Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-26
American Convicted Of Wife
Murder by i N Court
at SO.
SENT, ssED TO
: sIx-YEAR TERM
Time A'rsady Served, and One Year
oainsd Thru Amnesty 20 All Priss
ensrs Confined at Time Of Dseiasoa
tien Of War, Cuts charItsn's Time
to Twenty Nine Days-kiilsd wife
During Quarrel


ter Charlton. the American who has
been on trial hero charged with
numbering his wife In 1910. was oon-
demned to six years and eight months
imprisonment.
Tho Jury found Charlton only PAR.
TALLY responsible and held that there
were extenuatins circumstances. ow-
ing to amnesty Charlton will only
serve twsnty-nine days in prison.
Charlton benefits by tho time no had
been under restraint and In addition .
year 10 taken on the sentence under the
amnesty for all onenses committed
before Italy entered tho war.
While technically convicted. the. ver-
dict is remarkable victory for the
young American and his counsel. Pub
lie sympathy was so strongly with him
because OF revelations regarding his
unhappy married life and the diYer-
ence IN the ages of the coupls-he wan
20 and his bride. divorcee OF more
than 40-that It was freely predicted
during the trial that while the law
would be upheld, some way would be-
found to free the young American In
Difference to public opinion.
The crown prosecutor. in his plea to
tho Jury. denied the youth had any
provocation for the crime. He insinu-
ated tho prisoner had married the
actress for her savings and had taken
her Jewels after killing her.
Tho prosecutors words fell on deaf
ears The plea Of the attorney for
| tho defense. NJ. Cataneo. that Charl.
ton was an epileptic and fhas. the
woman had given him great provuca,.
tion. provocatton great enough TO up-
set tho weak reason OF q youth af-
4 ready weakened by exccsses 70 when
she had led him. won tho sympathy
OF the turymen.
1t was on Juno 10. 1910. that fisher
| men drawing their nets In Lake Como
found a trunk containing the body OF
a woman that was quickly Identified
as that Of Mary Scott Castle Charlton.
The young husband also was missing
from the hotel at which the honey
| moon couple had hesn staying, and
II was feared at first that both had
been slain. A Russian who had boon
friendly with the Charltons was taken
| into custody on suspicion but was
later released.
The truth OF the murder became
| known on June %, when Charlton was
| arrested as he left steamship In
| Hoboken. He made a complete con-
| fession. He said he had struck tho
\ woman during quarrel ae night.
They were both intoxicated. He didn't
realize she was dead until tho next
morning.
Charlton's family tried In every way
to prevent his extradition to italy The
case was taken to the supreme court Of
the United States. but tho government
OF Italy won. When this fikht wan
over Charlton's father admitted Il had
eaten up all his savings and he had
nothing left with which to fight for his
sons life In the Italian courts.
Wife's Chscksred Career.
| The personal history OF Charlton and
his wife had much to do with the YER
dict. The woman had had a checkered
career. OF a very good family In San
francisco. she had married Heville
CASTLE. rising young lawyer OF her
native city. After impoverishinE him
she went to New York and there fell
| :n love with an actor. She tried thu
stage with him and. falling, he left her.
Her husband obtained q divorce. She
was next In the public eye in tho SUM
mer OF 1909. when she shot and slightly
wounded William B. Craig In tho Wal
dorf- Astoria. Craig was a lawyer with
whom she had been friendly. Ho res
fused to prosecute.
Exeessss at Lake Como.
It was only few months later tha1
i she met young Charlton. hardly out Of
teens, and working In bank In New
York. She fascinated him and they
eloped.
At their retreat on Lake Como the
co pie wero dissipated. tho boy grad
Iually breaking down under liquor and
other excesses to which his wife was
addicted.