The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-27
A COMMON CRIMINAL.

1t is TO be hoped that in the case of Porter
Charlton the United States Government will not
lend itself to the purpose Of strange and sickly
sentimentality. Charlton committed one Of the
most obvious of crimes of passion. Married to
woman of unsayory past, many years his
senior; supported upon money settled upon her
10y former husband to hush the scandal of court
proceedings; lost to all the ordinary instincts of
,deccncy, and even of nature, Charlton, accord
ing to his own confession, Knocked in the head
and afterwards sunk in lake the woman who
had purchased him a plaything clearly
at if he had been woolly dog decked out with
blue ribbons and bell
Of course, it is now claimed that Charlton is
insane, and there is much ado about his extra
dltion. The Department of State is hemmfng
and having. International wires are strummng
over elaborate diplomatic and legal questions
One of the most common specimens Of common
Imurderers has been made the issue about which
hangs the establishment of great presidents.
How foolish all this is, and how disgusting
Charlton is an American. So was Mrs. Mary
Scott-C Charlton. America had happily got
ten rid Of them both, when one degenerate I'M
dcrtook to kill another. Perhaps for the reason
, that the two of them entirely worthless, the
world fit to make front-page sensation of
a squalid crime Perhaps for this very same
!. reason the justly celebrated brand of Knox di-
, plomacv IS now working over time. 1t actually
appears that, because he succeeded in reaching
. tins country before he was caught, there Is a
, chance that Charlton may not be called upon to
answer for his crime. Since the murder was
committed III Italy, the courts of this country
can have no jurisdiction. Since the woman kill
ed was m American and the murderer was a
foreigner who Is now safely out of the country,
Italy is only incidentally concerned. The
anomalous condition therefore exists of man
, confcssedly guilty OF a high crime against so
ciety standing bctwixt and between laws, guilty
but hoping to 60 unwhipped of justice.
1t would he in every sense regrcttable if red
tape should be employed in this case to set a
precedent repugnant to every instinct of society
, for It's preservation. Italy was the threatrc
{ of Charlton's crime. Dencency and civilization
demand that he be tried in the forum of his own
selection. His alleged insanity is not properly
matter for determination in this country, which
has no interest in his case. That II defense
which he may interpose in Italy It should be
determined by the courts and in pursuance OF
the laws Of the country of which his crime was
: in contempt. To force any other course would
be for the American Nation to enter officially
into the emotions which sway those morbid
women who fiji the cells of murderers' row with
flowers.
Nothing is more pervering to The moral sense
Iof humanity than to make crime disfinGle
Nothing tends better to promote crime and to
dirty the hands of life in blood Imitation is in
no phase of ife more marked than in the dupli-
cation of crimes of passion in which the principal
is made hero Already Charltonis common
crime has been made the piece de resistance of
world news. II j, tainted diet. 10 now flavor
the offering with queer immunity of neglect
would be to give the world an example which
would be costly in human lives and prolific of
nauseons sensations. The way in which to treat
Charlton is to treat him precisely as any
other thug is treated who, with the brute instinct
for blood satisfies his craving by mauling
woman.