The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-06-25
KILLED Wife
Arrested as He Came Of German
Liner at New York.
HE COlqFESSES CRIME

Used NiaIlet to Stay Woman After
They Had Violent Quarrel, Then
Stuck the Body in Trunk, Car
ried it Down to Lake, and Threw
it in the Water.
Porter Charlton, husband of Mary
Scott Castle Charlton, whose body
was found in a trunk in Lake Como,
Italy, reached New York on a Ger
man Liner Thursday. A man re-
embling Charlton was arrested as
he stepped from the steamer at h--
pier in Hoboken. He gave the names
OF Charles w. Coleman, but report
from Hoboken said that at the po-
lice station he broke down and ad-
mitted that he was Charlton.
Charlton said in his confession
he and his wife had been having sup
per together at the villa on Lake
Como and that they had engaged in
violent quarrel.
Charlton said his wife, who was
one of the best women in the world,
but had an ungovernable temper,
called him some vile names and that
finally who ne could not stand her
abuse any longer, he attacked her
with wooden mallet. The young
man said that he struck her over the
head three times, knocking her un-
sconscious and killing her, as far as
he knew.
Charlton told the police that he
then stuck the body of his wife in a
trunk and carried it down to the
lake, where he threw the trunk into
| the water.
The body Of Mrs. Charlton was
found packed in trunk which was
taken from Lake Como near the vii
lage of Moltrasio by fishermen June
10th. The woman with her husband
had occupied a villa on the lake front,
| leased by them some. time before. At
the time the womans body was found
Porter Charlton could not be found,
The Italian police have insisted
| that Charlton was alive and have di-
rected their energies to locating the
young man. American Consul Caug-
ther, on the other hand, held to the
theory that double murder had been
committed, and it was through his
representations that the Italian au-
thorities engaged divers to make the
search Of the lake bottom.
Meantime detectives. followed up
their own theory and their recent
conclusion was that Charlton was a
passenger upon some steamer which
had sailed from Genoa or other ltal-
ian port for New York.
The police were watching for the
arrival of the steamer Deutschland
as it had been reported that Charlton
sailed on that steamer The officers
had a description OF Charlton, and
when they saw man resembling
him leave the ship they pounced up
on him and placed him under ar
rest. He protested vigorously and
seemed inclined forcibly to offer re-
sistance, but he soon subsidized. Capt
Scott, brother of Mrs. Charlton. took
, one look at the prisoner and said
the man was Charlton. Later Charl-
ton made signed statement to the
police.
While he was being sweated un-
der the third degree Charlton be-
came infuriated. and drawing re-
volver. tried to shoot Chief of Police
Hayes He was quickly disarmed,
and a few minutes later confessed
the crime.
Within half an hour after his ar
rest Charlton had signed the follow
ing statement:
My wife and | lived happily to-
gether She was the best woman in
the world to me. but size had an
ungovernabe temper. So had |.
We frequently quarreled over the
most trivial matters and her lang
uage to me was frequently so foul
that | know she did not know the
meaning Of it.
The night struck her she had
been quarreling with ME. She was
in the worst temper had ever seen
her in. | told her if she did not
cease l would leave her and put a
stop to it. She stopped for a little
while and started again.
Il took mallet which had used
to do household repairs and struck
her three times. | thought she was
dead. put the body in trunk III
which also threw the mallet.
About twelve that night
brought the trunk to my house and
dragged it down to small pier and
threw it overheard. left the fol-
lowing night and went to Como, and
from there TO Genoa, where ! took
the steamer Irene three days later.
The room where killed her was
an OutdoOr cleDinP anartm mpnt