Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-14
NO CLUE. TO MURDER.
Russian suspect still In Custody-Insan-
ity suspected-WIld Orgies In Charl-
ton Cottage.

Russian suspect still In Custody-Insan-
ity Suspected-wild Orgies In Charl-
ton Cottage.
Como, Italy, June 14.-The police
have almost despaired OF getting any
clue to the murder of Mrs. Mary Scott
Charlton, whose mutilated body, Jam
med into trunk, was fished from Lake
Como on last Friday, from Constantine
Ispolatoff, the Russian suspect, under
arrest.
IspoIatoff was in the sweat box"
nearly all night and was subjected to as
searching an inquisition as it was posi-
bic for half dozen OF the best detcc-
tives in this part of Italy to make, but
all to no avail Only once during the
trying ordeal did Ispolatoff show the
least embarrassment or confusion. He
answered every question with the ut
most GOODNESS and told a story Of his
movements and his chance acquaint-
ance," as he termed it, with the Charl-
tons that did not present a single
venerable spot.
United States Ambassador Leishman
and United States Consul Caughy at
Milan are now on the scene. At Leish-
mans request divers were brought to
Lake Como today and began searching
the part Of the lake where the body OF
Mrs. Charlton was found. Leishman
and Cauehv are convinced that Charl-
ton was murdered.
It's a plain case of double muir
der with robbery as the motive,
Caughy said to the United Press CORE
spondcnt. All the money and valu-
able iewelry belonging to the couple
have disappeared. Not the slightest
trace of Charlton has been found. "
The finding ola fragment Of a mans
coat in Lake Como, which yesterday
promised startling Developments, has
SO far been Of no value, as it has not
been shown that the coat, to which the
fragments belonged, was Charlton's.
No one ever saw Charlton wearing
coat of the pattern of the piece OF cloth.
Stories Of wild orgies in the Charlton
villa. Of midnight dances on the lawn,
with Charlton and his wife in the
scantiest attire. Of incantations
and weird exercises that savored strong
ly of orientalism, have been told to the
police by country folks and villagers
who happened to pass the Charlton
home late at night. The theory OF
insanity is strengthened by the state
ment Of the prosecutor OF Venice that
Charlton and his wife stopped for sew
eraI days at the Hotel Europe the latter
part Of April and registered as brother
and sister, occupying separate rooms.
1t is said that the woman suffered
from a physical malformatiOn. Women
have frequently been known to go in
sane from similar defects. There is
every reason to believe that Mrs. Charl-
ton, despite her mental disorder, exer-
cised a potent influence over her hus
band. The fact that he married her
after such a brief acquaintance, when
she was fourteen years his senior and
with a past that was none too attrac-
tive, proves this.
Hartford Conn, June A. - Mrs.
Mary Scott Castle Charlton, the victim
of the Lake Como murder mystery,
tried to commit suicide in this city in
the summer of 1908, by jumping into
the Par river. The suicide attempt
followed her desertion by man named
Belts, with whom she lived as his wife
at one Of the local hotels for two
according to the story told to-
day by the manager OF the hotel. The
trunk in which Mrs. Ch9rlton's body
was found bore the name w. c.
Belts, and it is believed that the trunk
was given to her by her companion Of
1903.
According to the hotel managers, the
woman was of highly excitable tenn
permanent, and intensely jealous. He
said the man Belts was afraid Of her,
which evidently led to his desertion Of
her Two days after the desertion,
Mrs. Charlton jumped into the Par
river. She was allowed to remain at
the hotel, without funds, until friends
came to her assistance. She went from
here to New York and wrote two letters
to the hotel manager, expressing her
belief that Belts would return to her.