Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-23


Home of Refinement" sometimes. be-
cause Of the atmosphere of learning.
How many, considering the tragedies
and failures that have been enacted here.
the tears and heartbleedings that have
been sown here. have ever heard it called
1.-The City of Broken Hearts,
In a midshipman's scrapbook there are
penciled the above lines, never before
you that there are actors, authors and
everything else among the midshipmen
Talent is encouraged and recognized
quickly by them.
And to the City of Broken Hearts
come a mother and a sister of dead
boy. So came the mothers of myriad
others who have failed at the institution
whose buildings are gray marble gray
and cold and housing men whose lives
are cold, cold and merciless.
There isn't much to be had here fol-
the man who failed. If he is dead he is
dead. Kismet. it is finished.
But there is much that is interesting
in wondering how Jimmy Sutton died
The answer is a long way off.
Annapolis Not Excited.
Annapolis the quaint old Maryland
capital on the banks of the Severn, does
not proposeto depart from the even tenor
Of her way because of the Sutton tragedy
and the present investigation.
Those familiar with the Naval Academy
| and all the intricate ms and outs of life
| in the navy only shake their heads when
| asked concerning the problem of Sutton s
death. Too many times have they seen
! boards called together to probe into the
mysteries of 1.-THE service and too many
| times have they seen those boards ad-
/ iourn with the customs and traditions of
| the naval organization still a closed
| book which no outsider has ever read
| These onlookers remember the great
upheaya1 following the fist fight in which
| Midshipman MeriWether of Louisiana
| killed Midshipman Branch of New YORK.
| board and of the congressional board
called together later to get at real life
| within the academy. The only thing the
| board achieved was the dismissal OF
| few midshipmen. no one of whom per-
/ haps was as guilty as a dozen remaining.
| Everything almost that happens in the
! naval service has it's inspiration In a
| mixture of tradition, of custom, of the
/ thousand and one unWritten laws that
are enforced.
Sutton Matter Deep Rooted.
| OF one thing those acquainted with the
ways of the service are sure: James
| Sutton did not die as the result of
quarrel of one nights standing-he did
not answer the final roll call because of
one evenings unpleasantness. Whether
| he died by his own hand or not the
real cause of his death lies back some
| where in the dim past of his life.
| The question before the board is, Did
James Sutton shoot himself because he
| thought he had killed a brother officer?''
To decide this the court must go back
! beyond that black October night. back
to the old academy days. back to the eter-
! nal feud between the line and the Marine
Corps. back to the old hatreds and
early life of James Sutton.
! Somewhere here on this backward
path they may stumble on the source
| that led to Jimmy Sutton's death. Not
until this method is applied is it like
| ly that the mystery of that October night
| will be cleared and the name of Sutton
| either branded that of suicide or re-
| lieved of the stigma. Those who know
point out this one way to the center of
| this maze.
Sutton's Temperament.
In the spring of 1904 there entered the
Naval Academy new plebe class, des-
| tined to be the class OF 1905. The mem
bers Of the class have, excepting those
who fell by the wayside. graduated a
year ago and are now scattered over the
earth on the vessels of Uncle SANS
navy.
In this class there was a young fellow
| of medium build, sandy-haired, strong,
1.-the and active. His name was James
Sutton. In time he was assigned, &C
cording to custom, the sobriquet of Jim
I N.Y. He was an ordinary enough every
day young STRIPPING.
| In due time the class was sent before
the gymnasium instructors for physical
measurements and tests. Here Jimmy
Sutton surprised some of the class who
had not noticed his well knit body by
| standing second in the strength test fol
the whole class. The only man who
bested him was Archie Douglas. after
ward one of the greatest foot ball play
ers and general athletes in the east.
More notice was now taken of Jimmy
Sutton. 1t was remarked that he was a
constant attendant at all boxing. wres-
thing and jiu-jitsu lessons. and that In
the latter he was particularly proficient
quickly picking up all the tricks that the
willy japanese instructor offered.
"Grandstand" Player.
But Jimmy Sutton was always grand
stand player said ex-classmate. He
was good man physically. but was hot,
headed and often unreasonable about
small matters.
He had some of the plebes thinking
he would be one of the best ring fighters
in the academy. Those were the DAYS
of class fights in which a man represent.
ed his class either to punish an offender
against a rate or to take the conceit
out of a chesty plebe.
I'm the fall the upper classmen re-
turned, and of course Sutton came in fol
his share of the hazing. which had not
at that time. been abolished Sutton wa.
drawn into trouble because he refused
to take his share.
IF / remember. the man who first haS
trouble with him was Walker of 1907
Sutton drew a knife on Walker. This
made him unpopular both in his own ane
every upper class.
Although the right to fight is nevel
denied a man. no implements except bare
fists or light gloves were ever used The
drawing of knife was an especially
unpopular offense against the code.
Sutton's First Fight.
Weary Walker took the matter TO his
class. According to custom a man OF
Sutton's weight was detailed TO fight him
because Walker was lighter than SUIT.