Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-14
PISTOL SHOT CLEAN CUT
Body at Arlington Exhumed and
Examined by Surgeons.
MOTHER LOOKS ON SONS FACE
Declares Her Belief That Young
Officers Skull Was Crushed Be-
fore Shot Was Fired.

n.
autopsy he performed on Lieut.. Sutton
at Arlington cemetery yesterday. At a
late hour this afternoon Mr.. Davis had
not heard from DR.. Vaughan. but it is
probable that the surgeons report will
be In the hands of the attorney by to-
morrow morning at the latest.
Surgeon Raymond Spear. u. s. NJ, who,
as the official representative of the Navy
Department. assisted in the autopsy. will
probably report to Assistant Secretary
Winthrop this afternoon. Until his re-
port has reached the head of the Navy
Department through the proper official
channels DR.. Spear will make no state
ment whatever regarding his findings In
the case
Dyke brothers. Mrs. Sutton's attorneys.
opposed the exhumation and examination
of Suttons body. Mr.. Henry Van Dyke
said today that he was glad 1t had been
done, since 1t showed conclusively, in
his opinion. that If the bullet wound
from which Sutton died were made by
Sutton himself it was a most remarkable
exception to the ordinary action of a
service revolver
After the autopsy DR.. Vaughan ex-
pressed the opinion that the muzzle of the
revolver from which the shot was fired
was held at a distance from Suttons
head SO great as to preclude the POSSIBLE
ity of Sutton's having fired the shot.
xOuQQ C1eau-CuC w OU0Q.
The wound was clean cut" said Mr..
Van Dyke today. IF the muzzle of the
revolver had been held close to Sutton's
head the ball would have shattered the
skull. Furthermore. the ball would have
drilled clean through his skull and come
out at the opposite side. AS it was. the
ball was imbedded in Suttons BRAIN"
The rumor that Sutton's arm was
broken In the fight was effectually ex-
ploded by the autopsy, which showed
bruises on his face only. But Mrs. SUIT
tons attorneys think they have estab-
lished a great deal by getting an accurate
description of the wound, which was lack
ing at the recent inquiry at Annapolis.
Neither Mr.. Davis nor Mr.. Van Dyke
future plans. Mrs. Sutton was equally
reticent, referring all requests for infor-
nation on that subject to her attorneys.
It is a safe prediction. however. that
inquiry with DR.. vanghan's report of his
autopsy added will be laid before the
federal grand jury of Maryland when It
meets in Baltimore next month with the
request that an indictment be found
against the young marine officers who
were involved in the troubles which re-
suited in Sutton's death.
Result Of the Autopsy.
When the body of Lieut.. Sutton was
day afternoon an, autopsy, performed by
physicians representing tho: Navy Depart
ment and. young Ssltton's mother, dis
closed tho fact that no bones were
broken although a. confusion was found
over the right eye and another on the
right cheek.
It had been Mrs Sutton's contention
that her sons arm was broken and his
forehead crushed In the fight which pre-
coded his death. and that. this being the
case, the shot which ended his life could
not have been selfInflicted.
DR.. George Tully Vaughn, who repre-
scented Mrs. Sutton at the autopsy. said
last night that the bullet wound which
caused his, death was three inches above
the right ear and was clean cut. There
had been burned by powder. Surgeon
Spear. who represented the Navy De-
partment. declined to make a statement.
Saying that he intended to make a re-
port direct to the Navy Department
Attorney Van Dyke, associate counsel
for Mrs. Sutton. who was present at the
autopsy. said he was convinced that the
shot had been fired at least five feet
from the officers head. and that the
wound showed conclusively that 1T was
ply steal impossfbility for Sutton to have
dred the shot.
DR.. Vaughn's Statement.
DR.. Vaughn will make full written
report of the findings at the autopsy to
Mrs. Sutton tonight. He issued yesterday
the following statement
1T found the. body In fair state Of
preservation. except softening Of the
chest trunk and arms. I found nc bones
broken. There was a confusion or bruise
over the right eye, about two and q half
inches by one and a half inches. The
bullet wound in the scalp was three
inches above the right ear. There was
burning There
were two or three cuts In connection with
the bullet wound; one In the scalp near
the bullet hole and the other about the
middle Of the scalp. This last cut may
have beer made at the post-mortem. or
by blunt instrument before DEATH"
Attorney Van Dyke, associate counsel
with Henry E. Davis on the Sutton case,
said the autopsy disclosed that neither
the arms nor any ribs were broken. The
bullet hole was made by a bullet of a
3S-caHber revolver. he said.
SS-caliber revolver was found beside
the body. The hole was clean cut. There
were no cracks running from it and no
breakage. Mr.. Van Dyke said that after
consultation with experts in gunshOt
wounds he was convinced that the shot
was fired at least five feet from the vic
TINS head. II 1t had been fired at close
range. he said the bullet would have
cracked the skull and gone clean through
the head.
When her sons body was being ex-
humed Mrs. Sutton did not go to the
side OF the grave. but sat in her carriage,
which was drawn up In the roadway
about forty feet from the grave. Beside
the grave were the physicians selected to
perform the autopsy. DR.. George Tully
vaughan and his assistant. Dr. H. E.
Gaynor. representing Mrs Sutton, and
DR.. Raymond Spear, Y. g. N, represent
ing the Navy Department; Mrs. Sutton
attorneys. Henry K. Davis. Edmund Van
Dyke and Henry Van Dyke; Chief In
spector Of National Cemeteries Rhodes
and a number of newspaper men.
The oak box containing the coffin was
moved from its resting place to the store
house back of the Lee mansion. AS soon
as the mold that had formed on the
glass over Suttons face had been re-
moved. Mrs. Sutton was invited by the
surgeons to look at the face of her dead
son. She entered the storehouse and
looked intently into the coffin for sew
eral minutes. then turned and walked
slowly away. AS she re-entered her car
rage she said she had found that her
sons head was crushed and asked the
newspaper men to go In and see for
themselves.
A careful look at Lieut. Sutton's face
showed that Mrs. Sutton was mistaken.
On the dead fieutenant's forehead was a
round purplish-red bruise the size Of q
silver dollar. On his right cheek was a
smaller bruise. In his hair. just above the
forehead. was a seam. which when seen
through the glass of the coffin might
have been taken for a wound The au-