The sun., 1910-06-11
BODY IN A TUUNKW LAKECONO
WRS. PORTERCHARLTON BEATEN
TO DEATH ~ NAN.
Bier Husband Missing Russian Arrested
stories sf Cruelty: Letters of Love
WOman's career Here and IN san
FraRslsrO shSt Gratis a. waldorf.


FraRslsrS shOt Gratis ~ waldorf.
Special Csh's Dsipaish 70 Tue SuN.
MILAN. June TO- The police are search
ing Lombardy and all northern Italy for
the murderer Of an American woman
whose body stuffed into a trunk. was
found by fishermen yesterday in q little
hay of Lake Como. near the village Of
Moltrasio, a short distance from Como
and about thirty miles from this city.
The authorities of Cernobbio. the near
est town Of consequence to the scene ~
the murder. have Ascertained that the
dead woman was Mrs. Porter Charlton
and that she had been living with her
husband in the villa MOltrasio. which
had been let 10 them by q Russian gensls-
man whom they met casually.
The polioe also discovered after al
examination Of letters and papers fouad
in the abandoned villa that Mrs. Charl-
ton before her last marriage was Mrs.
Mary Scott Castle Of well known sIa
Francisco family Porter Charlton has
disappeared. but Constantine spolatOa.
the Russian who rented the villa. Was
arrested this afternoon at ROGgiano.
Il was early yesterday morning whsn
the attention of the Cernobbio poRcs
was directed 20 this mysterious crime.
Fshermen At Moltrasio had gone out
on the lake TO cast their lines. Their
hooks presently became fast in a large
object which resisted stubbornly After
some effort they managed 10 draw tbs
object TO the surface. They saw that Il
was a trunk. and with considerable dif-
fculty they rowed to the shore. towing
the trunk behind their boat.
After beaching II the men ripped tho
cover of with their knives. hoping to
find something Of value. What they saw
was the body Of q woman. The body had
been wrapped in q sheet and jAmmed into
the trunk 80 tightly that the head rested
between the knees
The fishermen were greatly frightened
and lost no time in running 10 Moltrasio
and acquaintinR the authorities. The
news was despatched 10 CernObbio and
detectives Of the criminal branch ar
rived swiftly
Beginning their investigation thsv
found that the trunk had been wei Ehted
down with stones boulders Of the kind
common along the beaches Of the lake.
The lake AZ the place Of discovery IL
comparatively shallow and Il was not
remarkable that the hsh hooks had
caught and held in the trunk.
The white sheet which was wrapped
around the body bOre in one corner ths
initials %. L. An examination Of the
body disclosed that the woman had been
perhaps IS years old and good looking
Her hair was dark brown. her eyes blue
gray. She was about feet q or inches
tall and Of a handsome figure. The head
and upper part Of the body were covered
with clotted blood Il was evident that
she had been beaten TO death with . club
or an iron bar. The back Of her skull was
crushed and her arms and shoulders dis
played the marks Of savage abuss.
The body was fully dressed. The outer
clothing was black and of good quality.
There was wedding ring on the finger.
The inside Of this bore the initials -P. c.
Il was the opinion Of the police that ths
woman had been dead only a short time
and that the trunk had been sunk in the
lake within a few hours Of the time that Il
was dragged 10 the surface by the fisher
men.
A package of letters. some of which
we're signed IN. W. Castle and which
had been posted at San Jose. Cal, and
two prayer books were also found in
the TRUNK. The police 90 far keep secret
the contents Of the letters. giving out
only the information that N. W. Castle
had been. IL seemed. an intimate fFisad
of the dead woman's. and that tho letters
we're dated between 1904 and 1900. In,
the trunk. too. was the photograph Of .
man. perhaps 2s years Of age.
Pursuing their Investigation the polIoa.
gathered up clues which led speedily TO
the hunt for Porter Charlton and the
Russian who gave his name a. Constantine
SpOlaton. The proprietor Of tho Hotsl
Suisse on Lake Como, the keeper Of the
apothecary's shop at Cernobbio. boatmen
on the vest bank Of Lake Como and the
inhabitants Of several Villages in tho
neighbOrhOOd we're able 70 supply in-
formation Of value
The innkesper said that a couple who
called themselves Mr.. and Mrs. Porter
arrived az the Hotel Suisse several Wsshs
ago. He described the Mrs. Porter and
his description fitted that Of the dead
woman. He volunteered the opinion
that the pair quaFrslled frequently Ne
heard tho woman crying often late IN the
night. He found that the man Who called
himself Porter treated her cruelty.
The guests Of the hotel complained
that they were disturbed by the woman's
outcriss. One morning very early the
proprietor was aroused BY shrielu He
found that the woman had hidden In .
cupboard. hoping 70 escape her husband,
lpIt that me husband had found her and
was dragging her 10 the street. The
innkesper said be Was obliged then Tor
the reputation Of his hotel 10 order them
ont
They knew where 20 60. apparently.
without inquiry. On this point the
apOtheosFy Of CeFnObbiO Was of uss.
He said that Mr.. and Mrs. Porter Charlton
-as he had heard tho names-had met
ia hls shop an affabls Russian. and that
after some conversation tho Russian had
offered them his villa a. Moltraaio when