New-York tribune., 1909-07-23
ssIITToy's DEATH WOUND
,rrRS DIS1GREE AS
TO LOC4TION.
Surgeon Demonstrates Hoo 1t c0"'0
uo-,e Been SeIf-Inficted- Lieu
tenant Reprimanded.

1pv 22-Tbe remarkable variance ~
Annapolis '~s s 80 ot he naval officers who
Ire tes1i'o- tore tie court OF inquiry which IS
are ".,- "iN ,ra death OF Lieutenant James ~
inE@s'7 he Naval Academy two years aso' vs. N1
sG'tou " a. to-5av's hearing by contradictory
tl-s- oe a. 10 the location OF me puie. ""1'1
.,,sAd the young Oregonian,s death
Wl-'-' os+,o77 Of the location Of the W"unu mas
III concordance in the face OF other eNiueii0e
ass0'". :, would appear that it would have hee1
gwen - q 7iescrr for Sutton 10 have snot INN
NUT. r,-e On the ground. with three men
sen - him, II the bullet entered the t"p OF ms
.. NJ oe surgeon George Fickrell' in charS7 o.
- marine hospital at that ulAe' "ii'
c,-ton's body, testiiied il uiu-
0L't1 charles A Doyen. conlnandant OF marines
49, time and who holds the same post now
q go tra- he examined Sutton's body lnmedi-
..- -7-e shooting felt the wound in his
- and that II was the right side, niue
,tir5 and on a line with the top % the ear III
-,,.,--su thought Sutton might have 'hillcteo ''e
- himself rs he described IT, out ne mace an
-fcir- W., and awkward demonstration In court
-+,. The revolver and free right arm to get
,re weapon in a position which would nave se''
re t1;uet into his head al the point where he
,es,ised. il entered Suron's head.
c--ao, Pick-ell said that the shot Was h3ed
i.bir Two feet Of Sut1on's head. he said mat
c,--or.s bodv showed no other injuries which
have
GO belt and holster which he SAID. were
-..,,o5 On Surton's leg the night Of 5he tragedy.
ro,eiaa-ahie progress was made today and three
80 witnesses were disposed Of. Despite the test-
-no,v Of Surgeon Pirkrel and Colonel poyen. MT.
mis- counsel for Sutton's mother and sister. fin
.sbe5 the cross-exami-ation OF Lieutenant NilAns'
who was on the stand part of yesterday
LIEUTENANT WILLING OBSTINATE.
willing made an obstinate and unsatisfactory wit
-ass under denomination. The few discrepan-
riss which Nj Davis drew from him by reading
,re record Of his description OF the scene Of the
cheating a The former inquiry were readily con-
,o5ad ny Lieutenant Willing, with the remark that
10 testified from the best Of his recollection on both
occasions
An incident of the forenoon was rebuke admin
,s-e-zs bv Commander Hood TO Lieutenant Willing
for heine late for the second time after he ex
,ecte5 10 take the witness chair. He could offer
m excuse. and the commander threatened him with
arrest for contempt Z court If there was repe-
ttion Of the offence.
lr Davis tried 70 find out from all the witnesses
-o-5av what became OF Sutton's two revovers fol-
lowing the shooting Colonel Doyen testified that
he saw them and ordered Lieutenant Willing 10
take charge Of them. hut he did not know what be-
came Of them until thev finally got into his hands
:: the Inquest i was apparent no one Of the off,
GERS wanted 10 assume the responsibility Of having
the weapons about him Immediately after the shoot
tnz.
Sergeant James De Hart, Of the Marine Corps, the
last witness at tc-days session. testified that some
Officer At the scene of the shooting handed him
revolver. with the curt command to take this
Il was dark and he could not see who the officer
was De Hart soon afterward threw the revolver
into The bushes his way 10 the barracks. and on
going out Ia look for it next morning could not
End it. he testified.
De F9art is a bright appearing young marine and
created considerable amusement in court by frankly
admitting he had been out with friends the night
f. question and was slightly under the influence
Of liquor" He said. however. he knew what was
going on around him.
When Mr.. Davis pressed the questions about his
mental condition that night, Major Leonard con-
vused the court and the spectators by asking that
judicial notice be taken Of the fact that De Hart
intoxicated. The young sergeant's mind was
quite hazy in regard 10 anything that was said or
done that night, but he positive that he was
not OF the men sitting on Lieutenant Sutton
and trying 70 hold him down. Lieutenant Bevan
previously testified that De Hart was sitting
Sutton De Hart said he was making his way TO
camp by "a hack entrance" when he met Sutton
prior the shooting He said that sutton carried
Two reyolyers and that he de Hart did not stop
10 talk with him long" The witness did not know
about the trouble sutton had had in camp. but
thought something up when he saw the two
guns. Soon afterward De Hart heard the shots
and ran back TO the scene OF the shooting. He
could not remember recognizing any officers then
except Lieutenant Ctley, who ordered him to the
barracks
4 did not 20 then" he said but stayed in the
grass nearby out Of curiosity
Mr.. Davis read from the records Of the former
inquiry, bringing out some discrepancies in Lieu
tenant Vikings testimony. The witness said his
Present testimony was correct THE former tes-
umony was given the same day of the shoot
ing and some OF il vas reckless" the lieu
tenants explanation. Willing defiant and
answered the lawyers questions in an Indifferent
manner al other times. I can't remember what
everybody SAID and did that night" he de-
cared; no one could"
Lieutenant Willing was excused, and Surgeon
Pickrel. who was in charge Of the Naval Acad-
eny Hospital the night Of the shooting, testi-
he'd Dr. Pickreu heard the shots while standing
II . window at the hospital, which only
sHort distance away and hurried to the scene
ts examined Sltton's injuries, and made care
11i examination Of the bullet wound in his head
after death.
Surgeon Pickreu said that he treated Lieuten-
ants Adams. Osterman, Rocker and Potts at the
hospital shortly after the shooting. They all had
Insignificant injuries, he said. They were all
very much excited and talked about the shooting
4-ieu'enants Adams and Osterman, as he recalled
= toia him about the fight, and said Sutton had
SIol himself while lying the ground
Nhen the witness demonstrated with the re-
'oiEer the manner in which he believed Sutton
-'eht nave shot himself. he was careful to see
Nial me weapon was not loaded. He took the re-
.o"ef IN his right hand extended his arm above
B Heao' with his elbow bent at an awkward
sie' and pointed the muzzle directly at the top
% MS head, toward the middle and rear of ibe
~ii 1he woman Spectators in the court room
-s.i,eu ~ 10 enjoy the exhibition. There was an
'oe elggling among them. Mrs Sutton and
= uaaehter smiled Dr. Pickren broke the re-
'o'er 10 see that it was not loaded
ooiShel Doyen, senior officer Of the marine CORPS
NJ
next witness Colonel Doyen told of Lieuten-