The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-19
KILLED WIFE WHEN
MAD, SAYS CHARLTON
Tells Jury "Shc Covered Me
With Insults and Some
thing Snapped"
no DELAY IN HIS TRIAL

CpMu. Italy. Oct. 1s.-With exclusion
Of the public. because of the nature OF
,,c testimony, the trial OF Porter Charl-
ION. The young American. for the murder
OF hs wife began here to-day. the
conr, having refused to grant "a post
roncmc.t asked on the ground OF the
illnesy of Chariton's chief counsel.
rharlton. half distracted by the re-
rcnoraucc of what happened before and
tut after the murder. told his story I'm
I,aI.an. OF rather tried to. for frequently
h. struggled almost frantically for the
propcr expression, and Baron Sciacca,
the Presiding Judge. had to help him
ou,. Of the actual killing Of his wife
Carlton insisted he remembered moth
Ing never had known anything. He
blamed his victim for her death at his
hands.
'Shc covered me with insults he
c,,cd. 'Shc sworc like a woman of
the streets. could ,iot but think an
Other man awaited her. Something
broke in my brain, STOPPING. 7 seized a
Nnodcn mnllct. What happened next !
do not remember
.BInnk IN Ills Mind
,'nou this last assertion. that there
w., "a blank in his mind when he
c, mmiticl the murder. rests Charlton's
defence. To support his theory OF tenn
rnrary insanity he enumerated many
charges against the woman he killed
y,ill iu.ietiug throughout that he loved
he 80 madlv he would gladly nave shed
sv'ry drop uf my blood.
- 4i,nsc WAS his love for her. I've
asserted. tina it hl'rd his entire life
srd he could think of nothing else. re
ar orc vino fuigot for Il moment the
cruz and girW spmcncss Of his deed
the prisoner presented a pitiful spec'
tacle Locked in the heavy steel case
tscius the court. recitlng his story be
tween violent subs and trembling. he wa,
m,tc wreck OF n man.
4. Que time during the interrogation
At tre hands Of Baron Sciacca ne faintet
AMI had to be taken out OF the court
rooa'. when he returned the court i~
stunned the examination.
Mary scot Castle, twice his age an,
alIcddy divorced. was married IT, him il
1909. he said. When he first met he
she was on hail for shooting william b
Craig. a broker. in the elevator of tn,
Waldorf-As,oria in New York. Foul
days after their marriage they sailed OF
their honeymo going first 20 Genoa
Then began an endless series OF vlolen'
Q%uarrols.
Charlton did not spare the charactc,
OF his victim. lie said her furious jeal
ousv aud fits Of anger and her gusts o
rage at times drove him mad. In describ
Ing thu subsequent trip through Italy ant
In fne shores pf Lake Gonna he snake N
his witc's intemperance. persistent ca
rouslnc and her savag abuse of himself
Finally, he said. she told him she would
leave him. Then he came to speak Of tn
BLANK in his mind"
Thought Of suicide.
when ! woke up" he continued. "
understood that something terrible mus
have happened. | jumped from bed an
saw my wife lying across the threshold
Immediately | emembered the scene ant
threw myself upon the PROSTATE form
imploring her To answer me. | under
stood what | had done. | was filed wit,
horror. ] had destroyed the woman 70
whom | would have gladly shed ever.
drop OF my blood"
The thought OF suicide. Charlton said
he rejected out Of regard for his family
He told ~ packing his victims body ia
trunk and carrying 1t in the darkness q
night to Lake Como. where he sank il
attached to "A heavy stone. When he be
gtu to tell of his subsequent eight {
Genoa he broke down completely an
court Was adjourned.
The illness Of Charlton's chief counse
Mincli Picard. was not recognized by IN
court as sufficient ground TO postpone tn
tr! Il. the presence Of SiEror Cataneo q
counsel for the defence being considere
sufficient 10 protect Charlton's interest:
The trial will be resumed tomorrow.