ut home nor written her
letter. Winter changed into spring
and spring into summer. Still there
was no word from him.
Decided to Sick Him.
the uncertainty no longer. Though
not in the best Of health. and though
unused to travelling. she determined
to come to the west into which Oak
10 had disappeared find him and plead
with him to come home with her.
She has told no one OF her wander
ings. after leaving home, but on last
Wednesday she found her son.
He IL in Fort Madison penitentiary.
serving life sentence for murder.
Heart broken. the mo.her arrived in
Des Moines yesterday t. plead with
state officials to whom she had been re-
ferred by sympathizing prison officials.
She was granted hearing by the state
board Of parole yesterday afternoon.
While telling her story TO the board
she appeared to be suffering intensely
and her grief at times was uncon-
trollable She held the opinion that
her son had been convicted Of a more
serious crime than the offense war
ranted.
He Must Stay in Pen.
Attic touched by the mothers sur
fering. the officials could not grant her
wish. She left Des Moines last eve
ming for Fort Madison for another
visit with her son before returning
home.
Mrs. casteel told the board her son
left home a little more than year
ago TO 20 west to Ale on a claim. When
his letters ceased -she spent m onth S
trying to locate him. She found him
in the penitentiary under the name OF
Row James.
The boy told her there that he had
INTENDED to return cas-. after the har-
svesting. but that instead Of buying a
ticket he bummed his way on freight
trains. Hoboes with whom he travelled
robbed him Of all but $45. After losing
his money he became intimate with
several hard characters, who persuad-
ed him to Join them in robbing
others
Killed . Conductor.
The first Job he undertook was to
rob a wealthy cattle man returning
from market with a roll OF money.
The conductor Of the train interfered.
Casteel shot and killed the conductor.
He claimed 1t was in self defense. He
told his mother he thought the c5n-
ductor had gun and intended to kill
him.
When he. left for the west to rake
his fortune. the mother said. he was
. bright, strong Roy with rosy dreams
.,r the future He intended to make
4 fortune and return to Yves. Virginia
10 make the Declining DAYS OF his par
erts happy and comfortab's He was
not a bad boy when he left home. she
said
His Prison Record.
According to the records Roy James.
or Oakley Casteei, was sentenced to
life Imprisonment at Fort Madison
penitentiary Jan. :, 1915. According
to the testimony young Casteel. who
was - years old, boarded North
western train In Humboldt county last
December with the intention Of rob
hing the stockman.
Casteel was making his way toward
the stockman in the caboose when he
was noticed by the conductor. Pulling
his revolver. he tried to force the con-
ductor t. hold his hands over his head
and submit 10 being robbed S!Sc. The
train official refused. He rushed for
the robber. Casteel backed to the rear
platform Of the caboose He is then
said to have fired the shot which killed
the conductor The crime was COM
mitted near Dakota City.
The young fellow gave his name as
Roy James. when arrested. He de-
elined to tell where his parents lived
and refused to give any OF his early
history. He said he did not want his
mother to know he was In the peniten-
tiary.