The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-11-09

MAKES AN IMPRESSION
is Proving Profound Mystery to His
JaiIors and judicial Auth>ti
by Change in
Front.

euL OIL the united fTSSS.
COMO, Italy, Nov. S.-Porter CharI.
ton-son of Judge Charlton, Yale class
mate and intimate friend OF former
President Taft-awaiting trial here
for the murder of his wife, formerly
Mary Scott Castle, in 1910, is already
reformed man. This is not only the
firm conviction of the prison authori
ties who have him in charge, but this
was also the impression made when
Charlton was visited by the United
Press correspondent under special per-
mission from the minister of justice.
Under this reformed aspect, young
Charlton is proving profound mys-
terry to his jailers and the judicial
authorities generally. Short in stature.
with light hair, blue eyes and pale
face, he gives no outward evidence
of the unusual physical strength which
made him prize-winning athlete in
his high school days at Omaha, Neb.,
and the college years which followed.
The prison keepers, half pityingly,
half fondly, have nicknamed him the
little boy" and are ABSOLUTELY convinced
that, unaided, he could not have placed
| the body Of his wife in the trunk, car
ried 1t the 400 yards from the house
| in which he murdered her, and dump
ed 1t into Lake Como where 1t was
found later. They are therefore look
ing for an accomplice.
Another thing that puzzles the Ital-
ian jailers is Charlton's abstemious-
ness. In the two weeks proceeding
the murder of Mrs. Charlton both she
1 and young Porter are known to have
! drank almost every moment of the
day and night. They took only cham
payne, whiskey, rum and the stronger
| drinks Of the northern countries, the
use Of which in Italy is almost I'M
! known. Since his return to the Como
jail, Charlton takes nothing but water,
refusing even the local wines which
/ are 30 much an absolute necessity to
the average Italian that they are in-
/ cluded with the prison meals. Tha
!! change is one which the jailers can
account for only on the basis OF com
plete, almost miraculous, reforma.
ton.
4 Charlton's appearance of boyishnesa
4 which has impressed SO deeply the jus
/ dicial authorities has also been greatly
heightened by the docility, the courte1
BUSINESS and the consideration which
he at all times shows to his Keepers.
His entire department appearance and
conduct towards others is SO far diff
ferent from that Of the FLOODED
brutal murderer whom the jailers had
expected would return to them from
America that they are at complete
loss how to harmonic the incongruity.
Charlton's gentlemanly, considerable
bearing towards his keepers is so sin.
cere that it has had the inevitable eff.
feet of inspiring in them kindred,
reciprocal feeling, and as a conse-
9 quence he is faring much better than
;, perhaps any other prisoner, charged
: with murder, ever Jared in an Italian
/, jail He has been given the best OF
Y accommodations the local Jail affords.
e his room is kept Immediately clean
4 and all of the attendants take turns
I in helping him daily with his study OF
, Italian. To this end. even the judge
n himself, has allowed him to subscribe
e to one of the Italian daily papers
e which he can read with little difficulty.
$ All of these are courtesies, il not ac
$ tual breaches of Italian prison regula
/ tons of a most unusual type.
J Nevertheless, in the short interview
u allowed between Charlton and the
r United Press orrespondent--this also
most unusual exception--it was not
difficult to realize how the former had
made such an impression on the Itat
ian judicial authorities. The only ex
e PLANTATION that can be given is that o.
t complete reformation, so sincere ane
d so earnest, as to show its unmistakabl{
IL effects, and to insure, that SHOULD
II Charlton in some way escape life i'm
n prisonment, he will probably TT,
r mighty hard to atone for his fatal boy
h ish folly With delicacy that coult