Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-08
SUTTON INQUIRY
IS HELD BEHIND
CLOSED PORTALS
LETTERS FROM DEAD MANS
MOTHER ARE READ
COURT ADJoURNs AFTER sEs-
SION OF TWO HOURS
Parent, After Objection to Having
Mssives Entered in Evidence,
Says She Is Willing Contents
Shall Be Made Public
tnu Aasoclnted Preas.l !

A NNAPOLIS, Md, Aug. tine ma
val board of inquiry which is In
"a vestigating the death of Lieut.
James N. Sutton of the marine corps
today held two-hour session behind
closed doors and adjourned until Mon
day, when il was announced, the near
ing will again be thrown open to the
public.
The secret session today was to ex-
anime Mrs. Sutton, mother or LleuteIl-
ant Sutton, on the contents OF seVeral
letters which she wrote to Col. Charles
E. Doyen, senior of the marine corps
at the naval academy, and others re-
garding her sons death, and Which
the board yesterday ruled should DC
admitted in evidence, but should not
be read in open court.
Major Leonard, the judge advocate
had not finished interrogatng Mrs.
Sutton in regard to the letters When
adjournment was taken today, 1T was
said, and whether her urgent request
that the examination be continued pub
llcly on Monday and that the contents
of the letters for the most part pc
made known at that time would be
granted was not determined.
Commander Hood, presiding officer OF
the board, enjoined all interested par
ties today from discussing the letters
they contain bitter and pointed allega-
tlons against some of the young off,
GERS of the marine corps who are now
appearing as defendants in the case.
Expresses Disappointment
Mrs. Sutton expressed her disap-
polntment of the secret session when
seen after court. She said that as long
as her letters were placed in evidence
she had no objection to having them
made public.
Henry e. Davis, her counsel, made Il
strong fight to keep the letters from
being admitted when Major Leonard
offered them in evidence.
There may be some startling decfa-
rations in the letters said Mrs. Sut-
ton, but / am prepared to repeat
whatever 1 said and back up my state
ments. 1 do not want any secrecy.
Mrs. Sutton's daughter, Mrs. Rose
Sutton Parker of st. Paul, will be ex-
amined as a witness. Mrs. Parker s
testimony promises to be somewhat
sensational. She is expected to tell the
results of her personal investigation of
her brothers death and relate pertinent
conversations with some of the young
officers who now stand before the court
as accused by her mother of completely
in the shooting in October, 1907, when
Lieutenant Sutton was killed, or killed
himself as the FORMER DOard Oh inquiry
determined.
Mr.. Davis will sum up Sutton's side
of the case, and former United States
District Attorney Birney of Washing
ton will talk for his client. Lieut..
Robert. E. Adams of the marine corps
and Major Leonard will make the final
argument for the government.
Court Adlourns to Monday
After the reading of Mrs. Sutton's
letters Commander Hood president OF
the board of inquiry, adjourned court
until 10 a. m. Monday.
The appearance in New York morn
ing newspaper of parts of the letters
supposed to have been written by Mrs.
Sutton caused Commander Hood to
send out word from the court room
that the letters referred to had nothing
to do with the case.
At the adjournment of court Mr..
Davis, counsel for Mrs. Sutton, said the
board had decided to resume operations
on Monday.
Mrs Sutton had requested it, he said.
1t was understood Major Leonard had
simply read the letters in evidence to-
day and would conduct Mrs. Sutton's
examination in regard to them in open
court.
Mrs. Sutton expressed her dissatisfac-
ton of the secret proceedings when
seen after today's session.
"If my letters are to be put in evil