The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-09-22
CHARL 7 ON
is INSANE
Alienists Class the Wife
Murderer as a Menace
to Society

New York. Sept 22-The report of
the alionists who examined Porter
Charlston. self-confessed murdered of
his wife q. Lake Como. italy. last
June, has been made public at Jersey
City. where Charlton is confined.
Judge Blair, of the Hudson county
court, declined Yesterday To receive
the report on the ground that he had
TO consider such a plea.
The Glicnis-S who examined the
prisoner were Or Allan McLane Ham
ilton. DR.. Edward ID. Fisher and Dr.
w. J. ATklItz.
They declare that Charlton is "of
deprayed mental organization and is
a victim Of what is known 10 students
Of mental diseases as constitutional
lnferiority."
The alienists investigated the per-
sonal aDtecedeutS OF the prisoner
and found that his grandfather was n
paranoiac. that FIRST cousin was an
epileptic and that a maternal uncle
was q man of stubborn and brutal
nature and eccentric, immoral and
vagaband tendencies"
\ younger brother accidentally shot
and killed a playmate, but showed
no subsequent remorse. On one oc'
casion Charlton raised chair 10
strike his mother and on another
vented his blind rage on a horse
He vas fanciful. wrote verse and
was delicate and 10 a degree senti'
mental the report finds.
Almost from the time of his meet
in uyIt Urffa hA t9E
Charlton underwent change He
became greatly detached, aloof, iDdif
ferent and al times insolent. On the
day OF the murder IT appears that
Charlton kept his temper mp To Ger
tain point. when suddenly he seized 3
mallel After tho killing he immed
lately laid down near the body and
slept until the neXi morning. He
does not seem 10 have been agitated
or worried Placing the corpse In an
empty trunk. he slept most OF the day
in their bedroom. near the trunk and
afterward left tho place. He made nc
serious attempt TO destroy the evl
dence OF his crime IS attempts al
couceallug his identity were silly
Whom =lirsS seen 81 the jail he vas
very emotional His facial muscles
were The sent Of ierky trenors anc
his actions were exceedingly nervous
There were also coorser tremors oi
his hands and tongue When refer
ence was made 20 the dead woman
his face contracted in Spasm. his eye
balls being drawn upward so that only
the whites were observed There Is
no doubt that ne has had hallucina
L.. oT a
various times,
''He feels no -emorse or fear OF the
law. nor does he seem TO be sensible
TO the danger of his position. All his
discussions Of I. are abstract and he
cannot be aroused to the Nervousness
of what he has done,
His physical condition reveals lii
tie or nothing but hysterIcal stigmata
His color sense IS CONSTRUCTED His
deep reflexcs arc exaggerated.
TT Is our opinion that he is OF un-
sound mind and liable TO attacks OF
impulsiNe violence and that his moral
sense is Dathologically deDTaved The
The murder of June i and his Subse-
quent behavior incliDes us TO tIink
that he suffered from an exhaustive
psychosis due 10 eNceSses and In n
way the explosion was preceded by
an aura His long sleep by the side
OF The body has impressed p least
one OF us wiab the idea tha' tho act
was performed as the result OF an
epileptlc form, seizure during wIich
he was not responsible
"Je should be taien 10 a hospital
for the insane snd there kept in
definitely. fo7 be * liEelv AZ any time
10 be a menace 10 socie ty.