The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-10-05
C[ARESBURG BOY
FDuND.BYMOIiHER.
N IOWA PRISON.
Oakley Casteel, Age IS, serv-
ing Life Sentencefor
Murder.
REAL name NOT GIVEN.
DeathinP Prison Preferred to
Family Disgrace, He
Tells Court.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Ia, Oct. o.
onesyear ago Oakley casteel. aged IS.
left his mothers farm near Clarks.
burg, W. Va, to seek his fortune in
the West. Last week his mother dis.
covered him In the Iowa state peniten.
tiary, where, under the name OF Roy
James, he Is serving life sentence for
murder
Mrs. casteel has appeared before
the Iowa board of parole and made a,
plea for the release OF her son, but
that body refused to grant either a
pardon or parole. When arrested
tor murder young Casteel had refused
to give his true name, but used the
name Of James. At the time he open.
ly acknowledged the name to be al
assumed one, telling the court he
would rather be buried in prison than
toilet his family know OF his disgrace.
Mrs. Gasteel has returned to her West
Virginia farm with the avowed inten-
ton Of disposing of her property and
OF coming to Iowa where she can be
near her son and see him occasionally.
When young Casteel left home he
had only hazy idea of what the
West really was. He expected TO
work in the gold mines or something
Of that kind. and to make fortune
in a few years. When that was done
he intended TO return TO West Wiz.
ginia, he told his mother.
Butwhen he crossed the Mississippi
liver he found more settled country
than that from which he came. He
went into the harvest fields and work
I'D all Through the summer OF 1914.
Each week he wrote to his mother and
told her he Intended TO come back
about Christmas time. In December
his letters ceased. Mrs. Casteel Is
past go years OF age and about a
month ago she started out to find her
boy. When last she heard OF him he
was in Humbolt county, la. She found
that a young man answering the de.
scription OF Oakley had been sent to
the Iowa state prison at Fort ikadison
10 Sservela life sentence for murder.
But the name OF the young murderer
she was told, was Roy James. She
went to the prison and found james"
was her son Oakley.
The young fellow was sentenced
from Humboldt county on January Z,
1915, orlmurder. The crime had been
committed Just before Christmas. as
hegwas enrounte back 10 West Vir.
ginia to see his mother. According to
his story, he had worked in the har.
vest fields all summer, saved his mon.
~ and started home.
He wished to take home as much
cash as possible. so tried to bum his
way on freight trains. In western
Iowa, he said, he was robbed OF prac-
tically all the money he had saved.
Several other tramps were robbed at
the same time. Then they decided TO
recuperate their losses. On freight
train they discovered stockman who
soldsa.bunch Of cattle. Young Casteel
led the gang. The conductor inter-
fered and young Casteel shot him
dead.
Casteel was captured and positively
Identified. His companions escaped.
Attic trial casteel confessed but said
hefthought the conductor intended to
killfhim.
According 10 his mother, Oakley
was a good boy when he lived in West
Virginia. He never had travelled, and
his ideas of the West had been re.
seiyed from novels and moving pic.
lures.