The Washington times., 1909-07-21
Witness in Inquiry StartIes
Hearers at Annapolis
This Morning.
BECOMES MIXED UP
AS TO MEN PRESENT
Says He Cannot Remember Who
Were There When Body of Ma
rine Officer Was Found.
By THEODORE H. TILLER.

ANNAPOLIS, Nd, July a.
Lieutenant Sutton told me that he
was tired of life, that it held no at
traction for him. Some day, he said.
he would shoot himself"
This was the new phase given the
Sutton hearing today when Lieut..
William F. Bevan, officer of the
guard on the night that Sutton died
after a midnight campus fight with
brother officers, told the second in
vestigation board that Sutton, few
months before, had professed the
tiresomeneSs of life.
This was the most important bit
of Bevan's testimony.
Second in Importance came the
maze of contradictions about a
number of points through which
he was led on the cross-examina-
ton.
When Bevan accused the dead
lieutenant of wanting to die a sui
eide, his mother and sister, Mrs.
James n Sutton and Mrs. Rose
Sutton Parker, who are attempting
TO show that Sutton was killed by
another than his own hand. sat in
dazed aatonishment. Mrs Sutton
mixed smiles with her expression
of incredulity as Bevan reiterated
his statements.
Shakes Her Head.
She looked inquiringly at her daugh-
ter a few feet away. and shook her
head. half defiantly, Struggling her
shoulders just a bit
Mrs Parker's face was more a study
of amazed interest.
LIE never held more for any young
man. they have always said. than for
Jimmie Sutton" Mrs. Parker, whose
TO get each witness to look her
in the eye has become a matter of court
room gossip. moved her seat early in
the proceedings today.
Formerly she sat directly in front OF
the witnesses. Now she has a three
quarters face view of the witness stand
and OF Lieutenant Adams, directly be-
hind the chair, who has regarded the
second inquiry Of enough Importance 20
hire legal counsel to represent his in
terest. It was Adams who repudiated
afternoon the interview he is
said to have had with Mrs. Parker Just
after the tragedy, in wh eh he described
her brothers beating.
Changes Story.
If Bevan's suicide theory was some
what inimical to the cause of the Sut-
tons. they scored a few minutes later
when Bevan contradicted his testimony
on the first inquiry with reference to
The position OF Sutton's arms when the
fatal shot was fired.
Before, according TO the way in which
Attorney Davis refreshed the witness
memory. he said that both of Sutt0ns
arms were under him When he saw a
flash. Today. the witness recalled see
ing him raise one arm and that then
the flash came
Bevan explained all his contradictions
by saying that statements made just
following tie affair were made accord
ing to his best memory at that time
and that toGay his statements were
made also IN line with his best recoIIec-
tiCn now.
He was minute, however, in the de-
scription of the tent interview in 1907
when Sutton said he was tired OF life.
COntradicts Adams.
At the very beginning OF this morn
ing's session, testimony was obtained
from Lieutenant Bevan directly contra
dieting that of Lieutenant Adams. The
latter had declared that It was impossi-
bic for any officer on the night Of the
fight to have carried a revolver con-
cealed.
Lieutenant Bevan, could any OF the
other officers have carried revolvers on
that night without your seeing?'' asked
Major Leonard.
Yes answered the witness.
(which one?'"
"An of them. They could have had
pistols in their mess jackets or trous-
ers."
Adams had declared the clothes worn
by himself and brother officers had been
too tight.
At this juncture in the proceedings,
there was a long argument between
counsel as to whether the witness could
answer a question as TO whether or not
Sutton previously shot Up the camp"
as claimed by Adams. The court finally
permitted Bevan to give his answer II
was as follows:
Il do net know OF my own knowIedgs
of Lieutenant sutton ever threatening
TO take ,anyboGy's life unless his actions
on that night can be so construed. That
night / saw him in front OF his tent
with two revolvers. but 1 do not think
he intended to ia jure Lieutenant Rocker,
who was standing thelu IA front OF him.