New-York tribune., 1909-07-14
TO CALL CIVILIANS
,S11TT0N CASE WITNESSES.
Me1er TO Decide if Inquiry Wit BE
Public.
from The Tribune Bureau J

From The Tribune Bureau
washington, July 13--The SPECIAL court o1 N
quiry which is TO reopen the fnvesteation INTO ,ll
Death pv shooting Of Lieutenant James n Sutton.
United states Marine Corps on October T. lS"''
will convene at Annapolis next Monday. WIN CoIn-
nnander John Hood. L g n. presiding All ins
t-,t1sssss uho were examined by the board or m
aJiry which found Lieutenant Suttons deatn due
- .,,c,6. irnr,edfateIv after the shooting will b
ur4ssnt with the exception Of Lieutenant John
POTTS United states Marine Corps who IS on duty
in the Philippines.
There will also be called number Of civilian VII
nessss whom ths naval authorities hao TO 49, po
to subpoena under the law II then existed Naval
courts OF inquiry received power to summon cvha
witnesses by an act approved February 10 lS's di
though an appeal for such legislat1on hau OV
nlade by the Navy Department for many
while the line of new testimony 70 he ouered ~
counsel for Mrs Sutton, mother Of the heueiidii''
Is not known the power to summon CIVILIAN WI
nesses may be useful in obtaining teStirnohy 'ol
cerning affairs that preceded the Tragedy ana o7a
ing upon a possible motive -
An effort will be made to secure the tesuh'hy
Of Miss Mary Stewart. with whom Sutton speh'
IN. greater mart Of the evening preceding the
shooting and If because of Miss stewart ;
denca in Canada she cannot be suopPndeo sil7
will be requested to make a deposition Tot uls U.s.
of the Court Secretary Mayer will decide Whetne'
or not the coming inquiry will be pubic. As Hli0"
of the criticism which attached to the last inquiry
was based on its secrecy 1T is surm1sed that 'iiS
one will he public Mr.. Meyer found u he0es
10 deny to-day statement attributed 70 N1is- SUI
ron that he has ordered the case reopened because
he was convinced that injustice had been done oy
the nre,I5us court He explained that he had or
dered q new inquiry because the friends OF tHe
late lieutenant had assured him that they hao
new evidence to present, and because the depart
nent now possessed, as il did not theh' au'l0ii''
10 subpoena civilian witnesses.
Mrs Sutton mother Of the deceased othcer ar
rived in Washington this evening she was en-
tirely willing to talk OF the case for puoHeatlon'
although she said little that has not already oe7H
published
M, son did not commit suicide" was Mrs. Sut-
tons first and most emphatic declaration He was
not the kind Of boy who does cowardIy act Il>7
that am convinced that he was killed by one
of the men who were with him that night at An
napolis I do not know which one. and the state
n1ent attributed to in certain newspapers that
I have specifically charged one of the men with
the shooting is not true. I have come 70 Nash-
ington for the purpose OF ascertatning WhLch one
of them il was and of bringing the guilty man 10
Justice. am convinced that my boy never shot
himself, that one Of the who we're with him
on that fatal night killed him. and that full and
fair inquiry will relieve him OF the shame placed
upon him by the former court Of inquiry and con
vict the guilty man. I greatly pleased WITH
the course of Secretary Meyer in reopening the
case. and am convinced that he means to see
Justice done.
Il cannot tell you anything Of the investigation
of the hazinE Of my at West Point. He won't
tell me anything Of the circumstances The poor
boy is recovering from his injuries He is out Of
the hospital, but he nmps painfully. and while he
says nothing it is plain to that he is still
suffering.
when get TO Annapolis next Monday will
have several new witnesses and will produce some
Sensational testimony. but il IS too early TO say
anything further about it"
The sutton family will represented at the com
ing inquiry by three attOrneys-Henry Z Davis
and Edmund W and Henry w. Van Dyke all OF
Washington. Mrs. Rose Sutton Parker. sister Of
the late Lieutenant Sutton, is at Fort Smelling
Minnesota, but will reach Annapolis Monday in
time 10 attend the trial It has been said that
Mrs. Parker secured some of the most sensational
evidence i'm connection with her brothers death
one of the features of the days developments in
connection with the sutton case is the statement
given out at Baltimore by Colonel Charles A.
Doyen. L. S. NJ. C. who made the first inquiry
the ground. few minutes after the shooting oc-
Cured It Is commented by officers here that
CoicneI Doyen's statement dsposes of the apparent
mystery growing out Of the fact, pointed out by
sutton's mother. that he was charged with shoot
ing at others ami himself fatally with his pistol
when in evening dress. and had therefore
no pocket in which he could have carried the
weapon. Colonel Doyen saws Sutton returned to his
tent and there procured his pistol before the shoot
ing occurred.
The conclusion Of Colonel Doyens statement in
which he intimates that in order save the feel
facts If not suppressed. at least received prom
inence. Is also the occasion OF comment here. where
It is maintained that it would have been wiser 70
make public all the facts, which would doubtless
have prevented the mystery which seems have
attached to the case.
St Paul, July 13-Lieutenant Hugh T Parker
2sth Infantry. stationed at Fort Smelling whose
wife is sister of the dead lieutenant to-day gave
out some details Of the Sutton tragedy that con
fict with the generally accepted story. He says
that the Sutton family has disbeIieved the suicide
theory asserting that Lieutenant Sutton was found
with bullet hole through the head such a
place to show that the shot had been fired from
behind. While it stated that Sutton killed
himself with his own revolver. Lieutenant Parker
says Sutton's revolver found locked UP iu a
suit case He says that Sutton did attend the
dance that evening AT all, and mentions the name
OF one OF the Heutenants in the automobile with
whom Sutton not on speaking terms