Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-24

the best woman in the world to me, but
she had an ungovernable temper, and SO
had I. We frequently quarreled over the
most trifiing matters. Her language to
me was very foul-language that L know
she did not know the meaning Of
1.-The night 1 struck her she mad been
ouarreling with me. 1t was the worst
temper 1 ever saw her In. / told her il
it did not cease l would put stop to It,
She quit for a while and afteTward re-
newed her abuse of me. / was dazed;
I struck her with sort OF maliet that I
had been using to Strengthen the leg OK
a couch we had been using.
IT struck her two or three times ana
thought she was dead. then placed her
body in the trunk and threw the maliet
removed the trunk from the house and
dragged it down to a small pier near
the house and threw it overheard.
IT remained at Moltrasio the next day
and left there the following night. went
to Como and from there to Genoa. where
took the steamer Princess Irene about
four days later. The room where l killed
her was sort OF an outdoor sleeping
apartment.
,atOff has been implicated in this matter.
BIT. l wish to say thai he is guiltless. |
have no defense TO make and do not wish
one. PORTER CHARLTON.
Tells His Story of Tragedy.
After he had made his confession and
had been locked up Charlton consented
to make statement He insisted thai
he did not remember what day 1t was on
which he killed his wife
Eliminating the series of questions
which were necessary TO draw out from
Charlton any of the story OF his married
life and his crime. Charlton's narrative
ran:
Mrs. Charlton and I sailed for Italy
on the steamer Due dAosta April l6.
We had been living at the Woodward,
on a5th street, after our marriage. which
took place in Wilmington. Del, March II.
II do not wish TO discuss the relations
between Mrs. Charlton and myself be-
fore our marriage. i met and fell in love
with her True. she was somewhat old
err than I-several years, in fact-but that
made no difference. She charmed me,
and we were very, very happy in New
York and when We sailed.
AS Happy as Cooling Doves.
I'VE landed at Genoa some ten days
after leaving New York. and stayed there
three days. I think 1 can say We were
as happy as two cooling doves during
those days, and our honeymoon was one
round of pleasure. / did not have much
money, but Mrs. Charlton had quite a
little, and on that we lived, it being her
desire that We spend what she had on
our honeymoon.
I'VE had heard SO much of Lake Como
and read so much of its wonderful charms
and glorious scenery. that we decided to
go there 1t is not far from Genoa, and
We found delightful hotel at ComO-the
Hotel Suisse, / think they called 1t. But
hotel life was not what We We're looking
| for.
we found a cottage. pretty, powered
| place. but stones throw from the
| shores of the lake. We rented it at a
ridiculously small price. so small
| wouldn't even mention it. And there We
| lived together for few weeks in the
highest honeymoon bliss.
I'VE had quarrels-many ofthem. She
was high strung and nervous, and / have
| q Quarrelsome disposition, too. But we
always got over our squabbles and made
I'D and kissed and became all the better
| lovers afterward Mrs. Charlton was a
| peculiar woman, full of nervous energy
| and demanding the most assiduous atten-
! ton.
excess. l have never drunk much. and
! she was not inclined that way. OF
| course we had wines with our meals
| and so on. But what ! mean is that we
| were not dissipating or carousing.
Quarrels Bitter, Reconciliations
| Sometimes our quarrels were bitter
but our reconciliations were equally
sweet. Then she seemed to get much
excited, and toward the end we were
| ouarreiing at every moment. But we
| would flare up and settle down again, and
flare up again.
Nevertheless, I was happy. very happy
In spite OF it all. l can look back now
and say that we were strangely happy
notwithstanding our spats and squabble
1T had been my intention to look for
some employment in Genoa in the bank
ing business, and / had often spoken to
her about this. Banking is the only