The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-10
BACK TO ITALY
MUST He GO
Porter Carlton, Who KiIIeI HIS Wife
Put Her Body In a Trunk and
Cast It Into Lake
Como.
JUST THREE YEARS AGO
Confessed to the Crime After Getting
Back to America Safely and
Resisted Being Returned
to the Scene.

limited Press Leased Wire Servicel
WASHINGTON, June 10.-Porter
Charlton. boy wife murderer, must be
extradited to Italy and stand trial for
killing Mary Scott Castle Charlton, at
Lake Como, Italy, three years ago.
This was the ruling today OF the gu
preme court. It affirmed the decree OF
the New Jersey courts, dismissing
Charlton's habeas corpus suit.
The decision came just three years
to the day from the time the body OF
Mrs. Mary Scott Castle Charlton was
taken from Lake Como in trunk in
which young Charlton put 1t.
One of the most brutal crimes In
European annals was that OF Charl-
tons to which he has confessed. An
inn at an Italian village named Malt
casio, was its scene. Hotel employees 4
heard violent quarreling between Mr..
and Mrs. Charlton on the night OF
June 1910. The next day the couple
had disappeared Three days later.
Mrs. Charlton's body, beaten and dis
/ figured was found in Lake Como. The
head was crushed into pulp. A
heavy mallet was the instrument OF
death.
Charlton, who Is the son OF Paul
! iCharlton, former judge OF Porto Rico.
1 fled from Italy. He was arrested at
Hoboken, N. j., June 23, 1910, when
] he stepped from the North German
i Lloyd liner Princess Irene He
made no effort to conceal his identity.
Later he confessed. Eminent special
lists declare him insane. The young
man was of prominent and respected
lparentage He was born in Omaha
September %, 1888. He worked in
New York bank until April 1, 1910. In
early childhood he was said to have
been subject to extreme fits Of rage.
In later years he became solitary and
morose, locking himself In his room
to read poetry and novels. He de-
A veloped tuberculosis in 1910. His
father was arranging to send him to
the army sanitarium In New Mexico
when he told of secret marriage
4 few weeks before to Mrs. Castle.
I Mrs. Charlton was divorcee, the
former wife Of prominent San Fran
I cisco attorney. She was twice
1.-THE age of her husband but described
as beautiful and young looking, des-
lpite dissipation. The two were mar
ried in New York on March IL, 1910.
{ When they told the young mans
father of the wedding violent quar-
rel followed On April 16, 1910, Charl-
ton and his bride sailed from New
;, York for Genoa. Charlton's father
, later received foul and abusive letters
} from his son, which were rambling
!, and incoherent. Charlton refused to
Ispeak to his father when the two met
after the boys arrest at Hoboken. The
/ estrangement has continued although
!, in attempting to keep his son from be-
ing sent back to Italy to life sent
ence in Italy's underground prisons
where murderers are sent and where
they seldom live longer than a few
: years. Physicians declare 1t would
mean death to the boy within six
; months because of his weakness.
l In an effort to keep the boy from
Y being sent to Italy the history of the
4 boys family has been opened and it
7 has been shown that Charlton's grand
e mother died Of alcoholism. His great
t uncle was paranoiac. His younger
D brother accidentally shot and killed
/ a playmate. Mrs Charlton 1t is con-
(continred on page 81