Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-10-05
YOUNG CHARLTON
GOES TO TRIAL
AT COMO, ITALY
CLUBBING WIFE TO DEATH TO
FACE ITALIAN JUDGE.
CONFESSED TO Staying HIS BRIDE
DURING HONEYMOON At LAKE
COMO, ITALY.
Especial "a The IIcrain.t

Como. Italy, Oct. prom his cell in
capped Alps, Porter Charlton, the son Of
former Judge Paul Charlton of Tor{o Rico,
will be taken today to the court Of criminal
a~ssiZe~ at Como to answer for his self con
fessed crime. the murder of his beautiful
actress bride. Five years of delay have
marked this unusual ease. During those
~ubteriuge hat could beget delay, every
plea that might move to sympathy either
the United States or the Italian govern
ment. has been invoked. And when Charl-
ton j. called to the bar Of justice, one Of
the ten>e>t dramas ever staged IN a court
room will be enacted.
The prominence of young Charlton and
his bride whom he Slew while on their
honeymoon here makes the ease Of inter
national interest. Mrs. Charlton, who had
been married twice, was formerly Miss
Mary Scott of San Jose, Cal, IA noted
society beauty. She was the daughter Of
"A wealthy business man. and the sister Of
a captain in the United States army. She
first married Neville Castle, a Californian.
hut they were divorced shortly afterward.
Then She took to the stage, and before
long came to the public eye by shooting q
New York lawyer in an elevator. She first
met young Charlton in Peacock alley, the
~trolling place OF the Waldorf Astoria. He
WAS a bank clerk, scarcely twenty years
old. Mrs. Castle fascinated him. The,
were married ON March IL. 1910. ut vii
min.ton. Del. She was almost 40. he wa~
barely II. Charlton'S parents knew moth
lng 81 the marriage until after it had been
contaminated.
The officials of the New York bank were
di~plea~ed with the affair. and were re-
lIevcd when Charlton announced ne wa
going 10 Europe. II i known that he had
very little money. and that the bride
claimed 10 have a fortune. Certainly their
trip was an expensive affair before they ar
rived III the villa which Charlton had en-
gagged AT Lake Como. II j. said that the
Young groom learned many things about
his bride that were unknown to him before
marriage. He found her addicted u the
u~c NJ drugs. II l. said. and subject to fits
IF depression and violent outburSt~. They
.quarrcllcd repeatedly, and sometimes with
out cause. So strenuous did their rela-
tons become that 4 hotclkceper nj Como
other quarters. 1t was then that thew
rented the villa where the murder took
place.
II l. 10 secret here that the CharltonS'
money was giving ont. One by one the
woman'~ Jewels disappeared. and Charlton
was often unable to pay the boatmen for
their rides on Lake Como. The tradesmen
complained that their bills were unpaid.
Then came the night Of June s. 1910. and
the quarrel which ended in murder. His
wife tainted him with his youth and in
nocence. her disappointment in him.
Charlton wa ~tung by the sneers and re-
wiling and ~purning. The hidden devil in
the boy rose To the surface. and. seizing
"A wooden mallct he hurled himself upon
her. lie dubbed di~ wife To death. damned
the palpitating body into a trunk and
hurled ii into the silent waters of the lake.
Packing a suitcase. Charlton departed.
Some fishermen got their lines tangled on
the trunk. The crime was exposed. and
there was a hasty search for a second
trunk. for il was feared both had been
murdered. The q%uarrels of the couple were
recalled and their financial condition was
public gossip. None Of Mrs. Charlton's
Jewels were 10 he found In the villa. De-
t~ectiveS at the seaports were put on the
trail. and a description ef Charlton was
flashed throughout the world.
Charlton made his way to Genoa. where
he learned the Princess Irene was sailing
for New York. He made friends with a
cabin steward, and during the trip was