The Detroit times., 1910-06-13
HOMAN's MURDER
STILL bAFFLES
OFFICERS
Lake Como Il Dragged for BODY Of
Porter Charlton, Husband Of Vic
tim, on Theory That He, Too,
Was Slain.
Police Fail To Break Down story
Of Russian Who Is Held a.
Suspect in Case.

COMO. Italy, June 13.-Convinced
that there can be little progress made
In unraveling the mystery OF the muI-
der of Mrs. Mary Scott Castle-Charl-
ton, until the part alleged TO have
been played In the crime by Porter
Charlton, the missing husband, Is de-
termined. the police today began a
second dragging OF Lake Como. and
started also, to dig up the ground
around the villa Legnazzi, near Mol
trasio which the Charltons occupied,
The lake Is being dragged In the be-
lief that IL Charlton. too. was muir
dered. his body was probably thrown
into the lake as was that of his wife.
Not In years has there been a MUIR
der in Italy In which the police were
so divided In their views as In the
Charlton crime. This difference or
opinion II likely to work against an
early solution OF the mystery. Half
the police believed that Charlton Is
responsible for his wife's death and
that he has fed Italy. The other half
believe Charlton met the same fate as
his wife and that Constantine Ispola-
the key TO the murder.
The Como chief OF police and United
States Consul Caughey. at Milan, are
arm In the belief that Charlton was
murdered. The chief OF police says
that all stories Of Charlton having
been seen after the murder of his wife
are either cases of mistaken identity
or . deliberate plot to mislead the au-
thorities. The latest OF these stories
- that the Swiss police traced Charl-
ton to Luxerne where he Is said TO
Rave arrived on Saturday. and there
lost all track OF him. II Charlton
reached Luzerne on Saturday. il is
conceded that he probably has made
good his escape. The police are con-
fused by the reports that reached
headquarters today from Italian and
other European cities that men an
swering Charlton's description have
been seen In these cities.
Ispolatoff IL proving one OF the craft
lest prisoners ever questioned by The
emit In Milan and Rome have tried 20
break down his story that the last he
saw OF the Charltons was on Saturday,
June 1, at least day before the muir
der was committed, but has failed
entirely.
The statement by M. Bassi, drug
gist OF Cernobbio, that he lent a pair
Of brass knuckles to Ispolaton, was OF
pected to bring startling develop
ments. but the prisoner refused to
show any embarrassment when con.
fronted with this bit of evidence and
calmly insisted that Bassi was mis-
taken.
The police have not yet abandoned
the idea that there may be connec-
tion between the Charlton murder and
the murder Of Miss Estelle Reid. the
New York girl whose body was washed
ashore at Naples several weeks ago.
The most generally accepted theory
among those who believe IspolatofY
murdered both Mrs. Charlton and her
husband IL that the Russian smuggler
and adventurer committed the crime
for the purpose OF robbery. The only
thing In support OF this is the fact
that all the jewelry and other valu-
ables in the Charlton villa were
missing.
Ispolatoff laughed at the story that
he was In love with Mrs. Charlton.
II saw enough of the married life
OF the Charltons to make II impossible
for me to care for Mrs. Charlton" he
said today. Charlton told me GER
tain things about his wife which. n
true, might have preyed upon his
mind and finally led him to kill the
woman"
The police refused to make public
the alleged accusation that Charlton
made against his wife.