East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-10-05
by ALICE RoHE.


COMO. Italy, Oct 5,-Porter
Charlton went on trial here today.
From the iron cage in which the
prisoner in Italy is always confined in
the courtroom, the young American,
not yet twenty-five, listened to the
opening Of the case. From the start
it was clear that the defense would
attempt 10 prove that he was in
, sane when he killed with a mallet
his wife Of less than a month on the
night OF June Z, 1910, stuffed her
body in a trunk and threw il into
| the depths OF Lake Como.
The strangeness OF the crime was
and the two fantastieally eostumed
carbineers who guarded him, with
their Napoleonic hats gaily cockaded
and their decorated uniforms. APP
peared in spite OF the sinister setting
like opera bouffe chorusmen.
Charlton is an American with Ital-
ian lawyers, in an italian court be-
ing tried by Italian methods, How
ever, in the two years since ne was
taken back to Italy. he has learned
the Italian language sufficiently well
to be able to follow the progress of
his trial
The jury which will hear the pleas
is an unusual one for Italy II Isl
made up almost entirely Of profes-
sional men, and the reports Of the
alienists who have been watching the
prisoner will not fall upon ignorant
ears. There have been three report
by allienlsts-all of a type familiar
in America. which will be introduced
at the trial. The first, for the de-
fense, declared him insane at the
time the crime was committed; the
second, for the crown, declared him
sane. and The third, provided by the
government, left loopholes both ways.
Coming between the court and the
prisoner were the visions OF the pen
atty which may be visited upon him.
The sentence for deliberate. murder is
life imprisonment The first ten
years of life term are spent in soli-
tary confinement in a dark cell with
only bread and water for food-a
sentence which practically means
death from insanity in a few years
The sentence for murder not dellb.
crate is twenty years.
The many extenuating circumstan
ces in the case. together with the
youth of the prisoner, and the fact
that "crlmes OF passion are not re-
garded with great seriousness I'm
Italy, have led Charlton's counsel to
believe that It will be quite possible
to free him.
Charlton. then not twenty and a
clerk in a New York banking house,
married Mary Scott Castle. May II,
/ 1910 She was twice his age had
| been well known in San Francisco
ana New York, and had short eX-
perience on the stage. She was OF
an intensely passionate and jealous
nature, and when Charlton met her
she was being held on bail for the
shooting Of William b Craig %
broker, in the elevator of the Wal
dorf-Astoria. She fascinated Charl-
ton, and the attention of the young
man pleased her.
They sailed for Genoa four days
after their marriage, and Immediate
! ly they began series OF violent
quarrels. They went through italy
and to the shores of Como, where
their quarrels were so strenuous that
they were asked to leave the hotel.
Then they rented the Villa Legnazzi
at Moltrasio, where the crime was
committed
It is said that the experience drove
Charlton into periods of insanity dur
ing one Of which he killed her. The
details may cause part OF the trial 20
be conducted behind locked doors.
The final quarrel came late at night
on June 7, and at its height Charlton,
blind with rage, picked up mallet
and beat her to death. He put the
body in a trunk and sank II in the
lake. Then he fled. The trunk was
found two days later and search was
made fer Charlton's body, for It was
believed that he. too. was the victim
Of a murder. He was arrested as he
,,,ottynd do,u, Tho eranUnIan nj ~ tho