The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-10
SCRAP BOOK FOR TO-DAY


 One of the most glaring of recent examples of the laws delay is the case of Porter Charlton, confessed wife murderer. It was three years ago today, June 10, 1910, that the body of Mary Crit tenden Scott Castle Charlton was. found in a trunk sunk in Lake Como, Italy. where the woman and her 20- year-old husband had been spending their honeymoon. Charlton disap- peared, and for a. time it was thought that he, too, had been murdered.
 Constantine Ispo1atoff. a Russian, was arrested on suspicion, but pro- tested his innocences and was re1eas- ed.
 On the twenty-third Charlton was arrested in Hoboken, N. J., as hewas leaving a steamer. He made a re- mitted that he. had killed his wife. placed the body in a trunk and cast it into the lake.
 Charlton was locked up in the Hud son county, N. J. and since then a remarkable legal battle has been waged to prevent his extradition to Italy Solitary imprisonment is Ita1y's punishment for murderers-a punishment that in most cases means insanity or death.
 Judge Paul Charlton, the devoted and heart broken father of the boy tsh wife murderer, used all his inf1u- ence and great legal ability to pre- vent the extradition of his son. Dr. Allan McLane Hamilton, the | aIienist examined Charlton after his arrest, and pronounced him insane At the first hearing, Federal Judge Blair, of New Jersey, refused to consider ] the insanity plea. Counsel for Charl- ton then urged that Italy, by enacting a law that no Italian citizen should l be extradited, had abrogated all ob- l nf he TTY1ifad foS fn edx- tradite it's citizens on Ita1y's demand. l Justice Blair overru1ed this conIen- tion. so far as the State court was concerned, and left its final decision to the federal authorities.
 The State Department at Washing l ton next dealt with the case, and Secretary Knox decided that Italy WAS entitled to the extradition of Char1- ton. A writ of habeas corpus was then interposed to prevent the hand ing over of Charlton to the agents of 1 the Italian government The case then went to the United States Su- preme Court.
 Tn the meantime, it has been aI- 1 1eged that the accused confessed slay- CT of his wife is not only insane. but 1 is suffering from tuberculosis, and could not long survive the rigors and terrors of solitary confinement in an Italian prison.
 Knights of Pythias to the number of nearly three-quarters of 9 million, 1 throughout the United States and Canada, will observe Memorial Day l today, in accordance with the supreme lodge statute which sets aside ttthe Tuesday following the second Sunday of June in each year" as day for l honoring the dead of the order. All subordinate lodges will hold exercises in tribute to the memory of departed I brethren.
 The Knights of Pythias will have nc general ,conc1ave this year, the nex1 l biennial convention of the Supreme Lodge having been set for August I 1914, at Winnipeg. Man. The last re- port of the order shows a total mem bership of 71o,637. Every State ot the Union and Province of Canada. is represented, Ohio leading with 83s s27a
 members.
 The first organized society in the world to deal with the edueR ton o1 slum children and waifs of the street was launched in London sixty-nine years ago today, under the name of the Ragged School Union.' The Earl o1 ShafteSbJIry was the chairman, and l William Locke and 8. Starey the prin-
 cipal organizers. The first ragged school,'' the name popular1y given tC l the free schools for outcast, destitute
 and ragged children of London ant OIA6T EHS11Sh CPti6Sy Wo@o OJ John Pounds, a cobbler, at Portsmouth s in 1889. A few months later secont school was started by Andrew Walkel ? in that section of London known a1 s Devils Acre" With the formation O the union the movement spread, unti
 in 1856 there were 150 ragged schools in England. Hundreds of these school P are still in existence in England, al though in London they are being grad ual1y superseded by the institution
 established by the London schoo
 board. Sir John Kirk, for nearly hal a century the secretary of hte Ragge'
 School Union. was knighted by the lat
 King Edward in recognition of his ser 1 vices to the poor.