Evening star., 1909-07-07
SUTTON INQUEST AGAIN
Whether a Suicide or Murder
ed to Be Determined.
INQUIRY BY NAVAL BOARD
Mother of Dead Officer Has Case Re-
opened.
ANOTHER SON HAZING VICTIM
Cadet at West Point Now in Hos
pital With Severe Injuries and
Investigation Going On.
SON HAZING VICTIM

To remove all doubt, if possible, as to
the cause of the death of Second Lieut..
James NJ Sutton of the Marine Corps at
Annapolis in October. 1907. Mr.. Win
throp. acting secretary of the navy, today
ordered naval court of inquiry to as
semble at the Naval Academy. Annapolis,
the morning of Monday, July 10.
The officers detailed for service on this
board are Commander John Hood. L. S.
N: Maj. W. c.. Neville. U. S. NJ. c., and
Maj. Henry Leonard, u. S. NJ. c., as
judge advocate of the court
The instructions issued to the court by
the Navy Department are to make "a
thorough investigation of all the circum-
stances attending the death of Lieut. SUIT
ton. with a view to determine if pos
sible, the actual cause of death.
officers Summoned to Inquiry.
Officers who were with Lieut. Sutton
during the evening of his death have
been ordered to Annapolis from various
stations in the Philippines and elsewhere
to assist in the effort to clear up rumors
regarding the manner of his death. These
are Liehts. r. Z. Adams. Harold Utley.
Edward Osterman and others.
There has always been more or less
mystery regarding the Sutton case. The
official investigation conducted by the
naval authorities at the time indicated
that the officer had committed suicide.
His mother and friends dispute the JUS
tice of that conclusion. 1t was at their
instance that the naval authorities finally
entirely new investigation.
Result of Former Inquiry.
Before the court of investigation, which
held a short session over the body the
next day, the officers who were with SUIT
ton gave accounts of what happened
which did not agree in some particulars.
The court understood from their testi-
mony that all four officers had. attended
dance at the Naval Academy and
later had been drinking at Carvel Hall.
About 1 o'clock Sunday morning they
started in an automobile for their camp,
at the Marine School of Application. The
motor car was dismissed outside the
grounds, and in leaving the machine SUIT
ton developed fit of stubbornness and
seemed TO be despondent.
The witnesses said they grappled with
him. undertaking to lead him to the camp.
when he whipped out pistol and at
tempted to shoot himself. In endeavoring
to prevent this il was necessary to throw
him upon the ground; but somehow he
managed to shoot himself in the back of
the head.
These points brought out by the board
led to a verdict of suicide, and the body
was buried before his relatives had seen
it. Attorneys have produced before the
department number of depositions tend
ing to show that suicide was very i'm
probable, considering all the known con-
ditiOns of the mans death.
Believed Her Son Was Murdered.
Mrs. James n. Sutton, the mother of
Lieut.. Sutton, is credited with having
made the following statement:
My boy was murdered. He did not
commit suicide. The man who murdered
him is alive and believes he is safe, but
he will be made to answer for the death
of my boy
Another Son Hazing Victim.
Mrs. Sutton has gone to West Point,
n. T., to be with another son, Cadet r.
B. Sutton, a freshman at the Military
Academy, who is in the hospital as a
result, it is said. OF having been hazed
while on sentry duty. His case is being
Investigated by the academy authorities.
Attorney Henry f. Davis, who has been
associated with the firm of Van Dyke &
Van Dyke of this city, in the case will
represent Mrs. Sutton at the hearing, and
will be assisted by Harry W. Van Dyke.