Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-14
COMO MURDER CLUE
Another Woman Figures in
Charlton Tragedy.
SEEK ELFREDA DURCHSEN
Police Learn of Angry Words Be-
tween Her and American.
HAMBURG POLICE NOTIFIED
She Saw Trunk Fished From Lake
and isappeared-Hand-
cart Is Found.
POLICE NOTIFIED

COMO Italy. June 1t-A report as
received by the Milan police last night,
which was communicated to the author
tiles here. that a man disguised as a
priest. who. it is thought might be
Charlton. was seen making his way
across the Swiss frontier
The search of the lake was continued
today. The police are still convinced
that it would have been impossible for
Charlton to make his way out of the
country unobserved.
Charles W. Caughy, the American con-
sui at Milan. still clngs to the belief that
Charlton met the same fate as did his
wife. Mr.. Claughy is actively engaged
in furthering the investigation.
Strange Woman Seen About.
The mystery deepens. 1t is conceded
that Mrs. Mary Castle Charlton was
killed on the night of June 6. Now,
on the afternoon of that day her hus-
band, Porter Charlton, and the Russian,
Constantine 1spolatoff, were seen togeth-
er on the lake shore near Moltrasio in
angry dispute with woman who was not
Mrs. Charlton.
Who was this strange woman?
lac police believe she will he found.
They know she arrived in the lake dis
trict at the same time as the Charltons
and that she registered at a hotel in
Moitrasio as ELreda Durchsen. aged
thrty-one, from Hamburg.
On the day the trunk with its grue-
some contents was fished up she was
the first person on the strand. She
viewed the CHASTITY find and fled when
she saw the police approaching.
The next day this strange woman was
seen in Cerobba. She ate and drank in a
restaurant and asked:
Has the assassin been arrest ed?'
When informed of the Russians ar
rest she showed CONSERVATION. left alb
rupty and has not been seen since.
The Hamburg police have been asked
to find out all they can concerning Ell
freda Durchsen.
Since Porter Charlton told his parents
he was going to take position in a bank
in Hamburg they are now interviewing
all those who knew the Americans.
Story Told by Hotel Porter.
Here are several new and strange facts:
The Chartons took the Villa Legnazzi.
at Moltrasio, early in May Two weeks
later they appeared at the Hotel Suisse,
Como May II there was violent scene
in the hotel.
The porter tells how he broke into
their room at . o'clock in the morning
Charlton was shrieking and cursing. The
woman, who had been severely beaten,
crouched hunched up and silent in
corner
Charlton was turned out and the wom-
an followed at his heels. Then they van
ished into the night.
Sunday night. June D. Mrs. Charlton
was last seen alive. This was al a. lit
tie restaurant kept by man called
Caramazzi, on the hill above the villa.
The husband and wife arrived about
$50. He was dressed in Scotch tweeds,
which seemed to be the only suit of
clothes he possessed. She wore a black
gown and no hat, but had a thick
veil and a silk cape.
They slipped in at a side door in order
to escape the notice of some people on
the terrace. Their meal was simple said
the landlord, and. contrary to their usual
custom, they drank only one bottle of
native champagne. At 1870 they paid
the reckoning and left, taking the road
to the villa.
Four days later a fisherman of Sarate
Lario dragged up from the lake a trunk
port of the autopsy shows that she was
beaten to death with a carpenters mall
let and was dead when sunk in the lake.
OASSONCAy VI AAoAOSoAI.
How was the heavy trunk removed?
At first the police suspected some strong
armed person, until they discovered a
handcart in a disused shed back of the
villa.
In the shed also they found number
OF carpenters tools. They also found that
the stone wherein the trunk was weighted
had been taken from the stone wall Of
lane leading from back of the villa to
the lake.
And the motive?
The police have put together a number
of fragments of paper found in a trunk
in the villa. These form letters written
by Mrs. Charlton to her first husband,
Neville Castle. These letters are full of
protests Of love. alteration and passion.
The most curious figure in this tragic
drama is the little Russian--the reports
about his stalwart figure are wrong-who
was formerly the Russian postmaster in
Shanghai. China. Ispoatoff is implicated
because he was the only acquaintance in
Como of the Charltons.
The police have seized a letter written