New-York tribune. [volume], June 24, 1910, Page 2, Image 2

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. . Tbe searchers then - turned < up a tie,
i which bore the name of a Washington
> haberdashery house " and the word
sr.f Washington." " '
■Vc-£ Taken to Headquarters.
f'- Captain Scott and the detectives had
by this time seen and heard enough to
warrant an arrest in their opinion, and
- they loet no time. in taking Charlton to
Police Headquarters in Hoboken. He
I pretended to be puzzled, hut made no
real resistance. -
"\.They took Charlton along to Head
charters then.- and in the room where
Chief Hayes has drawn out so many
• c-ptories of evildoing'upon the high seas
1 the little group - went at the slim
■youngster, who was still trying to con-
Lea] his identity and to hide under a
S mask of bravado his fear of being found
out.
grji "Write your name." said Hayes. And.
"'on a Ml of paper, Charlton scribbled
_ -Porter . Carleton." .
'* Captain Scott jumped up. "You didn't
K«sfcK «sfc him to write that name, chief." he
-•said: "And yet here he writes the name
'-'at the man we say he is, with only one
r. stake "
Z Charlton looked confused. Then he
; tried to bluff It out. •'Well." he said. "I
thought you would want me to write
-the same name these gentlemen had
1 made me write down at the dock."
v; Captain Scott, as a test of Identity.
had told Charlton down at the pier to
write out the name, "Porter Charlton."
'.and Charlton, cunningly, had written
it "Porter Carleton.*'
:~* Then, going through his belongings,
> they came" across a poem he had written
-""in Washington two years ago, signed
Porter Charlton. T.iat seemed to be the
Jest straw. Charlton was staggered.
"Hayes flourished the paper beneath his
--•^yes and said: "Will you still deny that
you are Porter Charlton?"
P* Tries to Draw Revolver.
. /Charlton leaped to his feet and drew
■ or tried to dratv a revolver. He never
• •had a chance to use it. Garrick and
« Fallen fell upon him as he rose, over
"powered" him in a moment and took the
revolver away. Charltcn's passion passed
as. quickly as it had seized him. In a
moment he was cool and self-possessed
again, calm as he had been from the
first" moments on the pier.
.. . -".Well." he said, "you've got me. I'm
Porter Charlton."
* s . . Captain Scott didn't wait for any more.
T r-. He feared a confession v.as coming, and
didn't know how far he could trust him
self. He had already, at the chiefs re
'" quest, handed him the revolver he car
*r lied. and now, looking hard at Charlton,
~'\ -who sat impassive. he walked out.
'"' "You killed your wife," said Hayes.
- when the dead woman's brother had
.-• gone out. If wasn't a question: it was
& simple statement of fact, quietly made.
"Yes."' said Charlton. as simply, -'I
killed my wife. "
There was nothing remarkable, except
the absolute impassiveness of him,
about the way Charlton told his story.
He wasn't hysterical or excited, so far
as the eye or the ear could judge. He
just told what he knew, as he might
have described a visit to a theatre or a
days excursion. After ne had finished
Fiayes had the notes that had been
ttken transcribed into narrative form,
and gave a copy to Charlton to sign.
He ■ looked it over carefully and
F*»emed anneyed at crudities of style.
He tried to correct them, to make it a
.■^ >other and more polished statement.
i but finally he gxjt through and signed
' in lead pencil. Then hr signed again In
' ir.k. :
A detective went out and told Captain
j Fc^tt of the confession, and the officer
• -wrung his« hand warmly and thanked
I the Hoboken police for their quick work.
Lived Uptown Here at First.
In his confession Charlton said that
- lived at No. 204 "West 55th street.
\ That address is the annex of the Hotel
•dward. and is known as the Mes
\\ Kjnia apartments. It was said there
last mght that Charlton had sublet an
:* apartment there about the time of his
marriage, and lived there with his wife
jj for about a month. He had sublet from
II Mrs William L- Kite, of Louisville,
'I and dealt directly with her, and not
with the hotel at all, it was sad.
Charlton was not inclined to be coxn-
I :nicative after the visit to him of the
' n r -estntative of J. Floyd Clark, a law
yer, of No. 37 Wall street who had been
V retained by his father. But Hayes is a
, tc-nacious and a diplomatic man and he
. ttuck patiently to his task.
"1 have said all that I should say to
' jou, Chief." remarked Charlton, 'for I
know that your duty is to aid in prose
cuting me."
Charlton and his wife arrived at Genoa
on April 27, he said; stayed there three
days and then went to Lake Como, and
engaged the house in which Mrs. Charl
ton was slain, after staying a day or
two at the hotel, as it was cheaper.
"I Intended going to work at my old
business, banking."
"Start. a bank?" inquired the Chief.
• No, going to work In a bank. There
is always room for an experienced
American."
Charlton -said, when asked about his
financial condition, that he was practi
cally penniless. When taken into cus
tody he replied: "I had a little money,
not much, and my wife had a little."
Were Not Drinking, He Says.
The Chief inquired if they had not
been drinking Just before the fatal quar
rel, and the prompt answer was: "I
rarely drink I never drank to excess,
and neither did my wife. We occasion
ally sipped a little light wine."
Charlton said that he and his wife
loved each other. but that quarrels were
frequent, as they were quick tempered;
that she would flare up and then settle
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Subject* ready:
. BABY STUART.
THE STORM.
BREAKERS.
MOTHER AND CHILD.
THE HOLY FAMILY
AN AMERICAN BEAUTY
PEACEFUL HOUR
down. tr» flare up again. They were
on the second floor of the villa when the
final quarrel occurred, about 10 o'clock
at night. They had words, and then
they were silent for a time, when the
quarrel sprang up anew. His wife was
sitting on the edge of the bed, he etid.
and he became dazed and hit her with
■ mallet. About midnight, believing she
was dead, he squeezed the body Into the
trunk. When asked if he experienced
any difficulty in doing this, he calmly
answered: "No; she was not a large
woman."
Then he repeated his statement about
dragging the body downstairs, and said
he rolled It to the lake, as the trunk had
Mttle wheels on the bottom to make it
easier to move. He said he did not
work as noiselessly as possible, so as not
to disturb another man who was sleep
ing in the house that night. He did
not tell who this other somnolent occu
pant was, nor why he was there, but In
timated he was staying there only on
that night.
Charlton then declined to talk fur
ther about the tragedy or his move
ments before or since. The chief then
told Charlton that his father had been
told of the apprehension and had tele
graphed a roply that he would start
immediately for Hoboken. The prisoner
shook his head negatively and ejacu
lated dcprecatlngly- "1 don't know that
I want to see him."
The chief pleaded that he should te
■ dutiful son, and Charlton, half per
suaded, said: "I suppose I should. 1
will see him." He begged to be left
ilone. and the chief retired, as Charlton
walked to the end of his cell and gazed
through the bars at the small window
•pace in the wall that admits light and
air. He ate a light supper ordered from
a restaurant, consisting of chicken
salad and coffee. He paid for it out of
money he had received from the law
yers representative, who gave him a
$10 bill and advised him not to talk.
Gustavo di Rosa, acting consul gen
eral of Italy, called on Chief Hayes late
yesterday afternoon and said that the
consul general had gone to Italy, and
that he. being In charge, would appear
in Recorder McGovern's court this
morning to lodge the formal complaint.
INSANITY TOJIEJHE PLEA
Charlton's Father Will Try to
Get Him Into an Institution.
Paul Charlton. father of Porter Charlton,
arrived at Hoboken from Washington
about 10 o'clock last night with another
son. George Charlton. They were met by
R. Floyd Clarke, a lawyer, of No. 37 all
street, and he went with them to the office
of Chief Hayes. Recorder McGovern was
called, and after a conference it was an
nounced that on the request of the young
manE father the Recorder had agreed to
withhold disposition of the case until
Charltons friends had an opportunity to
arrange their defence.
It was intimated that the defence might
be insanity. I'nder the laws of Italy there
is no capital punishment, and it is the
practice there, when a person of whose
probable guilt the authorities are satisfied
is out of the country, to have him con
demned at what is termed a "trial in con
tumacy." This practice is adopted to rob
the fugitive of the benefit of the statute
of limitations, which would otherwise
render his arrest illegal after five years.
Such a course, however, is not generally
adopted until after the police have ex
hausted their resources trying to find the
man suspected.
In any case, whatever other plea may be
entered" his friends will urge that there
was no premeditation in the killing, and
will exert all the influence they possess to
have the charge of manslaughter substt
tuted for that of murder.
After his talk with Recorder McGovern.
Mr Charlton and his other son asked to
see the prisoner. Porter Charlton was
brought to the chiefs office, and as he
entered shook hands with his father. A
long conference ensued.
Mr Charlton. after the interview, said
that 'he would apply to the federal au
thorities for permission to ascertain his
son's mental condition, and he had no
doubt that the report would justify his in
carceration in some institution. Under such
circumstances, it is said, the United States
government would decline to allow extradi
tion, even though the Italian government
should demand it.
"Porter." said the father, "was a tuber
culous boy, who had to go away for a rest.
She was a woman of experience and almost
twice his age. After they went abroad I
had two letters from my boy, both unlike
anything he had ever expressed and as
absolutely different as If he were an en
tirely different person. He had been re
fined and moderate, but ftiose letters were
so different. I could not believe it was my
son.
•"To my mind," he continued, "the most
convincing proof of his insanity is his re
turn to this country. His every action
since his arrest points to an unsound mind.
For instance, when he was told that I was
coming here to help him he remarked:
'How flattering!" "
Mr. Charlton added that he had heard
of the marriage only when he came to New
York in March to attend the annual dinner
of the University Club. His son met him
at the station, and on their way to the
Hotel Woodward Porter told him of his
marriage. The father met his daughter
in-law, but their talk was unsatisfactory,
as was another after dinner.
Mr. Charlton proposed that "his son should
Join the army, as he could be sent to a
post where the climate would improve his
lungs. Porter insisted on going to Italy,
however, and as that climate was favor
able, the father contented to provide for
him financially.
Throughout the conversation in the police
office the young man appeared listless and
indifferent, although his father manifested
his affection for him and assured him that
he would receive all th« protection that the
law could afford, and would have the best
defence obtainable.
Mr. Clarke wouldn't say much about the
line of the defence, except that there
would be an insanity plea. He expects to
have ae?ociat«»d with him when he appeuxa
before Recorder McGovern this morning
William D. Kdwards. a former State Sena
tor and one of the leaders of the Hudson
County bar, with a reputation as an able
criminal lawyer A bitter fight will be
made against extradition.
RAIN CAUSES AUTO DEATH
Guest of Americans at Nice
Crushed to Death by Machine.
N: f-, France, June 23. — An automobile,
occupied by a Mr. and Mru. Henry. Ameri
cans, and Mme. Matton, ran into a ditch
and was overturned near Castellane. in the
Dei>artment of Basßes-Alpes, to-day. Mm*.
Matton was killed outright and Mr. Henry
was badly injured. The latter's wife es
caped unharmed.
The Henrys spent the winter here.
. It was raining hard at the time of the ac
cident. As Henry, who was driving the
car, took a sharp turn at a steep hill the
flapping canvas of the hood caught in the
chain, interfering with the operation of the
brake. The automobile swerved from the
road and plunged down a ravine, turned
completely over and lodged against a tree.
Mme. Matton was crushed to death . under
the car. Henry legs were pinned down
by the wreckage and he was rendered help
lees. Mrs. Henry had an almost miraculous
escape, and on climbing to th* road secured
assistance for her husband.
NEW-YORK DAILY TRIBUNE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24. 1910.
WAS WIFE'S BROTHER
WHO CAUGHT CHARLTON
Captain Scott Picked Him Out
and Helped Police to Estab
lish Identity.
GOT FULL DESCRIPTION
Army Officer Denies He Intended
to Shoot Sister's Slayer —
Trick Led to Break in
Prisoner s Nerve.
Captain Henry Harrison Scott, of the
United States coast artillery, was prima
rily responsible for the capture of Porter
Charlton. "It was the laat service I could
do my poor sister," he said last night.
"I wish to correct a couple of statements
In connection with the affair, however," he
added. "I never threatened the man Charl
ton with a revolver. I am an army officer,
and have too much respect for the law to
do that. X had a revolver with me. as I had
expected to be much on the waterfront.
When I went to the office of Chief Hayes
with Charlton and he 6eemod about to con
fess, the chief asked me if I was armed,
and then asked me to hand over ny re
volver, which I did willingly. I do not
deny that when he finally admitted his
identity I made a nervous motion, but I
never attempted to lay hands on him.
"Another erroneous statement has been
made that my trip here was the result of
a mission. I am no visionary. My coming
at this particular time was merely the re
suit of one of those coincidences that some
times happen, but it was most natural for
me to come. Yesterday I received a delayed
letter from Charlton. containing a list of
names of persons to whom he wished me
to send announcements of his marriage to
my sister.
Clipping Led to Trip.
"In the evening, at the post, I went over
all the newspaper clippings regarding my
sister's death, and among them I found one
which stated that a man in some way re
sembling Charlton had boarded the Deutech
land. I then made up my mind that I
would come to New York and prosecute
the search myself. I asked my com
manding officer for leave to come to New
York, and he immediately granted me a
ten-day leave.
"Fort Wright, the post at which I am
serving, is on Fisher's Island, in the Sound,
just opposite New London. Conn. I deter
mined to start at once, but there was no
steamer that I could board to reach New
York. Still I was bound to get away, for
I felt that there were many things I would
want to do in New York before the D^utFch
land arrived. At last 1 got two of the
soldiers who had a small rowboat to take
me across. It was rather a risky journey
for so frail a craft, but we got through
all right. I slept at the station In New
London for two hours, and reached the
Grand Central Station in New York shortly
after 7 o'clock this morning.
"As soon as I struck the platform I called
up Police Headquarters. I was somewhat
disappointed to learn that Inspector Rus
sell would not reach there before 8:30, but
I got breakfast in the mean time, and when
the Inspector reached his office 1 was there.
Inspector Russell Informed me that he bad
only an Incomplete description of Charlton.
and no good photograph of the man.
•He also informed mo that the New York
police had no jurisdiction in Hoboken,
where the Deutschland would dock. I tele
phoned to Chief Hayes, of Hoboken, and
suggested that we should go down the har
bor to meet the ship, but he told me that
it would be useless, as he Is&d no authority
on board a foreign ship, and must wait un
til she docked.
City Detective to Help.
"Inspector Russell assigned Detective
George M. Ross, of his staff, to assist me
in my inquiries. Among the names of per
ons to whom Charlton had asked me to send
wedding announcements were two or three
men who had worked with him in the Na
tional City Ba.nk. With Detective Ross, I
went to the bank. There I got a minute
description of Charlton, his manner, his
accent and any other point that I could
think of that might be of use in identifying
him.
"Then I went over to Hoboken with De
tective Ross and he introduced me to Chief
Hayes. He came down with us and called
the three detectives, Garrick, Weinthal and
Fallon, who had been assigned to the case.
We discussed the matter for a moment,
•when one of them remarked: 'There is a
vessel that has just come in from Italy, and
we are standing around. In- case any one
answering the description should come off
her."
"I inquired about the description they
had, and found that It was as Incomplete
as the one we all had before I had seen the
people at the bank.
" 'Let us go down and look her over,' I
suggested. We went through two baggage
compartments, and when we came to the
third I saw a young man who in a gen
eral way answered the description I had
got. I had not had time to communicate
the description to the Hoboken detectives,
but Ross agreed with me. I went up to
the man and asked whether he was not
Porter Charlton. I had been warned at the
bank that he had lots of. nerve, and, al
though it was said that he feared consump
tion, that he appeared to be in good health.
"He denied that he was Charlton, and
said his name was Jack Coleman. When
asked his home he said: "Omaha."
That made me more suspicious, and I told
the detectives I believed we had come on
the right man, and that he was using the
name of some man he knew. Then I asked
him to write the name "Porter Charlton."
He did so, but purposely misspelled it and
wrote 'Carleton.'
I compared the writing with that in the
letter which I had received from him, and
found that there was a strong resemblance.
I had noticed him carefully and saw that
while he was answering the questions of
the customs inspector well enough there
was a trembling about his hands, and I
remarked to the officers that even if he
was not the man we wanted there was
evidently something the matter with him.
I went to the telephone and called up the
National City Bank, and asked them ques
tions, as I found^the man's hair was fairer
than I had expected and his eyes bluer. I
got little satisfaction, and when I asked
that they send some one who knew Charl
ton over to Hoboken got an unsatisfactory
reply.
Efforts to Identify Charlton.
"When I came back I learned that Ross
had been asking the man questions, and he
had told of having landed in Europe with
only $30 in his pockets. I knew that my
sister had received a large sum of money
Just before her death, so that confirmed my
suspicions. I asked to see his card, and
he said he had none. I asked to see his
watch. He pulled out the chain and showed
that his watch was gone. He told us he
had pawned it. Then we tried his shirt
studs, but there were no Initials there. I
looked at the suit cases he carried, but
there were no distinguishing marks.
"The- Hoboken detectives told the men
he must come to the office of the chief
with them. He did not make any loud pro
test, but asked in a quiet way: "Why,
what is all this about, anyhowf? Really,
this is a strange- proceeding. 1 do not un
derstand what you mean by all this."
; "When we reached the police office Chief
Hayes started In to question the man. I
told the chief about the letter I had
"Chief Hayes then said: 'Here, write your
name on this paper ' The man wrote out
'Porter Carleton.' I exclaimed: 'You did
not tell him to write that name, yet h* baa
written his name with only on« misspel
ling!" ,-;;::
"How. about that?" asked the chief.
"The fellow started and colored up, but
he replied: "Well. I thought you would
want me to write the same name as these
gentlemen mad©,, me write down there.*
; "I began going: through his baggage, and
in one of the bags found a tie which showed
that it had been purchased In Washing
ton. He winced, but still maintained that
there wu a mistake. 1 went on, and on
a piece of his linen I found a laundry tag
with the name "P. Charlton.* Then he
broke down and admitted his identity. I
then left the office and Chief Hayes secured
the confession Of the crime.
"The man never lost his nerve, even after
he admitted that he was Charlton and
that he had committed the murder. When
he was taken to court, I went along and
saw him make th© correction in his state
ment as coolly as If it were the most mat
ter-of-fact paper In the world.
"I am satisfied that I have done all that
lay in my power to avenge my sister's
death. I wanted to find the man and turn
him over to the law/ and then my task
would be finished. I never had any inten
tion of doing him any/violence, for I respect
the law of the, country that I am sworn to
defend and that of other countries.
"I have not communicated with th© Sec
retary of State since the arrest, but I did
communicate with him two. days ago, and
through him had instructions sent to Italy
to have my sister's body brought here. I
will have it laid in the family plot in Cy
press Hill Cemetery In Washington. "
MIV MAY NOT SEEK MM
Continued from first page.
United States, should not. If they take
refuge in their own country, be deliv
ered up by its authorities to the country
whose laws they have violated. A re
fusal to surrender them would result, in
the case of Americans committing a
crime in Italy, in an utter failure of
justice."
State Department officials, following
their usual course, refuse to discuss the
question of Charlton's extradition, and
Assistant Secretary Wilson declined to
discuss extradition at all. It remains a
question, therefore, whether Secretary
Knox would refuse to surrender Charl
ton. in view of the explicit utterances
by his predecessors.
On the other hand, much influence can
be brought to bear upon the State De
partment. Judge Charlton. father of the
prisoner, is a schoolmate of President
Taft and is a close friend of several
high officials of the State Department,
being law officer of the Insular Bureau.
He naturally would be expected to ex
ert his infl-uence to the utmost In behalf
of his son, especially as he would feel
that all the peculiar circumstances
which might be regarded as extenuating
features of the case might not be fully
brought out in the Italian courts, while
the expense of presenting an adequate
defence there would prove a heavy bur
den which neither father nor son Is in a
position to meet.
The usual course of action in cases of
this sort, involving extradition, is for
the consul of the country making the
demand &> file a complaint before the
extradition magistrate. The latter offi
cial then issues a warrant for the formal
arrest of the prisoner and submits the
complaint and the response to the State
Department for decision. If the cause
is held to be sufficient the order for
extradition is signed by the President.
The application for extradition may be
made by either a diplomatic or a con
sular representative.
Rome. June 23. — Just what action the
Italian authorities will take in connec
tion with the arrest of Porter Charlton
in Hoboken has not yet been determined.
It is believed, however, that Charlton's
extradition will be sought. An indica
tion of the government's attitude is
found in tne request which the govern
ment made a few days ago to the British
authorities for the issuance of a warrant
for the arrest of Charlton, who was then
thought to be hiding in England.
Extradition in such cases is covered
by the convention between the United
States and Italy concluded in 1868, and
and additional convention concluded in
1884. Charlton's confession gives the
matter a new aspect, as the confession
of criminals had not been taken into
consideration in these conventions.
The fact, too, that Charlton's arrest
occurred in his own country may delay
action on the part of the Italian au
thorities until the views of the Ameri
can authorities have been learned. What
ever the government intends to do must
be done within forty days, as article 2 of
the convention of 1884 says that if for
mal demand for extradition is not made
Within forty days from the arrest the
prisoner may be released.
JAPANESE CABINET CRISIS
Prince Yamagata and Marquis Ratsura
Disagree on Naval Policy.
Victoria, B. C, June 23.— News was
brought from Tokio by the steamer Tambu
Maru that a crisis is impending in the
Japanese Cabinet over a dispute between
Prince Yamagata, head of the military
party, and the Premier, Marquis Katsura,
with regard to the Premier's proposed pol
icy for naval enlargement. This question
will overshadow all others at the next ses
sion of the Diet.
A law. will shortly be promulgated by the
Japanese government regarding the prop
erty of the Emperor and imperial house
hold, the aggregate value of which is given
as J250,000,000. It includes many thousands
of shares in steamship companies, banks.
etc. In the feudal days of less than hair
a century ago the imperial income was a
hundred thousand koku (about half a mill
ion bushels) of rice.
HE LASSOED A STEADY JOB
Cowboy-Policeman Captures Mad Dog
and Saves Child.
[By Telegraph to Th« Tribune.
Pittsburg, June 23.— With a lasso Charles
Ross, a substitute policeman, roped a sure
Job yesterday by getting a mad dog and at
the same time probably saved the life of
Fred Bloom, a six-year-old child, who was
being chased by the animal.
Roes, who was formerly a Western cow
boy, was carrying his old lasso down the
street to give to a friend who , was going
to Arizona, when he saw the child run
ning,-pursued by the dog. He lassoed the
dog tied it to a post and shot it to death.
To-day he received his appointment as a
regular policeman
WOULD DISFRANCHISE NEGROES
Governor Haskell Calls Special Election
on " ' Grandfather Clause. ' '
Oklahoma City. Okla., June 23.- r Governor
Haskell issued a proclamation to-day call
ing a special election for August 2 to vote
on the "grandfather clause" constitutional
amendment, which, his opponents say, will
disfranchise the negro.
IMMIGRANTS IN QUARANTINE
Berlin, June 23.— The Ru.sslan workman
who was 111 at the Immigrant station at
Ttuhleben died from choWa to-day.
All Of tin- immigrantK now at th-» station.
rri'iHt of whom are t.oiind for America, will
remain In (juaraminf pern-ling the comple
tion of aJi official bacteriological examina
tion.
THE NATIONAL GUARD AND
There has been so much objection to the
ordering of the National Guard to parade in New
York City on July 4, that The Tribune publishes
the coupon below in order to give that opposition
a free channel of expression.
If you are not in favor of making the National
Guard parade, sign the coupon and send or mail
to The New- York Tribune, New York City.
(You need not be a guardsman to sign this coupon.)
I respectfully petition Governor Hughes to rescind the
order for the National Guard to participate in the parade
in New York City on July 4.
(Signed) Name
Address
If the response shows that there is strong and substantial opposition
to the proposed National Guard parade, that fact, with the coupons, will be
communicated to Governor Hughes by The New- York Tribune.
CRIME MYSTERY A! FIRST
Consul General at Milan Thought
Charlton, Too, Was Victim.
WIDE SEARCH FOR HIM
Italian Authorities Convinced
That Her Husband Could
Explain the Case.
The news came by cable on June 11 that
on the preceding day fishermen in Lake
Como, near the village of Moltrasio, in
Italy, hart pulled up a trunk containing the
body of a woman believed to be Mrs. Por
ter Charlton. It was ascertained by letters
found in the trunk tha.t Mrs. Charlton was
Mary Crlttenden Scott, daughter of H. H.
Scott, of San Francisco, and former wife
of Neville H. Castle, now United States
Attorney at Nome, Alaska, whom she mar
ried in 1897 and divorced in February of
this year, a month before her marriage, at
Wilmington, Del., to Porter Charlton. a
clerk in the National City Bank. New York,
and son of Paul Charlton, of Omaha, a
former classmate of President Taft. now
law officer of the Bureau of Insular Af
fairs at Washington.
Examination showed that the woman had
been struck seven times with some blunt
instrument and put into the trunk before she
waa dead. Porter Charlton, the woman's
husband, had disappeared, and it was
thought for a time that he, too. had been
murdered. Charles Caughy, Consul General
for the United States at Milan, thirty
miles away, shared this view, and at his
request the authorities of Cernobbio. the
nearest town, had divers search the lake,
but the detectives maintained throughout
that the husband had disappeared.
John A. Irishman, American Ambassador
to Italy, took a deep Interest in the case on
account of the official position of the father
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THE FOURTH
of young Charlton. and prosecuted the
pparch for h!s body.
Mm Charlton, or Mr*. Ca«tle, as she
was then, achieved considerable publicity
when she attempted to shoot William B.
Craig, a lawyer of this city, at the Waldorf.
He was paved by a fountain pen which he
carried, and when Mrs. Castle's brother.
Captain H«*nry H. Scott, came from A'a
bama, where he was th«n stationed, to >"e!p
his sister In her troubl* Craig withdrew
his complaint on tne frround that the
woman had been overwrought through
troubles she- had experienced in her career
as an actress since leaving her husband in
San Francisco, and was. therefore, not re
sponsible for her act.
Couple Had Many Quarrels.
Count Gugtia, the King's procurator for
Lombard;.-, took up the investigation of the
crime, and it was soon established that the
Charltons had been in the habit of quarrel
lintr frequently. They had stayed for some
days at the Hotel Sulsse. in Cernobbio.
and the guests had complained that they
were kept a*ak» at night by the quarrels.
Finally, when about 3 o'clock one momJng
the woman Bhrl^ked an<l awoke the who!©
house, the innkeeper went to their apart
ments, and. finding that the woman had
taken refuge In a cupboard to escape from
her husband, ordered the two from the
house.
About that time a Russian named Con
stantlne Spolatoff. who was a weM known
flsnire about the Swiss-Italian frontier, had
offered the Charltons a villa at Moltraaio,
and when they were ejected from the hotel
they took up their quarters at the villa.
Spolatoff was arrested at Roggiano. and
said he had been a mere acquaintance of
the Ciarltons. and that Charlton was pres
ent each time he had called at their villa.
He added that Chariton was intensely jeal
ous of his wife, and treated her cruelly.
but he could not tell whether It was on
account of something that had happened
In the past or because of some recent hap
pening.
Various reports of Charlton's where
abouts were received as the investigation
went on. It was shown that on June 3 he
had trone to a hotel where he and his wife
had dined a coupl<» of times previously, and
I ordered a bottle of brandy. saying that ha
wife was ill and that she had be« hiV't
to come. He disappeared from the villa*
Moltrasio on Jun-. 7. It was leaned that
he had crossed the lake to Switzerfcai kI
taken a train for Lucerne, but hi* no*
ments after that remained a mystery ij
was on a report that he had been ma ia
' London and had gone to Southampton tftat
: the expectation that he would r'afii azo,
i lea on the Deut3chland ivas founlcd.
i In the process of his Inquiry Coo::
GuKlia discovered some startling ertJeacj
; with regard to the conduct of the Ammiaa
I couple. They had spent three dijs a
Venice, it appears, and rrgiMaq as
: brother and sister. They appeared to
spend most of the day- sleeping, aBM
| forth at night without the aid of hotel
couriers and spent the night outside.
Peasants and other resident of the
neighborhood of the villa at Moltntio toll
still ' stranger tales of their actions. A
peasant who lives near Como and peddles
faggots told the procurator that he bad
seen the young American and his -m\l»
acting as if they were mad.
"As I drove my donkey through th? raw
vines, la front of their house," said til*
faggot vender, "they danced on tte lit*
plot of grass before the veranda, and tft*
were doing the dance of the devils.**
"When pressed to be more explicit tlw
peasant said: "The young American. «s»
was thin and sick, and the large womaa
though she was not so large either— •*<&
nearly naked, .and they warp roUfngr oatii
grass. ■■ They would roll ' on the .grcaaf
and then they would shout and stag. "■
were not drunk. I know how dntftaa
people act, but these were not drank." J
Th© investigators were convinced tint $»
person alone could cot have moved £»
trunk with the body of the woman in It."
!t would have weighed more than one fmt
dred and fifty pounds. and as CharHon mt
described as a rather weak man, they could
not think that he had made away with ti»
body by himself, though they tenacKnsJ
clung to the theory that he was still att*
and orders were sent out for his arrest
Charlton explained his ability to nsr«
the trunk by paying yesterday that i: ■*• j
fitted with little wheels, rr.aklng it esW |
for him to drag it to the lake.