The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-08-20
3 .ayS VI. 4,Cy OF kGyl. 1o..J j
Is Man., estIy Wrong.
CASE WILL Be PUSHED FURTHER
Her Counsel Declares That Recent
Inquiry Is Only a Curtain
Raiser to the Main Per.
formance.

Washington. Aug l9.-Mrs. Rosa B.
Sutton. mother of Lieutenant James
y. sutton. is sad. sorry and indignant
ut the verdict of the naval court of in-
Quiry. She said today:
Il consider the verdict that my son
was responsible for his own death and
the action of the court in eXonerating
Lieutcnants Adams. Utley and Oster-
man as manifcstly unjust and wrong.
Further action will be taken you can
rest assured.
There is still no question in my
mind that my son did not commit sui
eide, and the decision by the court of
inquiry has by no means halted me in
my determination to vindicate him"
Henry +. Davis, attorney for Mrs.
Sutton. said he was not satisfied with
the decision of the court and will con-
tinur his efforts to prove that Lieuten-
ant Sutton was murdered. Mr.. Davis
indicated that .he would take further
steps in the matter, but would not in
dicate what his future course would
be.
"The judge advocates handling of
the case" Mr.. Davis commented, ''iS
ltly supplemented by the courts ac-
ton, which makes the inquiry Il mere
curtain raiser to the main perform
ance." Mr.. Davis declined to make
any further statement regarding the
case at the present time.
Arthur \. Birney, counsel for Lieu
tenant George f.. Adams, expressed
his qualification over the decision, say
ing there was no foundation for any
statement that Lieutenant Adams and
others will sue Mrs. Sutton for dam
ages.
Il understand" said Mr.. Birney,
that the Sutton side does not intend
to let the case drop. But l can't see
that they can do anything except stir
up some congressional fuss There is
no evidence on which to build a case,
and they will fail utterly in any of the
regularly constituted avenues for bring
ing about prosecution"
In its decision the court censures
Lieutenants Utlcy. Bevan and Willing
for not disarming Sutton or calling as
sistance during the fight and finds as
follows: ""~'sf
THAT no possible charge of criminal
ity lies against any of the participants
in the fray except Lieutenant sutton
himself and that Lieutenant Sutton is
directly and solely responsible for his
own death, which was self inflicted,
intt ;nk ;,,
shoot one of the persons restraining
him. and his death was not caused by
any other injury whatever.
''That the charges of willful murder
and conspiracy to conceal it made by
the complainant, Mrs. Sutton. mother
Of Lieutenant Sutton, are purely imag-
in&ry and unsupported by even Il shad-
ow Of evidence, truth or reason"
There was minority report of the
court signed by Commander j. Hood
of the navy. president of the court.
He says that Lieutenants Utley. Ad-
ans, Osterman, Willing and Bevan
should have been court martialed at
the time and that Lieutenants Adams
and Osterman should have been pun
ished.
Captain L. II. Campbell, judge advO-
cate general of the navy, submitted
the result of the courts deliberations
to Acting Secretary Of the Navy Win
throp. In acting on the case Mr.. Win
throp says:
"The above recommendations of the
Judge advocate general are approved
"By its concurrence i'm the ODiniOn
of the court and that expressed in the
minority report the department indi-
Gates its diSnpproval of the lax state
of discipline shown by the evidence to
have existed ut the marine school of
application prior to and mt the time of
the death of Lieutenant Sutton.
"The result of this laXity has brought
serious discrcdit not only ON the off
GERS directly responsible for the eff
cheney of the institution, hut unfortu-
nately on the marine corps as whole"