The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-06-12
..,.v Shows That Woman was Not
Dead when she was Trown
into Lake Imprisoned
In Trunk.
sREwsoME RoR
D,ob,bIy Revived by the Water and
Then Died In FrtghtfuI Struggle
to Free Herself from
Prison.

/
COMO, Italy, June 11.--The Italian
,olice and the Rome detectives to-
nirbt announced that they suspect
Porter Charlton, the young Washing
touIan. of the murder Of his wife,
Nrs Mary Scott Caste Charlton,
whose body was found in trunk in
tbe waters of Lake Como yesterday.
They declared that they suspected
furtber that Constantine Ispolatoff,
| III Russian, from whom Charlton
rented the villa at Moltrasio, assisted
| Tie youthful husband both in the mur-s
asr and in disposing OF the body.
This announcement explains the
holding Of Ispolatoff against whom no
charge has yet formally been made.
The search for Charlton centered to-
night in, England, whittier he is
thought to have fed Immediately after
the murder, though the lake is still
being dragged in the remote possibili-
ty that Charlton, too. was slain and
bis body secreted in manner similar
to that in which the woman's body
was hidden. They admit that they
do not believe Charlton was murder
ed but they want to take no chance.
The police say that peasants living
on the banks Of the lake have reported
that few days ago Ispolatoff ap-
preached them and asked to learn ext
sctly the location OF the deepest spot
h the lake. The natives pointed out
the spot where later one of the fisher
mems graphing hooks dragged the
trunk to the surface.
There are numerous queer circum-
stances surrounding the mur6 ar. The
police found blood stains on the mat
resses, linen and towels in the Fttle
villa occupied by the Charltons, indi-
eating t at perhaps two persons were
slain there, or that desperate strug-
/ gle occurred before Mrs. Charlton
was rendered unconscious. If only
one murder was comitted, the police
believe Mrs. Charlton fought with de.
monical strength, and She verify in
1ured her assailant, for the blood
stains were too large and too many
in number to have come from one
person. The autopsy today on Mrs
charlton's body lasted three hours
and the physicians who performed it
declare that they never saw evidences
Of "a more inhuman crime. The woman
vas alive when dumped into the trunk
and then thrown into the lake.
Her death was due to strangulation
iufocation and drowning. Her tongue
vas bitten in two. indicating ghast
death struggle, when alive and con
scous, but coffined in the little trunk
she was hurled into the water. Hel
ace and head had been mercilessly
Oattered with some heavy instrument
out these injuries were not sufficien1
70 produce death The woman, uncon
Slous, was jammed into the trunk
ne water probably revived her, ant
she made frightful attempt to es
cape, beating her head and fists
aglnst the sides of Ter prison.
on her body were certain physica
sonormalitles. which the police have
reused to disclose. but which indi
Gated to the physicians that the crime
was committed by person of dis
eased mind. They lay particular stres
upon these conditions and beliey
ney will go long way toward fasten
ing the murder upon the slayer ono
ne Is caught.
Inc fact that the body and its er
sosing trunk weighed only about 13
poands indicates that the weight ha
oeen carried from the villa to tn
"a'er by one man, for the distance
s-ort and there is a decided slop
nom the terrace to the waters edge
!. ! is this fact that is causing the COZ
.,nued search Of the lake, for thoug
ene police belive Charlton slew hi
we. they admit that there is poss
0nity that Ispolatoff killed both an
secreted Charlton's body, as well a
'Oat Of his wife.
me fact, however. that Charlie
vas powerful athlete and forme
uenper of the track team of the Tn
,,,efslty OF Pennsylvania. indicated
,a re minds of some OF the detective
~, ,aat ne alone carried the trunk to tf
,a aAe and threw 1t in, though they b'
sse ispolatoff knew OF the crime an
aad hand in it.
The Best Medicine.