The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-08-12
SAYS SONS. CHOsT
| TOLD OF MURDER
Mrs. Sutton Makes Startling
Charge in Letter.
ACCUSES MARINE OFFICERS
Mother Describes How Boy Related
Circumstances Which Led Up
to His Death at Naval
Academy.
ACCUSES MARINE OFFICERS

Annapolis, Md, Aug. 10.-The read
ing of the record last Saturday, when
the board of inquiry investigating the
death of Lieut.. James N. Sutton, U. S.
M. C. on the government reservation
here about two years ago, conducted
the proceedings of that day in secret,
and the cross-examination of Mrs. SUIT.
ton, the mother of the dead officer,
occupied practically all of the boards
attention.
No sooner had Mrs Sutton taken the
stand to testify than Maj. Leonard,
judge advocate, demanded that the let
tiers of Mrs. Sutton read at the closed
session on last Saturday be read in
public, along with the record of the
whole meeting.
Other Mothers Should Know.
1--WE have been accused of holding a
star-chamber session." declared the
Judge advocate, land, besides, there
are sundry other mothers who are en-
titled to know why their sons are ac-
cused of crime"
A hot wrangle ensued. Lawyer Da.
Wis, counsel for Mrs. Sutton, did not
offer an open objection to the reading
of the letters, but he argued against
the necessity of making them known.
Eventually the court decided that they
be read.
In the letters, which were to H. NJ
Swartz, marine corps paymaster's
clerk, Mrs. Sutton in dramatic man
ner declared that her sons compan.
ions conspired at Carvel hall to beat
the young lieutenant; that Lieut.. Utley
was the prime mover in the plans; that
he, Adams and Osterman set upon SUIT
ton and beat him until he was almost
dead, and that her son was shot to
cover the alleged vicious attack upon
him.
Sons Spirit Told Her.
THE love between Jimmie and
myself" says the mother in one of
the letters to Swartz, was the great
est that could exist between two per
sons. IF Jimmie met with an acct
dent felt it at once Well, the night
those beasts were laying their plans
for Jimmie an awful fear came over
not talk and each kept away from the
other for fear of betraying our feel
ings. The next day Mr.. Sutton came
in and asked if | could stand some aw-
full news. He told me that Jimmie
vas reported to have killed himself.
"Oh, God! Mr.. Swartz," the writer
exclaims, ''if Jimmie had not spoken
I hoUn
mie' came up to me and said: Mother.
dear, don't you believe it; | never
killed myself. Adams killed me; they
beat me to death and then Adams shot
me to hide the crime He told me
how they laid a trap for him, how he
walked into it; how Utley grabbed him
to pull him out of the automobile;
how they held him and Osterman beat
him, about his forehead being broken,
his teeth knocked out and the lump
under his jaw, and how, when he was
lying on the ground, some one kicked
him in the side and smashed his watch.
Begged Her to Live.
He begged me not to die, but to
live and clear his name Well, after
three weeks, l proved some things he
told me were true land after repeat
eddy demanding the evidence, after
four months l got it, and within the
last month l have proven everything
he told me.
Nothing could separate Jimmie
from me, not even death, and Adams,
Utley, Potts and Osterman will never
know a moments rest on earth. Why
should they?"
Mr.. Birney demanded to know upon
what evidence Mrs. Sutton based the
foregoing accusation. She replied
that the testimony to her mind proved
1t, together with certain letters that
she had in her possession.