Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-23

| stance that Sergt De Hart did not see
the look that Mrs. Sutton and her daugh-
ter flashed in his direction. He would not
have felt fattered.
The value OF De Harris testimony is
problematical The replies ne made to
| the questions asked by the judge advo-
cate did not reflect the shrewd intelli-
| gence OF his rather comely face and keen
| blue eyes.
His narrative of the part he played in
the tragedy had to be literally coaxed out
of him by Maj. Leonard and almost for
chilly extracted by Mr.. Davis. 1t was not
complete in many details on account of
his alleged fapses Of memory and his
manifest Discrimination to tell any more
than he had to.
In substance it was: He had been
spending his leave in town. He reached
the marine camp and barracks some
where about 1 o'clock. On the way up
one of the company streets he met the
corporal of the guard.
He then met Lieut. Sutton. The latter
had two revolvers in his hand. Sutton
stopped him and asked where he was go
ing. De Hart replied to his quarters. SUIT
ton then turned and went the other way,
toward the spot where the tragedy after
| ward happened.
Mind Your Own Business"
De Hart advised Sutton to put up his
revolvers. Sutton told him to mind his
continued on his way.
In minute or so there were shots. De
Hart did not remember how many. he
| ran to the place where the flashes came
from.
He saw several officers there. One of
them, perhaps two. were lying on the
ground. One of the officers handed him
| a revolver and said:
Here. keep this
De Hart did so. He walked away over
the parade ground toward the barracks.
On the way he threw the revolver away.
He did not want to keep 1t any longer
Later he told an officer. whose identity
he did not recall, that he had thrown
the weapon away. The officer told him
to try to find it after daylight. He tried
| to do SO. but failed. Lieut.. Willing found
1t later.
This was about as connected story as
De Hart could remember. His direct ex-
animation by Judge Advocate Leonard
followed:
BY the Judge advocate-What was your
condition that night as to sobriety?
De Hart-Well, l had been in town ana
| had several drinks.
Judge advocate-Do you carry your
liquor we'll?
De Hart-Yes, sir, 1 do as rule.
daughter from the navy widoWso
Judge advocate-Are you Quarrelsome or
jolly when drinking?
De Hart-Oh, l amt quarrelsome. sir
I'm good natured.
Judge adVOCate-And you knew what
you were doing that night?
De Hart-Oh, yes sir: knew all right.
Judge advOcate-You knew Lieuts. Will
ing, Adams, Osterman. Rocker and
Bevan?
De Hart-Yes, sir; all of them.
Judge advocate-Yet you say you can
not tell the name Of the officer who
handed you the revolver after the shoot
ing of Lieut.. Sutton?
De Hart-No, sir; 1 can't seem to re
hoN frio IN
member several times.
Judge advocate-You have said that you
stood near the officers surrounding Lieut.
Sutton after the shooting. One of the
Lieut.. Utley sat on Lieut.. Sutton and
held his left arm. Is that so?
De Hart-I don't think | did. I stood
there when one of the officers gave me
the gun.
Judge advocate-Why did you throw the
weapon away?
De Hart-Wel1. 1 didn't want to have
the gun that killed Lieut.. Sutton on me.
didn't want to get into trouble.
BY Mr.. Davis-You were not too drunk
to advise Lieut.. Sutton to put away his
guns and to realize after the shooting
that 1t might get you into trouble If you
kept the gun given to you by one of the
officers. yet you say you cannot recall
the identity Of the officer who gave you
the gun?
De Hart-No. sir; l can't remember.
Signs Of Trouble.
De Hart said the first he knew Of any
trouble among the officers was when
he met the corporal of the guard few
seconds before he met Lieut.. Sutton
with the two guns in his hands. The
corporal of the guard told him Of it. He
thought 1t was just scrap between the
officers. He thought different when he
Fmet Lieut. Sutton with the guns.
He said he oaSOnpd II out that Sutton
had been mixed up in it and was going
back to mix up again. That Is why he
advised him to put up his guns. In an
swer to question he said he did not
notice that Lieut. Sutton had been
drinking.
BY Mr.. Davis-Could you have told?
De Hart don't know that l could. I
wasn't thinking about it. (Another laugh
from the navy Widows)
BY Mr.. Davis-When you met Lieut..
Sutton with the two guns did You think
he was going to pay social call?
De Hart-No. sir. I thought he was go
ing to mix up in the scrap again.
Mr.. Davis-Are you positive that you
did not. as has been testified here by
some of your superior officers. sit upon
Lieut.. Sutton and help Lieut.. Utley hold
him down?
De Hart-Yes, sir. I have no recollec-
ton of that. / was standing there when
an officer handed me the gun.
Mr.. Davis-Did you see Lieut.. Sutton
shoot himself?
De Hart-No, sir, but / saw the fash.
Mr.. Davis-Now, I want you to take
your time and try to recall the identity
OF sthe officer who handed you the re-
| volver after the shooting of Lieut.. SUIT
ton.
De Hart latter pause)-I can't remem-
Der.
Mr. Davis-You knew Lieuts. Adams.
| Utley. Rocker. Osterman and Wiling
| had served under them and seen them
every day?
De Hart-Yes sir.
Mr. Davis-You saw them all there.
yet you cannot tell which one of them
| 1t was who gave you the gun?
De Hart-No. sir.
Recalls Only One Thing.
The sergeant's memory was no better
when ssked to tell what was said by any
of the officers just after the shooting of
Lieut.. Sutton. He couldn't recall single
4 ork rnado hoyond that IF the officer