The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-06-30
LEGAL FIGHT FOR
CHARLTON BEGINS
Italy Has Decided TO Demand Re-
turn Of Slayer.
SECRETARY KNOX TO DECIDE
Lawyers for Prisoner VIII Use Every
Device to Prevent His Extradl-
tlon--Hearlng at Jersey City
TODAY

Jersey City, June 28.-Special: Por-
ter Charlton, the confessed murderer
of his wife, was arraigned before
Judge Blair and sent to the county
jail until July 8. No effort will be
made to secure his release and it is
thought writ of habeas corpus will
be secured before that date.
New York, June 2S--The interna.
tional legal battle over the custody OF
Porter Charlton, the youth who killed
his wife at Lake Como, Italy, began
today before Judge Blair in the court
Of Oyer and Termfner in Jersey City.
There was present representatives
of the United States and Of Italy,
counsel for the Misunderstanding pris.
oner and insanity experts engaged in
his behalf and counsel for Capt Henry
Harrison Scott, brother of the slain
woman. All are expected to take q
hand in the proceedings.
Hearing Is Not Final.
Nothing particularly final can be
done at this hearing, but it may show
the one important thing that has been
so far secret, whether or not the
United States feels inclined to sur,
render the boy to Italy after Italy
has persistently refused to give up
its criminals who have broken the
laws of this couAtry.
I'VE do not know whether or not
Italy will ask for Porter's extradition
Of thio rroi1,r ,ant ., eta u uslo,,l
Clarke, young Charlton's lawyer, and
Judge Charlton, his father, "but Il
they do we will fight It in every pos
sible manner. We expect to be able
to prevent Italy from carrying this
poor boy to one of its dungeons. The
fight will be made first on the lega,
grounds that the United States
doesn't have to give up its citizens
as long as Italy won't give up its sub
jects, Then If that fails, we will
argue that he is insane and cannot be
tried in any country on that account
The matter will be carried up to the
secretary of state himself, who has
the final decision in such matters"
Prisoner to Be Transferred.
The first proceeding win probably
be the transferring of young Charlton
from the custody of the state of New
Jersey to that of the United States
Pierre Garyen, the prosecutor of Jer
sey City, received word from Wash
ington that the government would re
quest this transferral This message
followed the receipt of news from
Rome that the Italian government had
decided to demand the return of the
slayer to the place where he killed his
wife. The transferral, however, will
be a mere technicality, as Charlton
will remain in the Jersey City jail
Only his board will be paid by Uncle
Sam instead OF by the state across
the river.
The whole hearing, however, is
merely to decide whether or not
Charlton should. be held for sixty
days more as fugitive from Italian
Justice.
Italy Asks for Extradition.
Rome. June 2S.-The foreign ONCE
has decided to follow the provisions OF
the Italian-American extradition con.
vention and to ask for. the extradition
OF Porter Charlton. leaving It with
the American authorities to accept or
reject the request.
With this decision the Lake Como
murder case enters the realm OF diplo-
macy and the outcome of the ex.
changes between Rome and Washing.
ton viii be followed with an interest
outside that attaching to the murder
Of Mrs, Charlton. AS soon as It was
known here that the confessed slayer
was under arrest in the United States
the ministry Of Justice recognized the
unusual situation In which the Italian
authorities were placed and referred
the question to the foreign office.