Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-14
NAVAL OFFICERS
BODY EXHUMED
CONFUSION FOUND ON LIEUT.
SUTTON'S SKULL
Representative of Government De.
cIines to Make statement-con-
tentions of Mother Are Not
Substantiated
[By Associated Press. ]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13.-After the
body of Lieutenant James N. Sutton,
the marine officer who met his death
about two years ago at Annapolis, was
exhumed at Arlington cemetery today,
an autopsy disclosed the fact that no
bones were broken, although contu-
sion was found over the right eye.
Mrs. Sutton has contended that her
sons arm had been broken in the fight
which preceded his death, and that
this being the case, the shot which
ended his life could not have been self
inflicted.
DR.. George Tully Vaughan Of this
city, who represented Mrs. Sutton At
the autopsy, said tonight that the bullet
wound which caused his death was
three inches above the right ear and
-'qan-cut.
There was no indication that the hail
and scalp had been burned with poWder
Surgeon Spear, who represented the
navy department, declined to make a
statement, saying he would report
direct to the department.
Attorney Van Dyke, associate coun-
sci for Mrs Sutton, said he was con-
vinced that the shot had been fire at
least five feet from the officers head
and that the wound showed conclu-
sively that 1t was a physical impossl-
bility for Sutton to have fired the shot.
DR.. Vaughan said tonight: 81 found
the body in a fair state of preservation,
except a softening of the. chest, neck
and arms.
No Bones Broken
"I found no bones broken. There was
a confusion or bruise over the right
eye about two and a half inches by
one and a half inch. A bullet wound in
the scalp was three inches above the
right ear. There was no sign of burn
ing of the hair.
"There were two or three cuts in
connection with the bullet wound; one
in the scalp near the bullet hole and
the other about the middle of the
scalp This last cut may have been
made at the post-mortem or by blunt
instrument before DEATH"
Present at the grave when the body
was disinterred were Mrs. Sutton, sew
eral friends, her attorneys, several sur
geons and number of newspaper men.
Mrs. Sutton was the first person to look
on the face of her dead son. After
leaving the storeroom where the body
lay. she said:
"I want you newspaper men to go
there and see for yourselves that the
forehead is crushed"
After viewing the body the news
paper men were excluded from the
room and the surgeons began the au-
topsy. The examination was made by
Drs. George T. Vaughan and H. d.
Taylor, representing Mrs. Sutton, and
DR.. Raymond Spear, United States
navy representing the dep p7rtment.
After the autopsy the body was
placed in a new coffin provided by the
no ,ta,.y fta
same grave after the ground had been
consecrated by Rev. Father Alonzo
Olds of st. Augustine Catholic church,
this city.
Case Not Closed
Mrs. Sutton and her attorneys indi-
Gated tonight that the autopsy will not
close the case.
Mrs. Sutton is credited with saying:
I'VE will give them the fight of their
lives"
Mrs. Sutton is said to be anxious to
have the case presented to a Maryland
grand jury. She feels justified, it is
said, in having had the autopsy per-
formed, as she believes the evidence OBJ
tained will prove useful in whatever
other proceedings are undertaken.
God has seen fit to answer my
prayers and has removed the stigma
the enemies of my son placed upon
him." said Mrs. Sutton.
"The confusion on the forehead and
the cleanness of the gunshot wound
'convinces me that my son was killed
by those four Officers" she continued.
Talks in Dreams
II have talked to my son in my
dreams, and he told me he received just
the kind of wounds the examination
today showed, and I believe that it will
aid materially in our next trial."
1t is the belief of those who exam
ined the body, 1t is said, that the con-
tusions We're the result of blows from
blunt weapons.
The surgeons first removed the scalp
and crown piece and closely examined
each of them.
Attorney Van Dyke took an impress
sion of the skull on handkerchief and
afterward traced 1t in ink.
No broken bones were found in the
forehead, which was next examined,
but there was slight indentation, ac-
cording to the surgeons. The chest,
ribs and arms we're found to be in per-
feet conditin~