The Washington times., 1909-08-09
MOTHERS LETTERS
READ TO PUBLIC

ANNAPOLIS, Aug 9.-Surprise came
from the first IN the Sutton INQUIRY
when IL reconvened s9day. First the
judge advocate moved that IN consider
atisn Of comments in the press the rec
ord of the star chamber session OF Sat
urday be now made public There was
Immediately another wrangle between
counsel
The sutton lawyers objected 70 max
ing public the letters read IN closed .ses-
sion, which We're from Mrs. sutton to
a supposed sympathizer and which con-
tained grave charges against certain Of
f1cers who we're with Sutton when be
died.
Such a thing, said AIr. Davis, could
do nothing save crafty a morbid curl
osity Of a court room throng. Admitting
that in her grief and anger, continued
Davis, the mother had written such let
ters, they were no more relevant than
a street corner conversation might be
to grand jury.
Major Leonard angrily said that he
admitted he was curious. that he now
Wan.ed the public 10 know Jast what
Mrs Sutton's charges were. that there
WeIs o.her mothers TO consider in this.
and thai IN the public mind the young
officers stood accused of q serious
crime and that the department itself
stood virtually charged with being 4
Party 20 a conspiracy. Attorney Birney
demanded publicity, too. and the court
retired Three minutes later it returned
ard ruled that the record Of Saturdays
star chamber session be read in open
crirt
Read to Court Throng.
The oIiciaI stenographer picked up
the record and began to read. Mr.. Da-
Wis sat back resignedly. Mrs. Sutton
sat with her eyes fastened on the desk
before her. Mrs. Parker, for some rea-
son, nurriedly left the room. First
cams the transcript Of the closed ses-
sion Tilt between Davis and Leonard
ana the refusal Of the court e. expunge
rrom the record Davis remark that
Leonard had not acted in good faith.
Then came the letters. written. as
their tenor disclosed, from a frantic
mother to one whom she thought was
the former friend OF her dead boy
They were to Harry N. Schwartz. un-
derstood to be a clerk in the psymas-
ter's office Of the Navy Department az
Washington.
The first letter to Schwartz was dated
Portland Ore, March 13, 1875, FIVE
months after the campus fight Of Oc-
tObef Is. 1907. She said that she had
found a letter from Schwartz in Jim
my's' effects.
Mrs sutton asked Schwartz TO inform
her frankly if he were a friend Of the
dead boy. and if so, she wanted to make
him a cOntidant and get his assistance
in clearing up Sutton's alleged suicide.
Schwartz evidently replied affirmative
~, for there were next read letters
from the mother covering a period OF
several weeks. the dates running into
May. Here are some of the extracts
These men rode out in my son's au-
tomobile. Adams pulled off his coat
when the auto stopped and went at my
son. Osterman Knocked him down five
u-en on his back. Good God. Mr.
70 think that my son is dead
and these wild men are still walking
the streets.
Extracts From Letters.
do YOU wonder that I want to die
and be with my boy? Out of the six
men there was not one who protected
the helpless I consider them worse.
than wild beasts. for only beasts destroy
the helpless"
Just a few days before Jimmie died
he wrote his father; Daddy, feel that
they are going TO get me. Never mind.
If I have a fair chance they VII snow
/ have been there.
MY poor boy. how little he kne the
kind Of men he would have TO fight
some OF them have called him a COW
ard. The man didn't live who would
have called Jimmie a coward to his
face.
'sAdr Schwartz. I think that Rocker
could tell YOU something. ] don't think
he killed Jimmie. but I know the night
before Jimmie died Rocker made a
sighting remark about the young lsdy
with my son and be had Rocker re-
tract It,
Interspersed with her charges against
the officers were paragraphs that de-
scribed her grief and her intention
never to cease her fight to clear Lieu