New-York tribune., 1910-06-12
WAS CHARL TON At COMO?.
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found to be too heavy to be carried to the
lake by one person. and that the indi-
vidual who first attempted this task
called TO his assistance an accomplice.
The steps of both men were heard when
they left the villa bordering the lake,
carrying a heavy weight.
Ispolatoff, the Russian, was arrested
following the discovery that the day be-
fore the murder he IS said TO have made
inquiries of fishermen concerning the
depth of the lake at the spot where the
trunk was found.
The unusual mystery connected with
the affair, the disappearance Of the hus
band and the circumstances Of brutality
developed by the post-mortem, all COM
bine to give the case absorbing interest.
How the Body Was Discovered.
The story of the finding OF the body
indicates that it was by tie merest &C
cident that the crime was discovered.
Fishermen at Moltrasio, who had gone
out on the lake, found their hooks fast in
a large object After some effort they
managed to draw the object to the sur
face They saw that it was a trunk.
and rowed to the shore, towing the trunk
behind their boat.
There the men ripped the cover off
with their knives. hoping to find some
thing of value. What they saw was the
body of a woman. The body had been
wrapped in a sheet and tammed into
-, hot
ed between the knees.
The fishermen told the police authori-
ties of Moltrasio. The news was sent to
Cernobbio, and detectives of the criminal
branch found that the trunk had been
weighted down with stones, powders of
the kind common along the beaches of
the lake. The lake at the place of dis
covery is comparatively shallow.
An examination of the body disclosed
that the woman had been perhaps thirty
five years old and good looking. Her
hair was dark brown, her eyes blue gray.
The head and upper part of the body
were covered with clotted blood. It was
evident that she had been beaten to
death with a club or an iron bar. The
back of her skull was crushed and her
arms and shoulders displayed the marks
of savage abuse.
The Body Fully Dressed.
The body was fully dressed. The outer
clothing was black and of good quality.
There was a wedding ring on the finger.
The inside of this bore the initials "P. c.
A package of letters, some of which
were signed IN. w Castle" and which
had been posted at San Jose. Cal. and
two prayer books were also found in the
trunk In the trunk was the photograph
of man. perhaps twenty three years of
age.
The police gathered up clews which led
speedily to the hunt for Porter Charlton
and the Russian who gave his name as
Constantine Ispolatoff. The proprietor
of the Hotel Suisse on Lake Como. the
keeper of the apothecary's shop at Ger
nobbio, boatmen on the west bank of
Lake Como and the inhabitants of sew
eraI villages in the neighborhood gave
valuable information.
The innkeeper said that a couple who
called themselves Mr.. and Mrs. Porter
ago. He described the Mrs. Porter and
his description fitted that Of the dead
woman. He said that the pair quar-
relied frequently. He heard the woman
crying often late in the night.
The guests Of the hotel complained
that they We're disturbed by the wom
ans outcries. One morning very early
the prOpriptor was aroused BY ShriekS
He found that the woman had hidden
in cupboard, hoping to escape her
husband. but that the husband had
found her and was dragging her to the
street The innkeeper said he was
obliged then for the reputation of his
hotel TO order them out.
Took the Russians Villa.
The apothecary of Cernobbio said that
Ar and Mrs. Porter Charlton-as he
had heard the names-had met in his
shop a Russian, who had offered them
his villa at Moltrasio whenever they
cared TO take it. The police learned that
afr and Mrs. Charlton, after being put
out Of the Hotel Suisse. took boat at
= O'Clock in the morning and were con-
veyed to the Villa Moltrasio.
The villagers and tradesmen who sup
piled the villa noticed that the Russian
Was often at the villa and seemed 10 be
an intimate friend Of the Charltons.
Occasionally they mado excursions to
gether or were three at boating par
ties
Thres days before the body was found