The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-08-06
STORY SAME
AS OTHERS
SAYS THAT LIEUTENANT SUTTON
SHOT HIMSELF WHILE BEING
HELD ON GROUND.

Annapolis Md. AUG, 5-The naval
! here today in investigating the death
of Lieutenant James y sutton of
Portland, Ore
All the young officers who were
with Sutton at the time of his death
and who have already testified were
in court today as defendants, and Mrs
sutton, LIEUTENANT Suttons mother,
appeared as complainant, in pursu-
ance of the order Of Commander John
Hood. L. :. y, senior member of the
board, changing the alignment OF the
proceedings at adjournment week
ago.
Lieutenant Harold Utley of the ma
rine corps and Surgeon f. c. Cook,
whose. absence in foreign waters
caused the former adjournment, were
called into court by Commander Hood
and informed of their rights before
the proceedings began today.
You appear here accused of crime
and you have the right TO be present,
TO cross-examine witnesses and be
mander Hood.
Major Leonard led the young Off
Ger over the incidents of the night
Of October 1913. 1907. Utley haa
been to a hop" at the naval academy
and afterward went over to Carvel
Hall hotel with Lieutenants Adams
and Osterman, where they met Lieu
tenant sutton and later started with
him in an automobile which Sutton
had hired for the marine camp. which
Sutton never reached alive The Wit
ness described the alteration and fist
fight between Adams and Sutton on
the dump" near the camp. where Ut
ley ordered the automobile to stop.
As senior officer OF the party the
witness said, he ordered the others to
stop fighting, and they did so at that
time. Then Sutton and Osterman be-
gan fighting and Utley interviewed and
''untwi Sted'' Osterman from Sutton,
the witness said. Sutton got up and
was Knocked down twice by Oster
man, and then lay on the ground, re-
fusing to fight or say he had enough.
The fight was all one sided. Oster-
man had the better of it from start
to finish" said Utley.
Sutton lay on the ground. refusing
TO get up. and threatening TO go to-
camp and get his guns and shoot
their heads off before sunrise" the
witness said. Utiey said he told SUIT
ton to consider himself under arrest
and then left him and went to camp.
Later on his rounds in camp he
saw Lieutenant Rocker standing in
front of Sutton's tent and Sutton just
inside pointing revolver at Rocker.
Sutton and Rocker ran out of camp
and Lieutenant Utley followed them
down toward the parade grounds.
Sutton began shooting and Rocker
pitched forward on his face and lay
still, the witness said. Then he saw
Adams loom up in front of Sutton
and call out that he tAdams) was
shot, The shooting ceased and Adams
closed in on Sutton and threw him
face downward. The witness came up
at this time, he said. and knelt on
Sutton's shoulders to help hold him
down.
Sutton had one hand free. and
someone either took or knocked the
revolver out of IL, the witness said.
Sutton's other hand was under his
chest. Someone called out that Red
die" was killed. meaning Rocker, and
just then Sutton freed his other arm.
raised his hand toward his head and
shot.
1t was my opinion that he COM
mitted suicide" said Lieutenant Ut i
ley. Utley testified Sutton had "shot
up" camp at one time. and that he
had heard him threaten Ia commit
suicide. The witness said Sutton had
an exaggerated opinion of himself
MAS overbearing and had tried TO stab
A man when he (Sutton was mid
shipman.
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